Birmingham State Herald

INFLUENCE OF POETRY
Interestingly and Instructively Discussed by Mrs. Robert Cunningham Last Night.

The Clionian Literary circle and its guests assembled last night in the parlors of the Commercial club, where they enjoyed a scholarly view of the history and influence of poetry by the leader of the circle, Mrs. Robert Cunningham. She was introduced by Mr. George Cruikshank. A brief synopsis of her remarks is as follows:

Poetry is the highest and first of all the arts. It represents the truly beautiful. It enters into the life of every child, every boy and girl, every man and woman. We trace its history as we trace the life of the soul. Every one who thinks and feels is a poet. It lives with the human speech. Rome, Carthage, Athens, Troy, Nineveh have long since crumbled away, but Plato, Homer and Confucius live with the language. Poetry is the vivifying element of every other art; it is the oldest of all. David's songs are poems of the highest thought.

The poetic thought demands the highest form of expression. We have but to look around us to recognize this. Architecture is but a living, material poem. It is embodied in the ornaments that adorn the edifice. I was peculiarly impressed with this when I beheld the Strassburg cathedral. It represented the gift of some soul striving to follow the upward pointing spire; but architecture, sculpture, color, dancing and all the arts bow down to poetry. Its influence is not like science or the visible arts. Poetry has a subtle influence, silent, but none the less real and certain. The influence of poetry changes. In the olden time the annihilation of the human life was a poetic theme. That has changed. To learn the power of poetry we must study its origin.

The lecturer then marshaled the nations of antiquity, and pausing now and then to illustrate a principle or pay eloquent tribute to geniuses of the epochs, she led her hearers through the centuries of civilization to the latter day singers and their works.

The lecture was instructive to a high degree. It bore evidence of striking originality and thorough research. Besides this the lucid manner of treating the subject gave it a peculiar charm, even to a casual listener.