Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/585

 Before the end of his student-life, Platen had attracted notice, even in high literary circles, by his poems and his brilliant satirical dramas. He abandoned his political dreams just as he had dismissed his ideas of being a soldier. He resolved to follow out what appeared to be a manifest literary destiny. His choice was justified. Though not a prolific comedy-writer nor a many-sided one, nor yet a versatile psychologic poet, still, Platen reached a high mark of popular and critical fame. The latter has not yet by any means lapsed. The Oriental poems known as the "Ghazels," the deep human feeling in the Sonnets, and the passion, rhythmic sense and melody of the Odes are always certain of admirers. As to his comedies, English readers will find them a sort of precursor of the kind of social-satire piece that W. S. Gilbert, in especial, has immortalized for the British stage—though himself modelling after Aristophanes—including the dressing-out of old theatrical figures and contentions with contemporary wit, biting irony, parody and poetic elegance. Platen's comedies do not hold the stage in Germany now; but there is no specially clear reason, as to some of the few pieces themselves, why they should not do so.

After 1826, Platen's want of personal liking for Germany, North or South, and his contempt for most of the aspects of its literary society and movements grew mordant. He became fairly Germaniphobic; a condition of temperament to which his homosexual nature contributed a good deal. At any rate, the brilliant poet's travelling in Italy became something like a residence there. In 1835 an attack of cholera, during the epidemic of that year, ended his life, at Siracusa.

Something must be premised here as to the Diary itself. From almost his boyhood, August von Platen had kept a diary. In it, with unreserved truthfulness, he wrote down not merely his educational growth and his