1. On Collaboration

When two bright bards in friendly conf’rence sit,

To pool their genius and to join their wit,

Well may the world expect them to indite

A nobler lay than each alone could write;

Yet in their lines th’ impartial mind must trace

A double labour, and but half the grace!

2.

In solemn truce behold the twain

   Who seek to draw three diff’rent ways;

Tho’ serving sep’rate clubs, ‘tis plain,

   We’re both UNITED in thy praise!

3.

‘Tis fitting that when poets meet,

   Their talents they should try;

In friendly odes and songs compete,

   And make the pencil fly.

But now, in spite of all our art,

   No lustrous lines appear;

For, tho’ we play the poets’ part,

   The Muses are not here!

4.

Two aged bards conferr’d one night,

   To test their letter’d skill;

Each vaunted his Aonian might,

   And felt a poet’s thrill.

But when they sought to prove their pow’r,

   Their might they seem’d to miss;

And tho’ they labour’d for an hour,

   They fashion’d only—THIS.

5.

Within these walls my fathers pray’d,

   With warm pragmatick zeal,

Tho’ I, of coarser fabrick made,

   A lesser flame must feel.

But whilst I scorn a childish creed,

   A true respect I know,

When pond’ring o’er each Christian screed

   Of Kleiner, Cole, and Moe.

6.

The classic East in vain must seek

   (Tho’ two exponents join theit wits)

In purest melody to speak,

   When KUNTZ in loftiest ether flits.

7.

Whilst thou, McDONALD, with hot modern rage

Contemnst the ling’rers from a Georgian age;

Two tott’ring relics of the ancient time

Forgive thy scorn, and wish thee well in rhyme.

8.

In praise of a superior band

   Two lowly pens industrious join;

Yet tho’ we labour long and hard

   We cannot rise to verse like thine!

9.

If unaffected warmth atones

   For want of genius and of art,

Pray take our greetings, blest PINE CONES,

   Penn’d, tho’ unskilful, from the heart!

10.

Thrice rev’rend sir, behold in each dull line

The wicked atheist with the Christian join;

KLEI hails thy soul in sanctify’d address,

Whilst pagan THEOBALD greets with warmth no less.

11. To the Editor of the United Amateur

As when two sober statesmen meet

   To mould a mighty nation,

See KLEINER and TIBALDUS sit

   In solemn convocation.

Here presidential minds unbend

   To light poetic passion,

And warm congratulations send

   In our poor halting fashion.

12.

Two scribblers of the presidential line

Their humble names in admiration sign,

And hail a brother, chieftain in his day,

Whose wits proclaim him greater far than they!

13.

Behold two bards of lesser fame

   Their bright superior jointly greet,

And in admiring tones proclaim

   The graces of a Muse complete.

14.

Leader, on whom unnumber’d hopes depend,

   Mayst thou the foe with wonted valour quell;

Let ev’ry force the hostile cohorts bend,

   Till we may write at last, here lies Dowdell.

15.

SCRIBA, accept the wishes kind

Of scribblers who with eager mind

Are here assembled, to behold

DUNSANY, Lord of Lands Untold!

16.

O wondrous stripling, to rehearse thy praise

Two timid bards their trembling voices raise;

But tho’ ev’n Boston lend its Brahmin tone,

Our work must sink inferior to thine own!

17.

Bright bard, accept a hasty line

From two whose gifts are less than thine;

If wanting in the words be aught,

Pray deem it present in the thought.

18.

Madam, behold with startled eyes

A source of wonder and surprise;

Your humble serfs are two of many

Who will this night hear Ld DUNSANY!

19.

Accept, inspir’d and tender bard,

Two dull Dunsanians’ joint regard;

Nor scorn the spirit, tho’ each line

Fall far below the worst of thine!

20.

Grave Sir, accept in weak uncertain lays

The atheist’s and the pious Christian’s praise;

Nor think the first, for all his wickedness,

Indiff’rent writes, or venerates thee less!

21.

Behold two bards with eager ear

When great DUNSANY lectures here.

Such art as his no peer can own

Save thine and GALPIN’S art alone!

22.

Great Sage of Athol, lend an ear

To wise DUNSANIANS gather’d here;

Soon shall we list to one whose grace

To CROSSMAN’S only must give place!

23.

Dear Madam, here in thine own cultur’d city

Behold the sessions of a grave committee;

This eve we hear with wondrous delectation

DUNSANY, Monarch of Imagination;

JORDAN, with matchless verse, falls not beneath!

But tho’ for prose he wear the laurel wreath,

24.

Out of the vortices of cosmic space,

See KLEI appear with Heliconian grace;

A little while his roving soul remains

To join with THEOBALD in Parnassian strains.

Meet for AL FRIHDO, Peerless Prince of Light.

Intent they strive, yet naught can they indite

25.

The struggling bards, in rhythmic toil combin’d,

Strive to salute thee with composite mind;

Yet their lean verse, tho’ from two sources grown,

Shines not so far as that thou mak’st alone!

[Poems written by Lovecraft in collaboration with Rheinhart Kleiner; unbracketed lines are Lovecraft’s.]

1.

Two heads, they say, a paltry one excel;

Hence these smooth couplets should be written well;

[And yet; in vain, one giddy poet strives

To reach the goal at which the first arrives.]

2.

[Hail Poet! From the city by the sea,

   Two fellow-bards by sportive fancy mov’d,]

In friendship send these halting lines to thee,

   Content with dulness, if by thee approv’d.

3.

From Eastern shores their joint esteem

   Two lab’ring rhymesters strive to send;

[And may you relish if the theme

   Sustain you to the bitter end.]