LettersonLiterature1LettersonLiteratureByAndrewLangLettersonLiterature2DEDICATIONDearMr.Way,Aftersomanyletterstopeoplewhoneverexisted,mayIventureashortone,toapersonveryrealtome,thoughIhaveneverseenhim,andonlyknowhimbyhismanykindnesses?PerhapsyouwilladdanothertothesebyacceptingtheDedicationofalittlework,ofasortexperimentalinEnglish,andinprose,thoughHorace--inLatinandinverse--wassuccessfulwithitlongago?Verysincerelyyours,A.LANG.ToW.J.Way,Esq.Topeka,Kansas.LettersonLiterature3PREFACETheseLetterswereoriginallypublishedintheIndependentofNewYork.Theideaofwritingthemoccurredtotheauthorafterhehadproduced"LetterstoDeadAuthors."ThatkindofEpistlewasopentotheobjectionthatnobodywouldwritesofranklytoacorrespondentabouthisownwork,andyetitseemedthattheformofLettersmightbeattemptedagain.TheLettreseEmiliesurlaMythologieareawell-knownmodel,butEmiliewasnotanimaginarycorrespondent.Thepersonsaddressedhere,ontheotherhand,areallpeopleoffancy--thenameofLadyVioletLebasisaninventionofMr.Thackeray's:giftedHopkinsistheminorpoetinDr.OliverWendellHolmes's"GuardianAngel."Theauthor'sobjecthasbeentodiscussafewliterarytopicswithmorefreedomandpersonalbiasthanmightbepermittedinagraverkindofessay.TheLetteronSamuelRichardsonisbyaladymorefrequentlytheauthor'scriticthanhiscollaborator.LettersonLiterature4INTRODUCTORY:OFMODERNENGLISHPOETRYToMr.ArthurWincott,Topeka,Kansas.DearWincott,--Youwritetome,fromyour"brighthomeinthesettingsun,"withtheflatteringinformationthatyouhavereadmypoor"LetterstoDeadAuthors."YouarekindenoughtosaythatyouwishIwouldwritesome"LetterstoLivingAuthors;"butthat,Ifear,isoutofthequestion,--forme.AthoughtfulcriticintheSpectatorhasalreadyremarkedthatthegreatmenofthepastwouldnotcareformyshadowyepistles--iftheycouldreadthem.Possiblynot;but,likePrior,"Imaywritetilltheycanspell"--anexerciseofwhichghostsareprobablyasincapableaswasMatt'slittleMistressofQuality.ButLivingAuthorsareverydifferentpeople,anditwouldbeperilous,aswellasimpertinent,todirectone'scommentsonthemliterally,intheFrenchphrase,"totheiraddress."Yetthereisnoreasonwhyacriticshouldnotadopttheepistolaryform.OuroldEnglishessays,thepapersintheTatlerandSpectator,wereoriginallynothingbutletters.Thevehiclepermitsatouchofpersonaltaste,perhapsofpersonalprejudice.SoIshallwritemy"LettersonLiterature,"ofthepresentandofthepast,English,American,ancient,ormodern,toyou,inyourdistantKansas,ortosuchothercorrespondentsasarekindenoughtoreadthesenotes.Poetryhasalwaystheprecedenceinthesediscussions.PoorPoetry!Sheisanancientmaidenofgoodfamily,andisledoutfirstatbanquets,thoughmanywouldprefertositnextsomelivelierandyoungerMuse,theladyoffiction,oreventhechatteringsoubretteofjournalism.Seniorespriores:Poetry,ifnolongerverypopular,isadameoftheworthiestlineage,andcanboastalongtrainofgallantadmirers,deadandgone.Shehasbeenmuchincourts.TheoldGreektyrantslovedher;greatRhamsesseatedherathisrighthand;everyprincehadhissingers.Nowwedwellinanageofdemocracy,andPoetrywinsbutafeignedrespect,LettersonLiterature5moreoutofcourtesy,andforoldfriendship'ssake,thanforliking.Thoughsomanywriteverse,asinJuvenal'stime,Idoubtifmanyreadit."Nonebutminstrelslistofsonneting."Thepurchasingpublic,forpoetry,mustnowconsistchieflyofpoets,andtheyareusuallypoor.Cananythingspeakmoreclearlyofthedecadenceoftheartthanthebirthofsomanypoetical"societies"?WehavetheBrowningSociety,theShelleySociety,theShakes...
