ENGLISH POETRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 9

ENGLISH POETRY.

; ; ! : ! Trom :the>"Westminster iGazette"tTeview :of /'Arthur j : ; lish' Poetry" we .take'.these,extracts. ~-iNqV orotic v . has,.yet: , succeeded.;in^defining by^^/unanimous .-■ ; ; consettt,.'.and:.'ohob';-a'nd.:foi.'all,'what;. : ./'.actually^s. 1 ': Eyeryprie.rwho :.fcela .that-fit :'is ; '•' neoessaryi'toVhisj.pleasttrc .or. to" hi* '.peace .'of: .■: 'mipd must;do-thatifor'ihimself/ißuti.w'th'Jlr.' ; . Bymbns's':.reducHqn:of-:such.::adefini'(;ioii--tb I "it 6 :' lowest pterins, fewi-'shouUL find much" : 'cause; : fpr; ■■'.- ; -. dispute.:p"Rhythm:.alorie,Vand rhythmVot a 're-- -:. igular and,leciiixent kind -..only,: distinguishes' ...; : poetry from:pfose.'"vPoetical ; . music irregular ;str'ess : ; every/other quality, and '■ activity :of-inind'niaybe,common to-obth'i'.tegu-r ■■=v.::-lar'-.rhythm'.'.js/;ihe'';--661e''characteristi6 ; f"proper. :;.:.aily-:tojpoetryK'.That;;prebably/-thOTgfi;.'ranch--■'■■:;>in«je':siinplyj-«press^/-^quld.'!be'.!the':;ii((tioiial,: : jsomposite decision.'if;'a';d«nnito answeT;to'the ,: :quostioh ..What :is ;poetry_ {•;were deipianded 'of .-"the: voter'iri ; place of'.his almost iridr.ticulate : cross:. "Jingle.". No '.deeper /than, '-tins,', with ■■-. ohr present': primitive 'knowledge -bfvohrselves,. ■ is; it poesible to go. : i'But -the -mind'-caniiot : >e .. content -to rest ifbr'lorig<in such >simplicities;, :'-.';;■ and ; by .the,.time' , ,we ■ reach -the 'end'-'Vf 'Mr.' i./Sympns's/introduction.Avo-discover that■.fissen-i '.;,■;■ tial;.pqetry.;,inipl:e3, "strangeness,".fthat'.Vcon- ,1 , ■.;;.' tmuad.slight novelty," pure,imagination\(wliich .: , is a : ' f :thing-seenj'.'.not. an:op'eiiing ofs.the "eyes: <:. .to. see H"), ■'α-jperspnavcqnlcssion," "an'evoca-' v:. , -' tibh,"- ; and; "an;.instant made .:'. ..that'hisobject.in'-thisj'series.'of brief essays 1 il '■'■ -"■".■;. to "make manifest'these' qualities , at."theirvriiSh- '-."- est. and:"olearest.,-.' He;nas.,therefore; chbsanv' , •: lather 'arbitrarily/jferhaps.-iforJstudyiall those' .',; -.' poe.ts-.who weje.bbrn 1722 and 1900, and '.. .has entitled his.volume;."The' : Romantic ilovein ;•. English 'Poetry." c-j'.V ; ':.': ; -.: : ; '[.■'■ ;i' ■'- It,.is,: : of course,. by' no means: easjr" to' show :'i -the delicacy,, insight and-appiehensiveness'.of > ;':: -Mr.";- Symons's '.-work, .by Quotation. ■To take: a ■'•; 'passage .here" anil , ;, there: from -its -context, - every.;6entenco; h^-its. precise weight .: and bearing, ;-is;.t<i.'-put-lit>but >of-.focus, , -, to '■■.''. -.heighten .or :detract T :frpm..its:-nicaning,-.and: to ':?•' ignore what may.-bb :rieccssary: to its full- un- ■'.■: tTerstahding. :,But,':apaTt.:from'Hhat,' how: real -. -and--close an; acquaintance':, .with life .-and ; '■:, litorature,''.a.nd•how. lncid 'arid skilful an. es;- ;-■'," Mission '.of it,; hns : goiie"into- "the: writing' of •■.'■ -■..- thovfollowing. passa^o.ibn:■Byron:' ■■■ . -V " . ■'■ ;-. : ;"It- is , not man; sense,;so ■.'■'■■■'•. ;much as the man, ;6fi : tho' 'world, whom we .■:'■■ . End-\reflected\in : -'hV.'masnificent'' v; ivay,'■ .'jii'■■this, ;■: poet,■'for whonj ; (like-thef novelists,' and unlike.f.nllf- otjicr .-pouts).-'Epciety. exists, ns'well .-.'■: as <No man of the world would ■ ■:••■ feel, ashgiea ; o! f \ himself,: for -writing poetry :■;:■•• -like 'Don Junn/.:ii-;ho'could write it. ,'. : . It '," ilsl the ■poetry; of; iniddU-age (premature with '.;'. Byron,"; .ennuy.e': at nineteen," as ho assures us), >". dud : it - condenses.' all the ' tcruDorary wisdom, ■ ■';'-', old 'enough : to ; ;be:;a little.esour, and not old '■„. -'enbngh. to have recovered fcwoetness, of,'- per- .;.:; naps, the lotfet profitable Cjeriod of life. It :-.'■:.■•. Is , sad iand".cynical.,with -experience, and is ■ •■*,-•> at I/the'.: stage: between'.Vstbrm and peace; it : : . :. doubts r «rewthihff, , as,> everything: must bo . : doubted boforo;it'. can •.Iμ: understood rightly, ■': .aiid ■■' rikhtly % apprehended y~ it ;. rogrets youth, .--.■■■ which.lies behind Ai, '-and hatesilie-thought of ■:::'. age, : which tlleit before: 'it; '.. with ■: a . ldnd ■of :.V passionate'.sSelf'pity; it" has khowledße rather ,: . : thallV-wisdom,' and.as.-aiilittle mirror of the ?•!: 'turned.-:away-frqiii^the sky, ; : so. that -"v-.: : :.only.'eftfuii.s visible in it.".: V"■-,.. ... .-; "■', i't ;.V:,-; Or::this,va'gailii■ fromvßarhamV- s- i-- ■■'"' ■. :"-•'.'■• : ; -j> scholar, : thes9.un. & tlerical;/.rhymes,-:.drawing'-wicked.-v'and■..;harm- .::■-:> lessVimps put of booki-andibottle .as' he pores, ...;; -pastiriiunight.J.oyer- his 'black-letter -f olios : anc :>. Bp;':w.e" 'find-in -.these.; poems -:■;'-.'.. made:';.up::,b*.. ; fear;, fun_,'i.and {suspense, :!a.'kinc '■' ;, of v.quite -like auj ,: -.'other, , jo -joily ; is 'it,; as,it, fumbles with death ': v' iriiirde'r,''tortures,: and 'terrors. io.f; ; the .mind." :'^vi^ih.QiiMlipns. v .tha;t'- ! ,neyer;^cease-.fro|h-: , .'irkintf-thi ' : '.:raind :as'."oiteri: as, qjec.asio.n';, , eiv«s.'-rise .to'.then '/•■■v'VvMr'.''-;;Syin'ons'.:'raajing«s-'/'hti>jleast"''>to'-~.hnsh'Vfo % : : -/as- : wltpi»viTi^mt : ' l {vom', : ,}>i. ; ■•■■ ■'ggsay"Pn'/CamDbellr ~j;:. :^;;:,- : ■■ ■w-

'^".'Th9;.;Eiilo;bf Erin-'is one oi:!.th'oso'imany. Soems, written often by men who-would 1 , have, ied for tho convictions txpressed. in- 'them, but written with so .hackneyed and commonplace a putting of the passion into words that .the'thing comes to us lifeless, and stirs'in, us no more of a thrill thnn the casual, streetsinger's;'Home, Sweet Home,' drawled out.for .pence .'-and..a. supper."'. ■ .'' ' ■'-\ ■'■'■:, ' ..; All this" is very much- more than mere, literary criticism, that thin and bodiless mixture which leaves the mind gasping for the faintest titration of life. .-"What's Art?" said William Johnson Cory once; "only a sidedish!" Those, then,-have", their"near delight who. only-stand , and : wait.' But that some remote hint of a like honest thought at times mantles tho consciousness while bent on this packed, and. subtle book, the -, last few lines of th« passage that serve for pathetic epitaph of the Minors" may vaguely reveal:, And lastly; there was Alfred Bunn, -known.'- as the 'Poot Buiiu,' -who was born' at the end of tho eighteenth century, and died in i860,: endeared to posterity by his nickname."' .:■■'.;'■',': :; 7 •■'■ ••■■■ - ■• ■'■ ■■ : <i ■