Word: authorities
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Dates: during 1870-1879
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THERE appeared in the last number of the Advocate a criticism of Mr. Emerson's "Letters and Social Aims," recently published, in which the writer casts reflections on our author's age, insinuating that he detects signs of weakness and loss of pristine vigor; and after finding fault with the titles and subject-matter of these essays, he proceeds to detail to us some gratuitous information about Omar Khayyam, alias Chiam, whom he thinks Mr. Emerson has failed to treat with proper deference and appreciation. In spite of his specious remarks on Khayyam, appearances tend to prove that either...
...College in shape of our Evening Readings. When the readings in Shakespeare were given last year, though at an hour very uncomfortable to many of us, the interest was strong, and the room was crowded almost to suffocation; but now a course of readings in the same author, by the same professor, while highly appreciated by the Cambridge society, hardly draws fifty students, though given in the evening, when one's mind is comparatively free. The phenomenon we see, but the explanation is not so evident. Perhaps the old saw about the sweeping powers of the new broom applies here...
...might run as follows: Imprimis, a reprint of the bulletin-board, then a few remarks on college prayers; after which we might have a few lines of poetry on "My Love," or "The Fading Daisy," - for poetry is allowed a license in this matter that makes me think the author must be a poet (a conclusion in which the rambling style of the article further confirms me). One would think, by the by, that the poetry might be satisfactorily limited to the flowers that grew in the Yard, the goodies, and other kindred subjects. But after this breathing-place...
Another thing which accounts for the unpopularity of much of our poetry is its very affected vocabulary. About one half the sonnets begin with "O" or "Thou," and it is a chance if the author can get through without using "lush," or mentioning the nightingale; a bird rarely seen or heard, and so very useful, since imagination fills up the blank as the context requires.* What "lush" means it would be hard to say, and as for the average "O," it reminds one of the "indeed" or our ante-collegiate (?) days. If you cannot write poetry naturally, you had better...
Further on the author inspires us with hopes of a still greater reward. He says that if we thus introduce ourselves to the notice of the young ladies in question, it cannot fail to challenge their admiration, while their gratitude may be relied on to an unlimited extent." Is the author sure that he is not promising more for our Wellesley sisters than they are prepared to accord...