COUNT TOLSTOY ON POETRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 227, 18 June 1908, Page 8

COUNT TOLSTOY ON POETRY.

"VERY SILLY SUPERSTITION." An educated peasant of the Simbirsk Government recently wroto to Count Tolstoy for advice respecting his literary efforts, and in tho course of- his letter ventured to express certain opinions of his own on tho value of poetry. He is stated' to havo received tlie following letter in reply:— "Generally speaking, I b,old that tho word, which is the expression of' thought and the manifestation of the spirit, is so important that, to confuse it for reasons of measure, rhythm, and rhyme, and to sacrifioo clearness and simplicity for like considerations, is blasphemy. • It is as though the ploughman danced behind his plough. Did he do sohe -would spoil tho straightness and regularity of his furrow. Poetry, oven when it is good, is, in my opinion, a very silly superstition. But wlion it is had and devoid of tenour, as that of our modern versifiers generally is, it hocomes the most idle, useless, and ridiculous occupation, and I advise you not to apply yourself to it, especially as I sco from your letter that you are able to think deeply and to express, your thoughts clearly."