TENNYSON'S POPULARITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 9

TENNYSON'S POPULARITY.

•Even, great men " are often haunted by the ;; -fear .that ..their, best work may. have onlj an':ephemeral'-Value.-,';Xn ; ;BUch ! ;a wn wrote in "In Hemonam": "IJut I shall X-:: 'pass; my. work (will, fail."-//-Portunotelyj .his '- ' . \fcar hps not been, realised. . Tho centenarj ; \K 'cot ■ ijs:; jus^ ( ,tli^t';'.EiS : '';wbrk.;'hai 'Unot;fail^;".and^WiT : hot;fail.r;With: tho pqs .- exception! 'of: : Shakespeare,.iii'f ia | tortjaj ;-'. ..the most widely read poet' in' the- English • . speaking'world;'. ? n< l u jries of somo of thi r.C&r ' . iea'ding'publishers'by 1 , the .London "Daily : News' :' " ; mow.], that.'the, demand fo.r'.luß_-wprk3 is. steady i:. v. >'/and-in "the'case.-of'the,:more expensively 'bound copies it. is.increasing.';•'• ■ ... ■.1 .'/ Mr. Muir.—of—the-firm--of—Macmillnn ■ ant 'CbM : ;,whp''thaye;; been; Tennyson's . publishers for^m^ny'-years; l '!and : ; ..who ' StiUirrissuec-fttht - completed .works .in determined v.", /j: . 'i'jjpon'; by.v the ' poet reluptant. tf ft speak, to., a "Daily■ :News"/rbpreSerititHe : oil : i .' the^qflMtioh; v .frßm.;:a view. . ' but regarding ' the general popularity, :of 'Ten • . nyson i he said''there , was 'not the, slightest .. ; ':v. BgnVof any, falling- off. . "Heis'. still fayI•:. ; ouritb'iwithv the headers: of, English ; pobtry.'-'' ] L. beliefb the portions of his;worl : issued by"' other; publishers ' have had a v go'o: ; : ;:ialo,' and .''for..: the; copyright, edition,j.which.wi ' . still hold;'.there';, is .a constant demand." . : r. 1' •:In - reply '- to i another- .question,' • Mr. Muii ,; . .i;oplied i/.""N0 ) , .,we have'.'not.ialways'. been th( .. . i .-publishersiof'vTerinyson.-: His ' first. work, con tained : in' the -volume Poems by Two .Bros 1 - ' tilers,'-was issuedby Messrs. Simpkinj Messrs ' Ifoxon and Kegan .Paul also published eom< r, V . . i M'.the/esirlierVbtks'i bfit'lalljthe Tiiter.- work! ~ '• ' and the" iompiete, editions are; r phblished ■by oiii , house" , :v ft : .of/ther.Orfprdi.iXJniversitj Pressi gave the samo • testimony as to 'I'enny :v -' . eon's .popularity. ""His- works r have a'- steanj . : salo, and ! thero is no isign of a , slackening ol 'ft,' :.■:the l bound -copie"! ;ft ftft'ftare 'in'iiconstant jrr'equest.; Wo are: bringjnf ft :•.ft. ■ :'6ut' edition in the miniature series , : printed on India'special paper,-'and :bound ii 'a'.-cheaper .edition.bound .it : ,'cloth. Ido not think that anj; : poet is<sc ■'-'''. -;: widely read as Tennysbh.ft There is a eonstanl ft';ft : ft demand • for; all.tihevclassical poets, but noni • i of them equals tho demand .for,.. Tennyson;"- ; Similar testimony' was -bornP .by. the: mana ger' of MesEM.;®outledge's.;;^ , '"We( have;.itf , \ - eluded Tennyson- in, both the New- Universal Library and the 1 Mtises' Library,' and the sale: '. hiivd been' exceedingly.'satisfactoiy. The highei 'priced; editions ; haye ; .falleh'''off _slightly, .but thi ..cheaper editions' are. still .selling.';wpll.'";Askec . : \ to compare' the relativo sales of- Teanyson anc . Brbwrting,'; the: manager . referred. to his ; sale; V. , bbbk,: and found that covering a,, fairly ; lengthj v .period, they, sold three, copies, of Tennyson t< ;:' ■'•' '' two of Browning.; 'Somewhat 'similar, again :.<. jwas the information .givenrby ..Messrs. J. -11 ..- 'L;;Deni-'and..Co.;J:.;."Tennyson,;.in ..'Everyman i ' ■ Library,'- is one 'of tlie most popular volumes, ~... ilthongh 'Browning .runs him 'close.. , V ' ;7.'<;. , .,{,Th0 that theri was little demand for: modern' poets. . ."We havt ■ :■i>;ndfgreat'modern:'popta," ; -was the .sad'lameDl '•■••I of ! more■' thair ',ohe':;publisher.;-; ,V'; ,: - '■ ;!