The Living PoetsThe Examiner[Leigh Hunt] Markup and editing by David Hill Radcliffe Completed November 2009 Examiner.1818.Poets Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities Virginia Tech
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The Living PoetsThe ExaminerHunt, Leigh, 1784-1859London25 October 1818565678
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THE EXAMINER.No. 565. SUNDAY, OCT. 25, 1818.
The Living Poets.—In the able and otherwise just article upon
Mr. Keats’sEndymion, which we
inserted on Sunday fortnight, a paragraph upon the other living poets escaped our attention,
which we certainly should have omitted for more reasons than one. The truth is, that we were in
a great hurry at the time, and in rapidly looking to the main part of the subject, our eyes so
literally glanced over the paragraph in question, that we were surprised upon meeting it at our
own breakfast table. To say nothing of our other reasons above alluded to, the writer is
mistaken in thinking that the peculiar and individual characters of the writings of such men as
Wordsworth, Moore, and Byron, can injure the survival of their poetry.
That very circumstance, though certainly not necessary to the lasting nature of poetry, will
nevertheless be among the preservatives of theirs, as we have observed on a former occasion. It
is to Mr. Keats’s poetry what particular
companionship is to solitude,—both excellent things, when genuine; and we are mistaken if
he himself does not partake more of both than his intelligent critic supposes.
A Correspondent has called our attention to a pamphlet which has just appeared on
the subject of the infamous publication known by the name of Blackwood’s Magazine. It is entitled
“Hypocrisy Unveiled and Calumny
Detected.” We are very happy to hear from our Correspondent, but it is quite
impossible we can take any further notice of the poor callous or unhappy coward to whom he
alludes; and agreeing with the pamphlet as we do in many things, we are nevertheless of opinion
that it would be much better in the various eminent persons in whose company we have had the
honour of the self-betraying abuse in question, to let it die the quiet and inevitable death of
scorn.