FEINBERG/WHITMAN     LITERARY FILE     Prose   "The Question of Form" [1870's].    A. MS. draft.
Box 33  Folder 15[*66*]

[1888 July 2] The Question of Form: rough draft of an essay. A.MS.

(1p. 20 x 30 cm.)

Written in pencil, with a notation at the top and an addition
at the bottom in ink, on a page made by pasting together three [*lined*]
sheets (two from the Department of Justice, Washington, 187-),
a rough draft of about 200 words for an essay entitled 'The Question
of Form'. Notation in the upper left-hand corner: 'see notes
July 2 1888'. The draft reads: 'The want for something finished,
completed, and technically beautiful, will certainly not be supplied
by this writer, as it is by existing esthetic works. For
For the best poems both the old ones and later ones now accepted
as first class, [may be described as Poems, as usual] are polished,
rhymed regular, [full of] with all the elegance of [choice language,]
fine conceits, [celef] carefully elaborated, [inferring] showing [how] 
[much-res] [with all the elements] [& phrases language was composed]
under all the restraints of art, language & phrase chosen after
very much has been rejected, and only the best [selected] admitted,
/over/[*66A*]

and then all [be united & compacted] joined [tog] and cemented together,
and finally presenting the [perfect] beauty of some perfect
architectural temple - -some palace , proudly [and prop] rising in
[its] proportions of marble, [ornamented with] entered from superb
porticos and [perhaps] adorned with statuary, [filling the eye] satisfying
the art sense, and that of form, [and filling the] fulfilling
beauty, and inviting criticism. Not so - [?] poetry. Its
likeness is [neither the] not the solid stately palace , [solid & 
perm] nor the sculpture that adorns it, nor the paintings on its
walls. Its analogy is the Ocean. [It is the billowy seven sea].
[All is a] [The] Its verses are the liquid [alw], billowy waves, [all]
[always in motion], [not solid but liquid never solid, ever] ever 
rising & falling, [sometimes] perhaps sunny & smooth, [sometimes]
perhaps [dark and threatening and foaming in the] wild with storm;
 [never finished or solid]; [always in motion never solid, never cast
in] * always [in motion] moving, always free. * alike in their nature
as rolling waves, but hardly any two exactly alike in size or measure 
(metre), never having the sense of [se] something finished and 
fixed, always suggesting something beyond.'

[*Published in Traubel, I, 414-415*]The want for something finished, completed, and technically
beautiful will certainly not be supplied by this writer, as [if]
it is by existing esthetic works. For the best poems both the
old ones and later ones now accepted as first class are polished,
rhymed regular, with all the elegance of fine conceits, carefully
elaborated, showing under all the restraints of art, language
and phrase chosen after very much has been rejected, and only the
best admitted, and then all joined and cemented together, and 
finally presenting the beauty of some architectural temple --some
palace, proudly rising in proportions of marble, entered from 
superb porticos and adorned with statuary satisfying the art 
sense and that of form, fulfilling beauty and inviting criticism.
Not so his poetry. Its likeness is not the solid stately 
place, nor the sculpture that adorns it, nor the paintings on 
its walls. Its analogy is the Ocean. Its verses are the liquid,
billowy waves, ever rising and falling, perhaps sunny and smooth,
perhaps wild with storm, always moving, always alike in their 
nature as rolling waves, but hardly any two exactly alike in
size or measure (meter), never having the sense of something
finished and fixed, always suggesting something beyond.[*All notes July 2 1888*]
[The] [The question of form]

The want for something finished, completed, and
technically beautiful, will certainly not be supplied
by this writer, as it is by existing, esthetic, works

For the best poems, both the old ones and later ones: now accepted as first class, [may be described as]
[Poems as usual] are polished, rhymed,
regular [full of] with all the elegance of
[choice language] fine conceits, [calef]
carefully elaborated, [inferring] showing
[how much res] [with all the clearly]
[wr] [& phrases] [composed] under all the restraints
of art very much has been rejected, and only the best
[selected] admitted! [language] language & phrase chosen and then all [be] [united & compacted] formed
[tog] and cemented together and finally, presenting the
[perfect] beauty of some perfect architectural 
temple- some palace. Proudly and 
[prop] rising in [the] proportions of marble,
[ornamented] entered from with superb porticos and 
[perhaps] adorned with statuary [filly the 
eye] satisfy the art sense was that of 
form, [and] [filly the] fulfill beauty and with criticism. 
Not so bacty. Its likeness
is [neither] the not the[solid?] stately palace, nor the sculpture 
that adorns it, nor the paintings on its walls. 
Its analogy is the Ocean. [It is the 
billowy sea sea. All is a The] Its verses 
are the [aluligruis?] waves billow [mist golic but all always on manou never solid] ever wavy perhaps [dark and threatening and foamy in the] otorm; always moving, always free. never having the sense of something finished and fired. always suggests something beyond. alike, in this nature as solly waves, but hardly any two exactly alike in size or measure (meatre).Department of Justice
Washington            187