THE FUTURISTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 710, 8 January 1910, Page 6

THE FUTURISTS.

(Br G. E. Chesteetok.)

: It was a ■ warm; golden ] evening,. fit ■ for ■ October,-., and I .was watching Iwith regret) ;.a lot; of: iittle black. pig's'-', being turned.out of my-gardeni-when the postman ihanded.vto ; ine,-. with - a" periunctorj. haste 'which;doubtless,.'masked.'hia* emotion, • the." Declaration .'of .Futurism. 11. you .ask me..what,.,F.uturism r -i5,..1! cannot tell' ;■ you; even the "• Futurists -,themselves seem a little ! doubtful; perhaps.;they are waiting , for -the: future ■ to. 'find■ out.;, But. .if youask' me what its-Declaration is, .1, answer eagerly:; 'for.;l can,tell you■ quite a/lot, aboutHhat.,.;.lt by:,ani Italian.named3farinetti, in,a-magazine which; is :called Poesia..;' It : is-, headed "Declaration. of, : Futurism" in enormous letter/;;, it is'divided: oil. with-little nnmbers Viand ■ it- ■ starts,, straight, away .like this:.": "1.; We .in tend,.to, glorify; the loveof .danger; ; -tho:/. custom 0f,. : energy, the;. - strength;.'; of:' ; /daring. ''; 2.," : The; essential elements of our ".poetry '..will:be courage,'.., audacity, ./and .revolt. - : '3.; Literature; having- tip to,'now.glorified thoughtful:... immobility,' 'Jeostasj;,/;. and slumbori ;we.'wish, to exalt .the aggressive movement, ..the; feverish' .insomnia,'. run-; ning,'- the perilous leap,'.: the'.: cuff-,;and the-blow." '/While,:!,am : quite-. willing; to■ exalt the.!cuff.-'.within' ; reasbn,- i it :scarcely; seems- snch..an "entirely; new .subject : forj literature, as'..the.-Futurists -imagine; It seems to 'me'..that., I 'eyen:;.'through:the slumber: which .fills the;-Siege-.W; "roy, the Song of■'-. Bolandi "and the 'Orlando ■Furioso, -and • in' spite ;of the thoughtful immobility: .which.-marks' "Pantagruel," "Henry .V," .'and.;the Ballad .:of./Chevy Chjise, .there.Vare'..occasional; gleams , :of : ,an : admiration, of .'courage;: a" ■ readiness',"to' glorify thelbve.'of danger,.and,even;'the: !"strehgth : of daring,"" I Eeem'r' to,'remember, ' 'slightly differently,; sgelt; somewhere in literature,: , '' (■■■:) .'-".:.■"•:.."• ■■■'•'■' :^, .-■■ ■' •;..'.. .'•.■;■•. "-:;• '.:.-... .-,,•'..■';;.'.■-.'■'.'•'Vv ■-■-;':':';• '; : The;distinctipn,'-;however,'seems- to-,be: that.'.thp warriors' of.the past- wentvin:, .for'tournaments,,-which' were .'at 1 '.'.'least , dangerous^.'for.: .themselves;;';while;, the' FuturisteX'go -in ■.fo'rV'motorrcars/rfwhich', are■■ mainly ; ;alarming , 'for : otter:'popple.'. It is'the;.Futurist"ih his'motJor who does'- . the; "aggressive 'moyement,"'.but'.■it!;'is 'the/pedestrians -who"go in'-for the rtnir: ning" and /the perilous.:Jleap : .'" : Section'. N0.'..4 sa»s:' declare 'that.Oie , splen-; .dour' of the ""world:) has v been,'enriched: with.;a. nsw : form .of •'beauty, the .'beauty;' of:speed. A race-automobile;adorned with (Treat'.pipes ,, like; Krpents_,:wiUi:.explosivebreath.' .';•■.;.; : ' '■;V ; .";; A-'race-autom'obile iwhich'; seems'■ -to ; " rush ■■. byer'..: : .■ exploding Powder.iis';more',beaUtiful-..than .the.'Vic-;I :.lpry//pf Simothrace/'! !-It. is.''alsoVmiicli.' .tasjer.'if; you ■ hav.i - the ■ mbnoy..,; Mt;:.is' .quite, "oleari' however,, that;you'.• cannot, •if a Fijtiuist at.'all/unlessyou are fright-; -;v!,Uy^'. ; !ch.'.;iTheu:,fellows;this lucid'.and:] soul-sl'irring/sOTtenc''::-"s; t:; Wo"'.win..sinK i the:praises, of. man .holding.of ,which : the: ideal.steering-post-traverses ■.tKe'i'earth'.impelled; itself' around'.the: cir.iuit VolVits' 'own.' orbit"; , ''What' a jolly 'Knß-;-it ! wp',nl.d. , :>ej'.!, , such ia simple swing: in it.''■: I;.cah;imagine the; Futurists Vrpmid.the , .fire "in- a c tavern trolling out;ih 'chorus some ballad' with; that-incomparable-refrain;: shouting over their;;swaying ,'flagons .some; snch' words.' a_s: thessY '-~■•' ~';. '■':■';i^'}'^'.' : '\y.i.i : -^X:'i : A; notion ■ came into':, my head:' as' new "ias " : ::-it-,;was;;bright; 7 ;;/ ; -;-:•: "v ■; a,;^'.' , ; , ! Thati poems might, '.be written: ; on'.;th'a' .'■■■'■, ;"fi'ubiec.t,{pf, a : .fight;,- '-^-; ■■,;■,;■ '; hf'li U■■ '-. No .'praise-.was-given', to.Lancelot, , * , Achilles, .i ,;. ! iN,ap,';;or:;C^rbett;";;;/, j ;;: V , •But '.we : will.■ Bine;;the,; praises ;of.: man f,',; /.holding,:'-the;fly-wheel. t pfvwhich-', the'. •r'-.,- ideal 'steering-post';-traverses.: the •earth, i t ,;, "impelled;,'itself .around: the 'circuit \ot. !' !.:.iSits-. J 9.wn'iprbit. , j--'.\;.-, , ;'i''';'^.';.i'v'-.' ■•■•ivv^j.i;/;', ''; Tfien-'.lestUt Ishould: -'be ~> supposed -that : Futurists'wonld'.' be'.so. weak.-ai to-, per-; hjit-anyj ;npon ; . the.; ■violence : arid; : -levity: of the .:luxpiiousi',' classes, .there 'would .be', a 'epecial:' yerse", ■in ;honpnr';of;thei'motors;alsb.;- : ..'.;j-;-.' "j, :My/,fathers.'scaled. the jmountains :in-their-;i' ;^ -'.pilgrimages..far !:<-"vV;.';;-'-: ;.;;:= i Buhl' feel.full '.of/energy.'.while'sitting in; '■ • j awf■/'."■ :'.i?v.■''■'.' !''■■■;''■■■','■ -h' :): '' - ; ';■"••■■ And/.petrol 'is'the irine,';l lick it -. I iviuiii'absbrJiiiiteTook -lil'i','- ; . : .; ■ /"' Sp:nrejwill-Singithe?pl , aises ; )of man;hold-', . Ving. the/fly-wheel ofi wtich.',the ideal: '. -Steering-post.•'•.traverses ,the. earth .im-j : ; ..itself .arounditheVciicnit'of:its; :.)/..own ;, orbit. : --} '■:;■:;■;: ;:,-.;■"Hi./;.;'/ -■-/-'■ :: «: i • •'Yes, it wbuld"be : .i:^olliokiiig'- oatcK :, I ■!wish>,there; :vrerii''space' to'.'finiiih. the: sphg, r ior "to; detail j'all- the other' sections. in .theJ ■.■Declaration;': Suffice''it :tb ■ sayf.fchat Futijr;ismhas;'a' 'gratifying.' dislike:l)oth-.of.Libe-, ■ral .politics!and,...Christian'■ morals;,l;\say gratifying .because, hdweyer unfomiately.. ;the;br6ss : and the: cap'.of -liberty "x ; have; they aro,always nnited.inthe; •feeble:;hatred of.' such : silly;, megalbmani- , (acs as..these. ■' They' ; will ; "glorify ;only ' true" hygiene of - the .worloV-nulitiir-lisin, .'patriotism; •■ the ■ destructive:/'gesture' ef • Anarohist; ■ ttey.beautiful;ideas; whioh' ikilli'-arid' the'-scorn/bf' woman,/.'..: They !vjill' "destroy .museums, libraries,, .: and. jfight J. inpralism, >' : feminism, ./and saQ;;._utiutarian. 'jppwardice.'^ :jj; The/ proda-1' Mation' ends'with.'an.'extraordinary.-,pa*-'; 'sage' which: I: cannot' Understand; at a 11,'.! 'all;about something ttat is.going ; to ; hap-i 'penj to 'Mr. , : Marinetti .'iwhen , : he •is "• forty;; 'As farVas;.i;ban'jmaie.: will : then> ;be;.killed :by pther:.poet9,;who' wilti^be. overwhelmed---witii.-lovß' and;-;admirati6n-;for;;him. ■• ■ '"They' ' ; ivill-.' come,' against us; from-.far. away, ..from !everywhere,.<'leap-.-l iug; : oii■the,cadence,-pjE , their, first poems,. 'clamng the 'air with crooked fingers and[ ' : scerittng --at the;Academyi gates r the good' .'smell of our.decayinglminds." '!Well;>i.t'<is-'' isatisfactory'to'. be'told,': however ;bbscureV ly, that this/sort^.of ■ thing-is ■■ coming ;;tojan.erid.some.,day; to:hb replaced by eome pther.tomfoblery-. ; ■■' : :..'.-;..; , .' ■'■. : ; i . •;: '■■, -•»- : ; ;' ■I: ; think;:the , only;other, point; of-Futuf-: ismiiis contained; inv.thie/sentence: ■ '.'lt |is in. Italy,■'•'that ;we : hurl this overthrow--' jing, and inflammatory '.Deolaration, , :.with: ;which to-day; we'; found. Futurism,, for we jwill free' iltaly. ■from:'/ heir -.numberless' ■lUuseums. which' cover ; her "ivith. cbun I less ; <iemeteries."/:;l;:think:/thati:rather" sums ;it ..up.-,; The.: best 'way,; one:i;wpuld :'think, of ,'freeing oneself?from,. : a' : museum-;,would' :be not.' to :go . there'.-;.'ilr , ; : : lfar'inetti's' ;fathers■ ; and■;'; grahdfothers|v freed; Italy. ; from •: prisons * •. and; : torture .chambers,: ; places,; where."people,.were .held by.force.- ; 'i.ney,.,beingV,in. the bondage of; ".moral'; iism,"",attacked, Obvernments, as-unjust,'" ireal;G6vernhientsV:'with ;, real guns>. Such rwas their utilitarian cowardice''that they :wbuld die , iii- hundreds ■'upon the bayq- : ;nets: of Austria.; I-can ; -,weU : ;imagine'why.: ;WrAMarihettiiiu:his;'mctbr-car 'does';hot; ■ ( wish|to >, lbbk. : at , :there-was' one'-'ithing...that , could.' make ,him- loot :SmaUer even■ than;:befpre-it'.is 'that'roll of -dead' men's-:drums and that; dream- of : .Garibaldi going by.;,', The itold -'■ Eadical : ghostsigo'-hy.'/mpre'real:than'the , living: ■ menj'.rto', Assault, I'.knowMiat/what Tainparted city. in-.hell:',. And meanwhile Mr; Marinetti' standsioutside'/a .-museum ;in a .■warlike .athtude rad ,, defiantlyVtellsi: the , omcialat the turnstile:that he Vill'never;. nevor;.coiDe in , .;;: •, ! .'-';';' :'; ,! ' . ■~.;.■ : in'.fools.: , ,;It y.is:.,not : : so: mu'eh• that , : thby ,rush ; in whereXangels ;fear - ;to,;tread, ■ but •rather, :tho^;. they^let'out'what devils,intend to d 0...; borne ■perversion'; pr.;fplly : 'irill, float about; nameless, v. arid '' a f whole society; theri'sonie fool gives'it : a■ name, : and:henceforth it'is,harmless/. With all really; evil thirigs.'when ..'danger > has appeared- the .danger. Jis .over. Now/ it may bo hopsd that'the -, self-indulgent' sprawlers ■ of;v'Tpcsia" -.'• have < put a namc oncp:and forVall/to;"their'philosbphy.,;;in. the.'case' , of- kheir''philosophy,; to put a. name; to;it 'i(j; to;":but-,an to , ' it.':Tet; .their; philosophy .'has ,been' f i; very-" .wide-, spread in' OU.V. time; it could-hardly have ;beon pointed -and'finishedveicept by-this, porfece , folly;'. The creed of; which "(please ,God) "this'is the 'flower ■'and .'finish ;'cpn.sists.ultimately:.in this.statementi-;that'it is bold' and .spirited to'■'•appeal-Vtd..the' Juture".', New,-"• it- is" entirely:;'weak; 'and ijalf-wittcd .to■• appeal/ to th«: future.. : :'A. ■brave" ;man..; who : wants Atheism'.: in; the future; calls : : himself 'an . Atheist; a. brave' ,mah : , who./ wants". Socialism, Ja Socialist j . a•■: bravo man'. who'. wants;. Catholicism,'' a Catholic. ';' But a - weak ; minded 'man who' 'does;-'not ■knowiVwhat' ho ..wants' in-th'e futuro.ealls: himself a; Futurist; .: ;-':■;. '.'; ■ -.'They, have driven ' all thp- pigs.' away/ 0 that they-had- driven away, the' prigs,. -,and ; left,.the pigs!;. The sky. begins "to droop., with .'darkness':- and ' all- birds: and: blossoms ,to: descend-'unfaltering; into:the. Wealthy: -underworld', where ; things; slum- 1 oer ..and was: just : :one,true phraso; of :'llr. : Marinetti's about- himself: f'tho [feverish insomnia.'' ' Tho.. whole; iinivqrso 'is; pouring, headlong to 1 ■ th(j. happiness' of the night.: It is only the madman v'ho.ihas ,-not the'("courage"' , to'. "UeD.—"The Daily News." ■;) : ' v.-,.. ■■■■ ■■■■■.