[To ens Enrroa or THE "Srsorwros."1
Szs,--I consider that Tennyson (one of our greatest artiste in verse), agreeing with a celebrated forerunner, did not attach importance to the facility affected by " rhyming mother-wits," and the conjecture is supported by an incident recorded by the biographers of his friend Watts-Dorton. On one occasion Watts- Denton, desirous of proffering a compliment to the poet, remarked approvingly upon is usage in "The Lotus-Eaters," the repetition of the world " land " in the opening lines:— " ' Courage! ' he said, And pointed toward the land, ' This mounting wave will roll us shoreward soon.'
In the afternoon they came unto a land In which it seemed always afternoon."
He expressed the opinion that a second-rate poet would have employed the word " strand," or a similar rhyming word, instead of the repented one, and went on to say that he believed the second " land " to be more effective than a rhyming synonym. Tenny- son laughingly declared the dictum very gratifying, and added: "To tell you the trut],, the use of the repetition was quite acci- dental—I never knew I had repeated it I " Watts-Denton was, we learn, wont with relish to refer to the entertaining discussion.—
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