But the voluminous literature of poetics is well-nigh
all special. It is written for students of rhythm, for instinctive
lovers of poetry, for writers of verse, for critics. It does not
treat of the value of poetry for the average, the unpoetical man--
it says little of his curious distaste for all that is not prose,
or of the share in all good poetry that belongs to him.
By the average man, let me hasten to say, I mean in this instance
the average intelligent reader, who has passed through the usual
formal education in literature, who reads books as well as
newspapers and magazines, who, without calling himself a
litterateur, would be willing to assert that he was fairly well
read and reasonably fond of good reading. Your doctor, your
lawyer, the president of your bank, and any educated business man
who has not turned his brain into a machine, will fit my case.
Among such excellent Americans, I find that there exists a double
standard as regards all literature, but especially poetry. Just as
the newspapers always write of clean politics with reverence--
whatever may be the private opinions and practices of their
editorial writers--so intelligent, though unpoetic, readers are
accustomed to speak of poetry with very considerable respect.
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