New Zealand Poet Honoured

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 891, 7 February 1930, Page 14

New Zealand Poet Honoured

REPRESENTED IN ANTHOLOGY. A HARE compliment is paid to tlie work of Mr R. A. K. Mason, a young New Zealand poet, by Mr Harold Monro, proprietor of the famous Poetry Bookshop. Mr Monro has recently had published by Chatto and Windus an anthology of Twentieth Century poetry in which he reprints two poems by Mr Mason who is the only overseas writer represented in the collection w T ith the exception of Roy Campbell, the South African poet who now lives in England. Mr Mason, an Aucklander, is still in his early twenties, and the poems in the anthology were written some years ago. Some of his work was published in the annual chapbooks which Mr Monro edited after the Georgian Poetry anthologies ceased publication, and a volume of verse “The Beggar” was issued three or four years ago. Being dissatisfied with its sale, Mason gathered up all the unsold copies and deposited them in the Waitemata Harbour. Writing of “The Beggar” which also attracted the attention of Humbert Wolfe, Mr Monro said, ‘‘the thought would not attract me so much were it not for its combination with an inventiveness of rhythm and stanza form. I say this in spite of the fact that there is a strong aflinity between Mason and I, and that on the basis of kindred mentalit. alone I cannot fail to be sympathetic toward him.” Here is “The Spark’s Farewell to Its Clay,” one of the poems included in the anthology: Well, clay. It’s strange at last we’ve come to it— After much merriment we must give up Our ancient friendship; no more shall we sup In pleasant, quiet places, wanly-lit, Nor wander through the falling rain, sliarpsmit And buffeted thou, while I within, snugshut ; No longer taste the mingled bitter-sweet cup Of Life the One Inscrutable has thought fit. To give us; no longer know the strife That we of old have each to each maintained. Now our companionshiD hath certain end— Knd without end. At last of this, our life, Thou surely hast gained blank walls, my friend— And 1? God only knows what I have gained. During the past year or so Mason has not written much, but some poems of his have appeared in The Sun.