A SERIES OF LECTURES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 337, 23 May 1885, Page 14

A SERIES OF LECTURES.

(By Nameloc.)

No. 11.~-.ON POETRY,

Until a very short time ago there seemed to me a mystery about poets and their productions which I never could fathom,, although I tried in various ways ; but at last I have discovered the wondrous sesame by which any one who will may write a poem with the most gifted — and hence the present lecture. T have never tried it myself, but I am confident it cannot fail if properly carried out. Let me explain : Chance threw me into a railway carriage, and into the company of a flashily dressed young man at the same time, and in the course of conversation we fell upon ' poetry and poets. [We are often tempted to " fall upon poets" ourselves.— Ed. 0. &F. L.] I expressed my admiration for the genius of Byron and others who, with their magic pen, i could give to the events of by-gone times the semblance of recent occurrences again. "Pooh!" said my .companion, "that's all' nonsense, I assure you. lam a poet, and as [ you seem incredulous, I will undertake to make a rhyme upon every sentence you utter during the next five miles of our ride, and afterwards I will tell you how it is done and enable you to " go and do likewise." " But, suppose I say something you never yet heard," I said, staggered by the poetstrangers or strange poets proposition. " I'll warrant I'll rhyme it with some sort of word," quickly responded my friend. He had me the first time, and before I had thought to give him a trial. But now I waited and strove to pitch upon a difficult word to rhyme upon, while my companion was enjoying a quiet laugh at my astonishment and perplexity. " Mind you," interrupted my friend, " there are cases when the sense of a sentence may not allow of sufficient scope for rhyming, but not to retract from my word, " I'll add that any word I can't rhyme on, I pun on." "Done !" I cried ; " now rhyme or pun on the word superanuated !" ""Well," said he, " there's nothing extraordinary about that. I thought, with all the consideration you bestowed upon the choice of a word, that you would have found one more difficult than that." " You are prevaricating to gain time," I cried. " Come, sir, your rhyme open, or I shall doubt your self -implied genius." " Oh, well ! supper an' you ate it, if looked at in a sensible light, is nothing but the proper thing to do. Therefore I say that you might have found a more difficult test." Feeling sure that if this sort of thing went on that young man's blood would be sacrificed, I sank shuddering into a corner, but managed to moan, "Enough! Now tell me how [to manage poetry, wholesale, retail, and for exportation." "Certainly," said he, "it is very simple. " Write a line ending as yoa please, and pick upon some word to match it, and fill in the second line as best you can. That is all. Now to give you proof positive. If you will take the trouble to write as I dictate, I'll compose a poem for you on the spot, and you can show it to your friends and explain the circumstances." " But," said I, "how am I to know that it is spontaneous ?" " I'll take an oath," replied he. I nodded assent. "Well, 1 had a very curious dream last night, and so I'll put it in verse, and call it simply —