The Washington Post, July 8, 1901

Poetry Filched for Centuries

Col. Joyce Says All Rhymers borrow One Another's Best Thoughts.

Editor Post: Mr. Oldham's communication showing that Poe might have taken his poem. “The Raven.” from Kai–Yi, the Chinese poet, or Penzoni, the Italian poet, is of very little use or matter. Poe's paraphrase is the best.

I have more than a hundred books of various poets in my library—translations from the Chinese, Persian, Greek, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, and Scandinavian, running back for more than 6,000 years, and there is not a single poet out of the whole fraternity that did not filch, more or less, from his predecessors.

There is nothing new under the sun, and what is said by the rhymers of to-day has been said a million times before. A “literal” translation from one language into another is an impossible proceeding. We may get the sense and substance, but not the letter. Rhyme, meter, feet, and mechanical combination are about all any poet can give.

Once or twice in a hundred years we get a few verses of real poetry consisting alone of truth, beauty, and sublimity.

JOHN A. JOYCE.

Poetry Filched for Centuries, by John A. Joyce, The Washington Post, July 8, 1901, Page 10.