Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE DEAD ONES, by WALT MASON


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE DEAD ONES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: We have grown up in the belief that all the
Last Line: Five cents a yard.
Subject(s): Addison, Joseph (1672-1719); Authors And Authorship; Books; Poetry & Poets; Politics & Government; Writing & Writers; Reading


WE have grown up in the belief that all the geniuses are dead; the living
writers run to beef, instead of brains, within the head. We talk of Addison and

Steele, and grow excited o'er their charms; and as we talk of them we feel that

modern scribes are false alarms. The other day, distraught and tired, I took Joe

Addison, his book, and, hoping that I'd be inspired, I read it, in the
inglenook. Oh, yes, he has a graceful style—as Goldsmith had, and all that

bunch—but you must read about a mile before you come across a punch. And
Joseph's morals were O. K., the output of a thoughtful dome; but he would preach

for half a day, to drive one little lesson home. If I should make my screeds so

long, you'd close your eyes and gently snore, or else, impelled by sense of
wrong, you'd shoot me for a turgid bore. I don't believe that he or Steele, or
any other old time bard, could sell the stuff they used to reel, today, and get

five cents a yard.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net