Excerpt from Criticism at a Venture

The writer has had only one object in making this book, to spread, if possible, appreciation, love of our literature. It is not meant to provide material for examination papers, nor for the overnight patching up of "lessons" for delivery next day in school. It is meant for the refreshment of teachers, if they will read it just as human beings.

As a rule, criticism emanates either from heights of academic wisdom or knowledge, or from fellow-members of a coterie, or school, or fellowship. This volume has no such origin. The writer knew practically none of the poets personally who are discussed here, one, a youth killed in France at the outset of a brilliant career, was a friend, of the rest none were more than acquaintance or chance correspondent, and scarcely any that.

Poetry has never become to her professional matter either as an examiner or tutor, so this volume does not pretend to rest on academic or learned authority. It was originally suggested by a question, sometime since asked, by an unknown correspondent, who had chanced to be a listener at a stray lecture to an annual gathering.

It is the chosen recreation of a lover of poetry, who possibly attaching too little value to conventional canons and authoritative criticism, has wandered at will without advice or direction, and has retrieved from those wanderings all which opportunity, thought and some fostering star have combined to contrive.

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