PROSE OR POETRY?

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 81, 10 January 1941, Page 4

PROSE OR POETRY?

Sir,-Your reviewer J.G.M. in his recent review of Anton Vogt’s "Anti All That" writes: "Much of it is good, strong, individualistic stuff: ‘Fame,’ for instance,’ and he quotes: "This man was so famous that every time he opened his mouth every newspaper in the province quoted him; but it is also indisputably true that even in his own city there were countless thousands who never read the newspapers at all except to get the sporting news." "Strong, individualistic poetry’? I say bah! Because Anton Vogt chooses to print very ordinary prose in lines as poems are written and printed, J.G.M. seems to think it is poetry, and good at that. What element at all of poetry is there in the words quoted, whatever view of poetic diction you hold, whatever theory or definition of poetry you advance? J.G.M. says some of Anton Vogt’s "verse" may be considered "modern" and "difficult," but unfortunately quotes none of this sort. The words I have quoted are not even "complex"-which might according to J.G.M. "frighten readers of poetry in this courtry." I think they will be much more likely to be frightened at the thought that poetic criticism — or rather criticism of verse-in this country is in the hands of a critic who thinks such lines as those quoted are "good, strong, individualistic" poetry. If you print this whole letter in lines as verse — I wish you would — it will be just as good, strong and individualistic, but will still be prose.

LLEWELLYN

ETHERINGTON

(Auckland).