RUDYARD KIPLING

Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1923, Page 4

RUDYARD KIPLING

WHAT WE OWE TO HIM

(By Gilbert Mnnt in a Sydney paper). The most unfortunate 0-sti m*- of modern literary circlip, especially in Englaml. is the power and predominance of precocion.s Youth. In Australia, our growing circle ol literary intellectual.- (how hateful tho term is!; is almost entirely dictated to by young nicii and women wiiters, scarcely bursting froiu adolescence. fliis is not as it should be. Youth is far too hottempered and impulsive. Youth is too swift in its judgments, and too unsparing jn its criticisms. Instead of profit jug by the works of great writers, such us Danle, .Milton. Johnson, and Browning. Youth attacks thorn savagely. and endeavours to found a school of imaginative ruhlnsh. And above all. Youth derides any living w liter wit" struggles to keep to the narrow lane of decent literature. In England. Uudyurd Kipling has fallen under the quick ban of 'lotith. Modern literary circles admit no more .-oiioiis or dreadful offence than a profession of admiration for the poetry and prose of Kudynrd Kipling tis rca.’ poetry and prose. Even in 1912, before Ids personal tragedy of the war had moved Kipling to give us some ol his finest work. .May A\ eddei hui n Callcan. a young Oxford poetess, wiio-e poems are worthy oi .1 larger public, perceived the growing (antagonism against the man. and cried passionately ‘‘to certain detractors of Kudynrd Kipfing’’: Because he saw heyoml the words men speak : Because, like 11s. lie wrought with Love and I fate ; Because he met Despair, and ('roved it false, And chose the Little, knowing it the Great. lie wrote, and some of us that read Reopened Friendship's Gate. Kipling is 11 simple, unobtrusive man. who seeks neither honour nor reward, am.' the denouncement comes to him merely as the lit.fair penally of greatness. But it hurts the lovers of his winks—even though the detractors are few in number. The younger genet atinn of writers and critics seem to en- | ( mirage a vogue of prejudice and dolisiou again. st a man who preaches and I pleads so earnestly and proudly lor | England, and all England means- am!

j Leaven know s we need preachers ol kip- | ling’s siiieerLy lo help us through these troublesome times. That Kipling 1 uicex .strong Imperialistic lieliels. everyone will admit : hut is it a crime to love tie* land of one's birth ami its royal i i'i lers sn passionately that little eise matters.' Kipling is so e.sseiit ially I'.nglis.li. rhroughout his work mic finds thi- intense, passionate love of Engli'.nd. No living poet has Let ter qmdilicalioi's for tlie laurel of national poet. 'I her - has liven no v. liter who h;:.s voicc i the ideals, amliitioii'. let-lings and thoughts of the English race so l'ailiif 1 dly as this Kipling, His knowledge of things and people is uncanny, and only to he compared to the amazing uml'-rstandiug of Shakespeare ami Browning. Kipling convinces; one cannot upset the .sentiments of his most ci.'iinuonpliu e sentence with contradiction. He writes of fmeign lands as a distinguished traveller; or ol the sea as a stenin and sail YE Andrew ; of the A 1 my as a hrave and loyal soldier; of England as an honest patriot and citizen. ills versatility takes one’s breath away. Kipling has 11- shaking with de-le-ions 111-n intent over diunkeu. loi-. a Hit- Brugglesmitli. In a moment there is an ache in mu heart's for poor Ihidalia Herodsfool. A moment later w- feel the straining of the licet- and pistes iif die “Ship that I'etind lu-r----seii." So we a’e carried on. eiicbanto irorceiviii.4 J*i.s ciinracturs iu.* binsso!: p.eru-ival ('.'c 111 .whieli is Kipling's gwiiiif. And "hut itnfr.rgettiihle cii.ir-a-ir-is It. Ii.;:, gr. fen o', like the t !u*r-lo-1.-i's „i Dickcc-'. they live in cur minds. Irish rogue. Mulvane;, ; Mai-ie tin.l ]io -r 1 1 1 i 1: I Dickie; wise, childish Kiln; awkward Mr Gndsb.v; and. greate.o. uf ail. Killing's protege, neglected Thomas Atkins. In advanced English literacy ci-ilcs (fortunately they are small) it i- considered almost vulgar and eccentric to nppioeiaie Kipling. Ilis orthodox metre liis faithful re; - rmluct'imi of sounds nml sentiments tis exemplified in verse, find ill-favour in a paried of false sentimentality. ugly impressionism, and ultramodern: metre and effect. The cam-iri-i, <-c; 11] 1 1 it i 11 1 (,f precocioio. Ymit!i itin alleged crudity ai'd trothiin--- uf Kipling.'s wiiting. He is, indeed. acknowledged as a pleasing riiymster and .1 passing and iiipular author of enteitaining fiction. Beyond that:. All. Youth, uiii-i 1 the wisdom and experience of years toiicli your brow, lin-ii will you denc.imce the false gods \ 011 fall down and worship, for many of Kipling’s poems are lieautil'til cl s.-w-s tiu.t will ever live in the realms of English literature. Who does not lead enthralled, those unequalled lines in ■‘Tin :ea and the hills?” \Yln= Imtli desired tin sen!-'- the immense and euiitempuiniis surge,-? The shudder, the stumble, the pause a-, tlie stiii'-stiddiie.g bowsprit emerges ? Jingle ? The Brili-li Empire can never adequately pay its debt to Kipling. In Ihaiice. Anuuica. and Italy, lie is honomed as the gieat mouthpiece ol the English people. He inis wotteu oi out- triumphs and failures; our vii fues and faults; our lii.slori.-.s and ambitious "ith. equal force. His books speak of the lives of tin- ordinary men cud women lie knows so well. And if we look deep enough we understand tinman's idealism by the subtle moral ill each story and poem. Always lie nl rives to tell us of noble things; of wrongs that may he righted. And always he is human and understanding. Itudyard Kipling stands to-day as the greatest teacher and writer of the world. In comedy or tragedy, in nectiy or prose, even to history and o’ogi'npliy, ho reigns supreme. To the (lies of his detractors, who say that h t pen lias lost iLs cunning and ns beauty, we have only to point out 'lie simple dignity of hi- latest, poem, “The ('■ rjotapli." published recently. And v.lull cures lie if liis books run into thirty-five editions? He lives simply in his beloved Sussex amongst liis own [•eopli-. He travels across the So.oll Ee -s into the four turners of the world, and studies other lands a ltd otiici 1 peoples. He will live when Youth’s 1 false gods have crumbled away to no- i