The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05
VIEW BooKs.


II IL but seldom that we recsive . collection Of
papers 20 valuable in respect OF substantive
thought and literary form as are those CON
tainod in q volume called Modern Poet Prophets,
by w. NORMAN GUTHRIE Cincinnati, tho r.
Clarke Company These papers may be con.
piderod collectively as . protest against tho
dictum OF Art for arts sake" a dictum
which,. In the hands OF materialists. has had
pome melancholy results. Everything depends,
however, NJ tho author OF these essays shows,
on an artists fundamental philosophy; this he
has undertaken to demonstrate In q paper on
tho conditions Of permanence In art or the rola-
tinna OF art 70 anthology. Mr.. Guthrie 10 ono
of those who believes that, while the poets can
hardly be described as Gods only truth
tellers,'' yet they do bring scientific truths
and speculations. tho moral and social ideals OF
their period, TO the tost OF beauty. They serve
70 make us feel the difference between the re-
spectacle and the heroic; between the half
truth, brilliant but doath-deaiing, and the whole
truth. vital and quickcning; between tho pleas
urable and tho beautiful; between success and
merit. The author says truly that the failures
of poets technically admirable are as instructive
as their successes. We learn from the former
that no amount of art can make what Is essen
TALLY unbeautiful permanently pleasing. Their
successes, on the other hand. as being we'll
springs OF Joy, do more than teach. As Sir
Philip Sidney said long ago, they not only show
the way, but give so fair a prospect into the way
as will entice any man to enter into 1t. It is
true. as Mr.. Guthrie says, that what we need is
not AZ nnch IN t,ow as ,o love m, tr,th us,i
,ro r;d,o ,,robo,y. ,,t,r;o., s.,,o. 4. n srm.
c,.nt,v common confession II 10 !, vii, -o,hor
thar In discrim,nation thu, vo FAIL rh. tr,o
and great poets make us love the truth, and.
loving 1t, embody 1t. They show us, indeed.
that tho truth 10 largo and man y.sided.
I.opardi m,t.. NM fooI th,t nos.,ni.r, 10 ,r,o.
eb.iIov mates ~ .ur.r stiII ~ ,n,imisn. ,vhuo
a browning enables ia N ace Tho relation he.
t,v.sn both moods no n.r,s ~ n NOR. .omrr.-
hensive mora human yiow ~ M. n, m. mir,
.,s.vs IN this volume ve ,hau ma. ov.r ,ho.e
nm ideal wop.nbood. nm tho "prome,hons In.
bound " of shelley which our author d.ema nm
,r,ner,abs b,o noor,. IN re.,,.,;o art nm N, s,,o..
and nm Walt yvbi,m,, w, ahon oona,s CIV
..,v.. Tn tho p,n.rs ,vb,cb doo, Win Ieon.rd,
and :. Evol,,;o,,, pessinisr,. :, with tho oirorca
NJ moral. ,r,r ,h.olonr ,omnie.d In ,ho
.Oberman" NJ Sen.ncour and in Nattbcw
Arro,d. With Er,Io,5,s ,r,ostic ro.t. n ,,i,
Clopeb sv,nhurne Ro.setti and Nnttbew
nrroid. .,a erai,v Ill, tho oo,di,;o,a -,
nernancnce in works NJ ar,
In IN. e.s,v on I.onord i N. author ,ro,o,
9TH anprovaI Io,zss oss.-,ion th.t ali r,an,s
onds.vors hav. asa Ias, r.sor, hu, ono n,aan.
,ra n,mo,v ,b.t tbov IN oonnoo,ion ,.,,, ,saa.
=, coup,I.ss othors should .or,biro 20 ,r,o. :.
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