PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 108, 2 November 1940, Page 17

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

, The City Librarian has chosen Hold the Door," by John Buchan, as the-book of the week, and has furnished, the following review:—

Although it is claimed on the dust jacket oS the late Lord Tweedsmmrs book of memories that xt is an autobiography, the author disclaims so .comprehensive a definition in the text. None the less, the memories of so remarkable and many-sided a man do link up to give a more or less complete picture of a varied, useful, and, ma'soiind'Sdrt of way, spectacular life- 1 Association with some of the foremost intellectual spirits of the time might have turned John Buchan into a dry-as-dust scholar. His classj cal knowledge w v s indeed considerable, and his knowledge of history and philosophy was outstanding. His earlier roots, however, went deep into the soil; and his love for the country side, and. particularly, his own Scots countryside, ano of human nature at large, kept him so much in touch With, the realities of everyday exist erice that he was able to write the colourful novels, full of suspense and sus tairied action, upon which his fame rests no less than upon his major historical works, or upon the few years of his later life as Governor-General of Canada. This was indeed a signal honoui for a man of letters to receive Buphan's life did not, however, consist solely of that of the litterateur He had for some years represented the Scottish Universities In Parliament; he had held various offices under the Crown; he had been a partner in the publishing ' firm of Nelson, which brought him in touch with the business community; and he had been in Africa with Lord Milner as his assistant private secretary. All these different aspects of his life are touched upon in "Memory Hold the Door," but perhaps the greatest charm 01 the book lies in the delightful and individual essay style, and the frank, nervous, delicate English which have endeared Has earlier books to so many readers,

WARTIME POETS

INCREASE IN OUTPUT

"A literary monthly which publishes a fair amount of verse reports that since the outbreak of war it has been practically flooded out with poetical MSS. Other journals have likely had a similar experience," says the "Glasgow Herald."

In time of war, it appears, the writing of verse increases greatly in ;this country, thereby showing that j poetry is the "natural national form of self-expression." Many of the MSS. are.being posted to editorial desks from the military camps and depots at home and abroad, and from offices and the workshop bench. So far as can be observed from the comparatively meagre amount of published material as yet available, the writers are expressing individual reactions to war. including reaffirmations of the love of Nature and of the rights of man. and in style the traditionalists are encroaching on the experimentalists.

i-' The clear-cut emotions engendered by war, the stark vision given of love, death, separation, the beauty of the earth, the brevity of life, the fanaticism, the evil, and the sublime courage of men call for a simple form of expression, and English poetry will benefit today if it is pureed of some of its recent arid obscurities.

One cannot foretell in what direction the current of verse will flow. In 1914-18 it flowed from idealistic patriotism and full-throated praise of the <soldier-poet's native soil to devastating criticism, in *he poems of Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfrid Owen, of the horrors of .trench warfare. During the past 22 years \ almost every new poet has employed imagery drawn from the Great War. and has expressed horror of war in all its aspects. So poets face this war with their eyes open to nil its physical conditions, and unfitted or unwilling to write martial odes in the old conventional style. But there are several positive things they can do without hurt to their art or talent. They can plead aeainst the calculated brutality of the Nazi conduct of war: they ran rediscover the bedrock of the British soul and character, and p?ve it resounriine voice: they can. substitute b r>o«itive faith for the scepticism anrJ the languors of their immefliotp predecessors. They can. indeed, assist ereatly In bringing the eternal verities before the attention of their countrymen And in explorations of the spcret places of the heart they can brine comfort and solace to the aneuished. hope to the chatterer?, and courage to those who act and endure.