BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 9

BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

VERSES OLD AND NEW,

■/'.;;/'/:-/:,;/VMy:'&ear;;;whei .;-.'■ -".:>■:"('• S 'li.always i (lrop;a:rjit-of!'me,; ';';? ■tyy'■:•': -■ ■'.':-'£■:■ holy-glove,or/Eairited.sn'oej;:, { ,'j-::;j ; ■ '£o.fi. /V; Your;:wistf ul; corso 'I.leaye 'it., to;. '''■:■;■■'„ '■:•';"';, - ; if;' ■■:■*': The soul of/you: has gone/to see;-/;,.,/..-,. ! : ; ; -"- : .i v.How Icbuld ever have/the/heart;.";'/; : ; ,■■'.-. '-;■. y/tMvSi So"; to' abandon/ / V;'jr.;//,;; '• ~Z& :r/v-Myi.fer/;iwheri- you/leaVe. me'y:,;; ; ;/Y::v;/ You/;do : nbt-.even'.. drop/a/shoe; ■;/ ;-.; ;'■ -'V.^.'-/iy:;"A ! Bd: ; yet'y6u-kriowva/niah; tp.'bev.' :■"-.' /■• ;... -:•;-:;vv. ''■' vTheVsort?of;■ dull /mob strbsit'y,■;■ //"/'/v: ; ; ,-./ :,::.';;.;;; <.Whose'\6pirit i cannot //follow 4 ;you-,::;;;•;' V.-:".'', ?ii -When .you're/-away, /with; all' its' heart; ~-;': -.."-V : & y'-A6Vyouf_s cah/fpllow ine;/;:-;Vj):;v.'•,!:'■: : --';, - ■:,-//. 'r-^ : :^', : . On^sbrry'day>l;ybu;;ybu v mo;,.';;;;''W '.';?-fi'.{■;'Teach me .'to grieve as yqu ..can'; grieve; ■ ■ ■'' i retrieve, -,y' : ■■ \ others'■>scent* and-cbjmpanyv •:;;>''•:/:;,'' V' '• '/-V-'", /'/And/longing shall/not/ pull .my'-heart— Hi '.;;/;; Y''''HelmetV ; -buoHer,*'prane)ng-6teed,.l"x;' iS;vJ.- : i,.v? Spear..and I 'coat' : of .■m'a'ilfVtf ■'■■),-.• jU V.; '• -"■•' ; :vH' :; i'.-^' : Eoly^war/ ; andVdanhsAdeed' v ';': -■' ;';. : - -;- : u^;!;'-.^r;;Uio;'H6l^6raU^:?;j; : v:v' ;;;;V-;.-: ■■-' .'i'..v.iy No!,;-To : day crusaders'- fight : 'V: -: ; '.'•; '.;"."■'■• ; :'!?.'fM-i '.; JFp*i the/ truth/and for/,the right I'"_'./,,'. ' ■ S :r Journeys x'tbSa'; J distani.'land l ' ~\i ' : ''''J' : ■»/ -W -;'S;^V'.: :; - :v yffager's;;afar'P / :; ; r:;'-?v:5i; '.'. ;•'..•';'.-.: of-:the,desert;sand;',:-':/;/.':'.'■'. V:' 1 // .' sail"; ahd'.'spar?: /v;.':/-;];';' ;;■!"•'>! :/'/; Hi//«//';No!^: : Small/heed '■■ '& ']\ ''r'K vß^ttle-grjnhds/lie/ njf.ai«r.^hWa!;\'.';v-;;--;'';;:.l"'. Wp;;X ;■'■; '-..■ ■/ "''-»cy v;'i'Spahd.;of;;drnm'rand'jfife?; -;;jS'- ■'■;!■■..•'••■''■•:' ■■^v/v■;«.;. ,: Waying^agsjwhere>narnes:are-writ-?'-. - ; o ";■;. i''VO',;Sweetheart^:niaidHah"d , fwife?S:,C,w.':/;/, . ':' ,•>■'• f r^f'.:-f r ;- :":'/; :.''.%*;V'\V-'-.- : -'''WpM^^ ':/./:; : \:,yThbuehts'are; • ■' Yj; v ; ! v;,;^.;'-v : hearts.!'".'; : ''.^- :; ,.u.>.-'y : :rv ;.'; : dismayed ;■'; &-*?!. •'-:.- S™y> J in';.ihe-;.^ilrin'sey."^ ; i ■s(r>iS;?' S|;ol :^Aw^t?N;'soEi^ T.;'v;v:-'l;i;;'^ ■-.'" : ->:V; ; >iV.;i:'i!CJomtteV.tb;'ft9,''Ba^^ '■\',-%:KyA: Light;-bringsVitbJ-me.'what pleasure •-' i ■■;; ■^•^^v;-'H.;':. : /^*hat''; , darfcitb^m^^ * v ;V.'i;:; s ;. Let v bthersshug;; thefytrea'sure''^^::.;/;":;^^;' '""'■>;"J.:'^'?./U;That"'6tahsjtnM i-What' [ii, thb 'fe^ : 'i : ''':' ■'H'!.'';-'-?.,f;v>'iVAn^ VK'-.' .: ; /^.ls^ grief.; these.^yes ; jforsaking;vf;;;;. ; ; : .-.;;;;;! V/: i{;^ : '"hat;wept weep?-;-;i ; ;';■ -«-; ; f: There lis a; Dfatfii in 'iWaking, v: Y:-- : C'fS ; >;^" ; Br ; W^'Viii' ( a^

TO /FAME.;";/;', thrill c;: '/■;&'■ ' - : '-': \; ;//;(^nfusiiig > ;-/withra"'durice J s' i sense ) ::, ; ::':;;;/:' %y'' : ;■': !:■;''; ,;;;;/\Ve'/wbmei"knbw'fnU:.weU:our 'owniw*;;'i %'■/'■.- ;-.:';"■'■ -Each 'Bacred'name/.ybu'-./dare'profane,""' - ! .'■". fi Onr,/ past'--?'-':-'•'.'!'■•' ■•"■•-'# • /./S/Who;.c'ared/ no. r whit/for; praise;or/'gairi'i-i '/-'■■ il/v-Jhbsa-,/who;;.like ; ; ' /i^Ba^d;on! ; the,sire;fouridtttioa>laid./^;■';;';:/ :; : "•!;:/By- nameless"myriads:/of..our/hosf,. ■'■?££<■ / I j. : M ■ ; '>i;?M Nt prire'jnaiil/:'-:.-' ' A>. ■ i^''-^'A?°^^oh'ed:;wilfiV.Blo'dd-desirihg.', -e , yes :'l-■■■>' -;.;Tm-trainjpf'; tumbrils, bearing; Blow' ,■';,;'' 'S.:';-Women',and'Tnon/:the h^ad6man's v :pnze; l ' v/:;/;

:N^he;fair,v.falso:italiai/Queeri' r ' ,^'7: ; s; /: ■' : "v r -, , i ;i of hoble'/womanhbod;;;.; I '-;-'/.;.■'' Not; the/late /Bluebeard?div IheWEast^ 5 , ./llmperibus.-Manchu; .despot 'dame! "<'-v 'V; / (Does ;he/;forget,./who} wields/ this/phrase,'';;. , ,//,li?/douWB.qdgb;pfJ^lmpTO;tp:faine'■ ?) h ;;:', Not; those; who" knowing' ribtithe Law- "-V '■■-•■'■''; Drdammg 'that:tein;:buiernesi^*-; ; -> ? ,' :: ••: >' : confidence; shall; be : your; strength.'' '>■■ ■ ?J- u r '■'*ho:-.-bearih(t precious' Seed,-" • .'■' i'/- ; -.- -Besfaned.: the future to /reolaiin,'' u '' :' - : '\ ■<' '■''• ■ ~. within^;her:heart,?'i-- ; " /;.; Woman' known vfo: fame;. :',;■:-;' -'/ * M : tbe/lohg;: story/ of .thb/racbi"; / ,"-,'X> t .^- o Penea;:eyes;'--aa^:.'undeoeived'--''-;; : >'- , "-'-' ; '":' passing /mirage, istrive C to;:tf ace f ■*■;: : T^^?tead^,^s dbmV ; -, ,^^t,senseless^eed;andviiaggir,g;strife,-: -- ;V; ' r S? th ?- de «P„^^^ springs,■■■■whencd'''^ever' flows'■-'- ' ;:;;Tfl«/ r/-//'/ ■■■■'".■,;;.:/

: E. A. POB--A SHAVIAN VIEW.

'. '& ■ -•! .An] articls': ]of :vb.ncommbn].interest{ was ' pro-:--on\January ~\9**- CK '■ a »\°haw ;was : to.:^ritß:.bn.Edgaf^llan■ Poe.:' :g:]fW D W/>;^Hhihkj;:;cpuJd^bave': J 'an"ticipated' ::- ; '*^^ D 6:.-'P^B;iS.^:would ; :take;' ! HHis:articlo; ...;;. W:the:most,;ferbcious attack:on'America'that' ■ ;:.; flas wer ; :been,printed'anywherei' l :,: -\ ! '- /S, ;; vF^; oA^ y <> n of ]; terrifio'exB : reasonvwhy;Poe ; is-rejected l ; ; :'M:AMli%affl:S6;ioHli ; ;:%: 1^' .'Poe/wa-g :least ; He-.wrote .always":: as. if -ihisVastive :;::vßpsten::was-Athens|>his;]CHarlottes'vill©'''Uni-v >:',T.Brsrt^^ ■::: -.5°^ n ., ; of 'the.heights ~of Fiesole; >: He'was'the< r'vETeatesttjournalist.'cfitic'bf.'his time,:;p]acing- ;.;; ; :: : work : "when-: the.] ;..'.' European;: critics { were : :waitihfc, f orVsomebody : ■ . : t''.*?9«JMtely posterity.will refuse' 0:,,- *? beheyeth'at it/belongs to theisame civilis'a-' £,- : _ toon;as{.thoglorybf.Mr£- Julia:Ward-Howe's] honest: doggerel Vof .{Whittieiv ■;':. femiyson,*:who.wa"s:nothing;if riot a""virtubso,'" . v:noverproduced'a-success'Jth'a't'will'bear read- 1 : :^,! n S :after,Poe's iailures..':''P6eiohstahtly'aha .'.,:,niev.itably:produced raa'gic-where'his' '"greatest l ' •"'contemporariesproduced, only beauty.'Tenny-; •'" : f?S L V'# la^P»«!es,l:.',, TKe' May Queen,'' and -V-:-.V--^-Al , «\ Ohwge ,pf;;the-: ;.. they«becdnieVpositively ;i : s MUs::after:a,.time;.:^Tho l ßaven j !':"The ' " ; ?rS?~ S nd ''^ nn!lb as fascinating ~ aWhe.thousandth; repetition, as at the first.:' 1 :■• _s .supremacy, in''this' respect cost ::,; "".': w flfh: occurs - when'..; an"' artist achieves ."such* " : :; ; to; place.' himself hors"ebneours. ,:-. lhe greatest;'pauiter.iEngland'ever. : p'roduoed ~; u. Hpgarth,,a miraculous dra'ugbisiiian'and an % :exquisite;:and;:poetic-.eblourist,H' But he-is ; > V -aever;; mentioned -by: critics;/;-Thev' talk ! cop-'- .;■;:':: Wus y;:abput Romriey." ; .the. Gibson of :his day; ! :---fre^y/about-Reynoldsl'.'nervously about'the ! n6t'''a£".aU-:Bb\)iit' .::,:' ltowlandson' anirHogarthj. missing 'the '.'in{v.ektingmshablo':;grace; of 'Rowlandson:because ..,-; they,"assume.that'all.caricatures of his period v;;we..u|lyi']ahd:avoiding .Hogarth instinctively ,];,".B's'critically^unmanageablo;(..ln thosanie way,; ,V ; -we'havo;;giveri' ; up -mentioning . Poo:,.that -is .'■■:; :why]v : tho.:: Amcricans';;forg'otl.hirii-'when they '■■■~.- posted:,up the;,name's '.of their■'great ;in' their. .Pahth'eon.'y Yet'.Ms.is; the first-ralmost the.' • only!.name{that]: tho s re'al'- connoisseur, looks : : S fpr;.:;::: : ]:. ; /iy:-:^;fr>;':;^v:;"::":: ; y ' -':'-''.'. ; :v.:v;{']]:

:.; ; . .But..Poe,':for'-all;'his.;.virtuosity,'is "always a: wet:and never a'piere.virtuoso,■ -V:: Poo put ,td'ward ■ his Eurekaj- the..: formulation ;of Ms) ph,lqsbphy j; as/the most; important. thing, he had -done.' His poems'always:have,the un'i-' verej;■ as. their'..background. -y.So'navo. the figui>s.'ih; his; stories.;; :.Evbn- in -his stales-'of humour,'; which ire shake our heads atas mis-. .takes,, they'have'this : ;yemental'qualify'.;Toby Dammit himself/-though his very .name; turns' up. the :ii6se;6f the cultured critic;: is more .inipress'jve.'.and his',end:mbre4ragic:than the 'Boriotts-inventions'.of most story-tellers.'.The shortsiglitedvgentleniaii:."who married.:-his: ;giaiuhnpt.'ier is no common butt of a common" pui;veyor of'the:: facetious: the grandmother .has.the.'.cleganceand ,'fi'ee mind of Ninon .do l';Eiic!os,"tiie.;gi'a"iias6n.':the,;tohuo;of a .marquis. ..This Poe 1 to Horne,'. ■': whose "ori6n''lie had reviewed as poetry ought .to berevipwcd.withva request that: it :might be:.sold :to an magazine : The English 1 magazine, regretted /that : the "deplorable. immorality of this;story.made;it for-ever impossible in Englandl. .-',,::.:.;;:.;/.. !■■•■- ■'.^ln^ihisvstbr.ics^of-.-.mysWry.i'and'Vimagihatibn :Poe'.oreatcd ,-. a;', world-record '-,for. the English, language:..perhaps- : for: ill ■ the .languages'. " The story, of.-.'th'oi'ljßcl.vJjigeia ,is- not merely.: one 'of- .Hie. wonders : of;'.literature:'';.it. is- Un-; : :4»'', ll^V *s^ujiflj^£pached>:. Th,ere:is really.

[nothing to be said about it: we others simply takeVoff' our hat's;and let Mr.';.Poe go first. It is- interesting' to compare Poe's' stories with'■ William" Morris's; Both are not merely stories:'; they are completo works, of art, like prayci;'.'ca'rpete; , . , '''ana-':theyV;'are,-Ain-;';Po6-B i phraso,; stories': of "imagination; '..Thby__aro masterpieces of style:' what l p.ebplb call Macnulay's stylo is by comparison a mere method. ■ But.-they .are more different that: it seoms possible for'two; art works' ih-th'e saniekind to bo.'"Morris ; will: have'nothing to. do': with .mystery.' "Ghost Stories,"; ho used -to say, "havoS'all the Bamo/explanation:'' the' people are. telling,lies." : His^-Sigurd, ha'sthe 'beautyof. mystery., as .it- has every;.other'.-, beauty, being, as- ;it: is; incomparably tho greatest English.epic; hut.his stories are in the open -fronv end to eiid, .whilst in Poes stbriosthe sun never shines... ;:■ - ;, V;V- ;, 'i '-"■ f,' Poe's. limitatio'n'-was in- his' aloofness from the 'commbn' , people., Grotesques, negroes, madmenSwith delirium tremens, take the- place,;.of- ordinary.':peasants and-, courtiers,' citizens, arid soldiers, inhis theatre. Hie houses' are haunted,houses, his woods enchanted • woods;:; and;.he makes them-; so : real 'that .-reality;. itself cahhpt .sustain, the .comparison.'.l. Hisldngddm- is. not'"of- this .world;;.- : ! Above'all, Poe is' great':, becauso he ;-is ;ip-. /dependent of cheapi'attractions.i'.independent of; sexj; of;patriotism, of:- fighting,:-.of sentimentality,,:'■ snobbery*'-. gluttony; -and. all the: rest .of the vulgar,-.stock-ih-tra'de'.of : ,his pro;'f ossioiii'-l-This' 'is; what .gives-, him ;his -superb. distinction; .One'.vulgarised thing, .thepathos-; of:,'-dying-:childreri,';(he it'ouqhedin;^"AnnabelLee,'' and devidgarised'itat once. J,He;could not even amuse himself with detective stones" .without :-purifying: the. - atmosphere 'of them ;uri'til-;.'they.-became;mt>re edifying than;most. ofHymns,; Ancient: and-; Modern;'. .yHis.,. verse 'sometimes-alarms'and puzzles the'reader 1 by. fainting'with;its own.beauty.;, but the beaiiy is .never-the beauty of. the.;flosh.. ; ,You-.never. ;say, : to;-him as.yoii have to ; say uneasily,; to'-' so-many,,mode'rn-.ar'tista: ."Yes,--my;friend; "but ■ there;are. things, that ;'riien.;and women should liveand not, write about.,- 'Literature is not a?keyhole for people- with starved affections ,to.; peep through/at' the banquets; of the body."; It never .became one ii Pp'e!s;hands. 'Lif6;carinbt;'give-ypu';;.what:'he gives'you ex-. ■qept';;.thrqtfgh/fino^ stmctive ;bbseryance;of thisVdistiriction,-;"and ■the" fact-i'that'-it:did* not, beggar; him,ia's' it, ; would,beggar-- most,.writers;, 'that- makes .■■.Km', the-most ;.legitimate,;Vthe'.most'.-'classical, > of .mbdern'<^riter^y;\,:..;,:/.;, ■;; y ,-r.- : .,,u 1 1 :)'-q\'~.'..: ?v" It ; .also;;explains. why' America' does not care muchTfor hun,; and' why he; has -hardly been, mentioned ,in;,';En'gland-'.;thesG. : :'nmhy; .years.-. ,A'nieripa;, : ::ahd;-E which 'their:; immense; increase of riches-;has, placed-; within;.their,' reach.;; I: do. hot blame ! .them:i;se'hsuality;.is:'a''vory. ; ;neces-; s'ary ;'and' healthy.'arid ;educative- element,.in'.', ■life,-.:; Unfortunately, it is-jll distributed; and bur, reading masses, are'looking ;<m at.'itVand thirikirig';ibout:;;it:; and' longing'.•fqr'-''iti'.;Vand'' .'having 'pfecß(rious;:little holiday, treats; of i;it,, instead of sharing 'it ..Wli'eri;the..'distribution-is better;adj'usted;and; the,prepecupatiprf ceases;, vfill.'be arioble reactiohVin: favour ,- f oi\ the great' -nTi'tersjlike' Pbe,; i who; '.begin".: just ■ where, the; world,;. the flesh,'-ar!d!the devil;le'ave'.off. ■;..'. \ Vji.%;[ f.';