PROSE AND POETRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 586, 14 August 1909, Page 9

PROSE AND POETRY.

A' now turn vis ■ given ;by the; New York "Post" .to -the; old question:of:the theoretical differences" between'prose and fcoetrjv, • .v. 1 ' Why Casks' the "Post") should, such fir.o prose-'-wnters as Mr.■ Howells.or.Mr. Hardy feol it"riecfißsary t<)'resbrfc: t<). formal metre when the theme rises 1 and takes on csccpor feeling ?A;;groat •;Writer: dies, and .-his: dearest friend .thinks. it necessary, to pay,.such.'tribute in, Mr.- 'Hardy, laid on : the. bier ' ofGeorge 'Meredith '

.K; Eorty years back, .when -much had. place. Thatfiince lias perishedout of mind, ' > ..I.'heatd that ; voice, and;saw„- thot face. ' •V Hq spoko as■ ono afoot will■ wind : ' ■ A*, morning horn'ere men. awake; His n6te;was4renchant,:^ Ho was of tfiose whoso words can shako And riddle to tho very core - •' -The falsities-thati.Tiine!.will break.': ~. v ' Of j.lateV when;'we: two met pnce.more, ' Tile luminous countenance aiid; rare.' - Shbno just as forty years before. . ' I- .■' ]i' So.that, when now-all;tongues declare s Jle is unseen by liis green hill, • I scarce belicvo lin sits not: there.■: . ' ■* ilo' matter. 1 /.further and further still-.;v

the'wpfld!s :;yappTouaJ'yitmte /air . ~ words\i^i^''l o i&as: : 'strongv^6rdsVwill;;v.''-':'--- ' let ut';fe,admitted : -that -this is not'tho aver- . ago'.elegy, on a bishop or a college president, ; commemoration'ode^ ; 1; Kappa', poem. '- Yet;- for,-all,; his jclean«cut /epi- ,. thet3,' there is a lagging plice; about/Hajr'dy's' ;. verses;that dote'not'; make for poetry. -They . catalogue:/rather ;;than. vThe • 'inngea iwords ' arc , not' there. thei-other .what could not Hardy have said .about ; /: 6^ife"MereditK"msttet''-JtdM-;Wlu® :; h6- : CTf' ;i"'..plby<M'' : to.. ; describe, l his. little ; '' bedroom -to the' sound of Oxford bells and : of' ' S^erfo^h'/.aiia^^afitle -'Ndilj -the^ddatli^.of-p01..' . .thb. v ';deat-^!C^^l3'U^t ! i'. ; Emma .Bovary and- Turgenieff's Bazaroff, have-been • chronicled in adequate prose. JVhem'Mr-.vPowells.and Mr.-Hardy r.vm to ,'at th'e'/.t-o'p,-" - ; mpst thereby>/hetray' their own . : n<ible-a'rt : ;of,^Vrit-ing' pi-oso'whichj a's it ; :/ is}:-basisfalleri upon eyil.'days.':-.; There are so few, novelist!' and essayists: who' employ any other style than -the;:rapid-fire delivery'which J ,-hsi's -Kiphngifor -pnCj>f'its; chief .practitioners,-, that i ":W6 : ;'.are *,in' - danger iof -: forgetting / what glory-the solidly printed page could take on when -Do v Qmncey .wrote ;— . - . " 0 just, subtle, and. all-conquering opium! "*-\ i;.4ihsft, : v for the- wounds ;that-. wi}l" never heal,;-and ..for- tlio pangs/'of igrief that, 'tempt the ■:' thatv-tvith'-vthy/ "pot-ent- rhe-, ' of .. 'wrath*,' •. and" . V through;,i^iie/flight's rheaveiily /'sleep; callest --\b!tefc.;TO^he--'gUilt^'irtaii,;tlie''-visions '.of,'his in--1 fancy,. and .hands -washed pure from'. blood—o ;'.^just/and ..righteousropium! Xthat .'to, the: charicery\of dreams.summonest) for the triumphs -i' "of; despairing innacence, 'false 'Witnesses;-'' and • /, confoundest perjury, and dost reverse tho ' " sentences , 'ju%cs--th6u build-- . est upon the.vbosom -.of 1 darkness; out"' of -/the -fantastic 'imagery- of;. cities , and temples/ beyond the" art of Phidias and Praxi.ieles;'?beyond the'splendours of ' Babylon and . , Hekatpmpylos j' an a, /.'_f rom r the t anarchy.. of ',' dreaming 'sleepV 'callest- into suriuy light the -: 'facesVpf ; Jong-buried/beautiM;. .and...thelblessed : - household ''countenances,cleansed /'from- the' : : 'dishonours, of. the.: grave.' ; '/rhou' givest. / these 'gifts, to'man ;■ arid thou.'.-hast'-':the.'keys" of .Paradise,■ ,ov.just,-./subtle a'nd:smightyopium!" Nor : -can .we/think ;.of;. many .poems-' that leach down to the elemental soul as the'Jew-' ish chronioler did whero he wrote • . .'';And,.,behold,;,a woman, of Ganaan came ,/ out /of ; the/.same /coasts|.'dnd'-cried. unto, ;hini; ■ . saying, -Have, mercy ,on me,.:o Lord, thou ' /.son/'of/JEayidmy./daughterj -'is?./grievously ■'/•' / vexed .with.a dovii.. . , , ?). But" he' ianswered: hor' : liot' .a- •word.,' And /: , his/ disciplec r-'came;;aiid..',bespught;. hiin, say.ing, Send her. away; for jsheVorieth /after, lis. ;' ■ "'But' ho'answered and' said, I; am '.not. .sent' but unto .'tho lost sheep of . the house of .-' ! Israel. ; //' '.'V. 7 ' " Then came, she'and; worshipped'him;''say- ;", ing;' Lord, help me.". -. • : - • .There are entire, hymnals in. that' '"';Lord, help m«i." / -Vv'"