aracter.

When I issued my collection known as "Maurine, and Other Poems," I
purposely omitted all save two or three of these. I had been frequently
accused of writing only sentimental verses; and I took pleasure and
pride in presenting to the public a volume which contained more than one
hundred poems upon other than sentimental topics. But no sooner was the
book published than letters of regret came to me from friends and
strangers, and from all quarters of the globe, asking why this or that
love poem had been omitted. These regrets were repeated to me by so many
people that I decided to collect and issue these poems in a small volume
to be called "Poems of Passion." By the word "Passion" I meant the
"grand passion" of love. To those who take exception to the title of the
book I would suggest an early reference to Webster's definitions of the
word.

Since this volume has caused so much agitation throughout the entire
country, and even sent a tremor across the Atlantic into the Old World,
I beg leave to make a few statements concerning some of the poems.

The excitement of mingled horror and amaze seems to center upon four
poems, namely: "Delilah," "Ad Finem," "Conversion," and "Communism."

"Delilah" was written and first published in 1877. I had been reading
history, and became stirred by the power of such women as Aspasia and
Cleopatra over such grand men as Antony, Socrates, and Pericles. Under
the influence of this feeling I dashed off "Delilah," which I meant to
be an expression of the powerful fascination of such a woman upon the
memory of a man, even as he neared the hour of death. If the poem is
immoral, then the history which inspired it is immoral. I consider it my
finest effort.

"Ad Finem" was written in 1878. I think there are few women of strong
character and affections who cannot, from either experience or
observation, understand the violent intensity of regret and despair
which sometimes takes possession of the human heart after the loss by
death, fate, or the force of circumstances, of some one very dear.

In "Ad Finem" I intended to give voice to this very common experience of
almost every heart. Many noble women have since told me that the poem
was true to life. It is not, as many people have wilfully or stupidly
construed it, a bit of poetical advice to womankind to "barter the joys
of Paradise" for "just one kiss." It is simply an illustration of a
moment of turbulent anguish and vehement de