Original Poetry by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 18, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 11.

Original Poetry.

By Editor

IN the SIGNS we are expected to have a certain amount of poetry, and it is our desire to do so; and good original poetry always has the preference. But very little of that class is received at the office. The reader would be astonished to learn the amount of manuscript we receive which the writers fondly call poetry. In many cases the writers cannot spell correctly, and have no idea of grammar; they barely approach to rhyme, and do not even approach to measure, and have no idea of the importance of accent. It is hard to convince this class that they cannot write poetry.

But all are not so destitute of knowledge as this, who are yet far from being poets, though they think they are. "Blank verse" gives an excellent opportunity for showing the "true poetic fire." It has been the medium of conveying the most profound thought in the most lofty strains; perhaps this is owing somewhat to the fact that the writer is not trammeled in his work to choose words which make rhyme. But when writers send us blank verse (so-called), with a goodly share of the lines ending in prepositions and conjunctions, we shall never be persuaded that they are poets, even though they may have the rhyming faculty quite largely developed.

We have had some writers who could really write quite passable verses, but who often write so carelessly and so hastily that we had to reject their contributions. Then they grow discouraged. If they would exercise more patience, and give more time to considering, pruning, and correcting their work, they might do quite well.