Suggestions to medical writers / by George M. Gould.

  • George M. Gould
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Suggestions to medical writers / by George M. Gould. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    143/196 page 139
    CHAPTER IX. SOME ETHICAL QUESTIONS. The Image in the Mirror.—There is a story of a bird that was cured of “ the mopes ” by means of a mirror placed by the side of its perch. The image of itself was held to be a real mate, and before it there was much strutting, and in cuddling up next to it there was secured the greatest and most satisfactory happiness. The incident is psycho¬ logically analogous to the method whereby a certain class of writers and even of physicians find their satisfactions in life. Almost the whole tribe of novel-writers, many so- called “artists ” and poets, placing their center of gravity in others, are nothing more than popularity-hunters, pos¬ ing before the vanity images of themselves in the mirrors of other peoples’ minds. • And the fact that no poem thus produced, no novel, or work of art, is enduring, commands the attention after image and imaged are gone, and proves of how little value is the method. If created with the im¬ age in mind and for the purpose of pleasing the image, it is not an enduring work,—it is mere pose and strut and self-satisfaction. One whom even Carlyle called the great¬ est critic of his century, found nothing of value in the poetry of Wordsworth, and even belabored it with con¬ tempt and ridicule. When the world came to a very dif¬ ferent conclusion, the great critic set himself to a rere¬ view of Wordsworth, and after a careful study he reached the same conclusion as before. And yet Wordsworth is more precious to the English race than the combined au¬ thors praised by Jeffrey. His age agreed with Jeffrey, Wordsworth never having received $700.00 during his life from the sale of his poems. The fact is a lesson as to the
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image