The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-27
Th~ AeaA~ny.s Peet.


The AeaAeay.s Poet
A London bookseller sent tie foisswsne
report 70 the AcadeEny apropos of shs
nsstYAl Of interest," In minor poetry. eeea-
sloned ny the "cr0wEange' Of Nr. Stephen
Phillips.
IA new interest In poetry generally hAs
been created By fhe Academy Ia crown
Ing Mr.. Stephen Phillips poems. ard
In bringing 30 prom snebfsg before -
readers tire MERITS Of ssnse Of ear mod
srn. Ecs ntrsor poets: for II The oSsnscf.s
ok bookseller are ~crsf anything t.saies
ia Doubtful. according 20 Year sKosinsseas.
snonymou correspondent the poetry OF
soms 81 oar so-cailed minor pcsss viii bear
comparison with. IL {, does not excel.
@uch tina; has been written By the great
poets Of the past
Ar. Pniilips at any rate II receiving
. great deaf o. encouragement Of the kind
not always profitable Ia the long run.
Literature II even more enthusiastic taan
tho Academy In Its praise. No such re-
mArkable book of verse as this has APP
peared tor several years" Is tisc opening
sentence Of It's review. Then IL goes on:
ssMr. Phillips oeidiy challenges eompari-
con. both In styis and subject. with the
work OF great masters: the writer's whom
he makes you think Of range up 10
Milton and 90 not fall below Lander. He
attempts nothing small. and bis poetry
brings with Ii that SENSATION OF novelty
and that saffusi0n OF a strongly marked
personality which stamps = genuine poet.
The volume OF his work Ia not great. but
It h considerable. abodt equal in length 10
the sGeorg,cs.' 4 eua;ains abundant per-
formanee. and even when promise exceeds
performance. 8, II promise Of the most In
terestiiss k.nf. Needless 70 say. he has
not SCI wholly easerxeel from the period OF
diseipiexhip. the two most perfect OF his
poems ere those which suggest master:
but even I'm them there Is enough original
isy to justify all that we have said. ard
two o. the ether poems. though less able
10 defy criticism, mark a new departure
la the art.
Unlike most modern poets. Mr.. Phillips
does not shine in the pure lyric; he has
not the s.snpsiesiiss OK song. His verse
has grace and stately music which lends
itseif To iTnpassIonesi narrative, and ssili
more readily TO the nt.erance OF impas-
stoned thought. -Four Of his poemss-the
four Iongest-staad out: two OF them,
'MarpeSsa' and Christ In Hades.' are
ciaAsical both In style and subject; the
other two attempt moro difficult and
more novel achievement. 10 harmonixe in
postry tho life OF modern city. with Its
xas lamps. asphalt and It's crowd of trivial
and tragic faces. Christ In Haaes' In of
the four the least interesting. because the
1east novel; It Is also the most fauisiess,
- a. !. 40
nary beauty. sMarpessa' Is q Greek idyll
which tells how q maiden having 10 choose
between Idas and the god Apollo. pre-
feryed the mortal lover. The thought OF
tho poem II beautiful. and though Mr..
Phillips does not escape the influences Of
Tsuny son-why should heg--h!s blank
verse Is entirely his own. everywhere dig
uifed. sonorous ard musical
HE interests us more. however. with
HE two spiritual tragedies OF modern life.
where his problem ID how to combine the
sharpest reailsu with poetic style, than
when he endeavors TO Introduce realism
into matters made poetic already 10 his
hand. Ono OF these two poems. THE
Wifs." IL tho terrible story Of a woman
who gees out to get bread In the one way
she can for her sick husband. and returns
with II to ind him deai. The subject
suggests Mr.. John Davidssn's work. but
what stamps II with tho peculiar impress
OF Mr.. Phillips is tho passage describing
how the storm OF grief spent Itself, and
time and nature already began their soo,h-
inS wsrk-~the tragic cure OK forgrtfuip ess:
and 30 In che dawn beside the corps.
" Mother and child
That food together ate .
''rhe most original thing In the book.
however. II the frs: paem. The Woman
WIFI a Dead Sonl.' told ike The Wife In
a modification o. tho heroic coupiss 1t IL a
angular enterprise. Mr.. Phillips sets out
80 tell tragedy in which nothing hap
paned. lie aces wcmsa sitting In a pub
lie house, slipping Sin az she ssws. and he
notes her eyes tina, had 40 inward sesat.i.
Iasion. But stared like windows IN TIE
peer OF day Then be proceeds to tell
how that womsns soul had gradually died
In her. and len her body neatly dressed.
well ecmhse. mechanically performing the
operations Of HE. There Is ,he problem
OF his narrative. 10 make you realize the
allow per.shinx Q: n soul. aud feel the
haunting terrier Of this survival. 1t mus.
fairly be said that tae result Is obscure
ne EAIsNSSts Aho aNsfsl}Es Qua stafNetF the
facts. It Is not clear whrthcr he means
thss the woman Was unconscious 81 her
charged self. III. talks with her. does she
tell him her stosyf But II 50. how nnonsa
the dead know thar she Ii deaas He
means. 10 doubt. that the tragedy !s In
fsrred from her words and her face.
"Ceasiv sire spoke; not onee her cheek
grew pale
Ard translate the dreadful PLACID tale
''rhs problem CT style IA always interest
ias-hsw 70 ase language. az, Ter instance.
MaepssSsn, might have donc. 80 as 70 req
der the very essenes OF tAe external I'm.
rressicn in describing SAGA a scene and
Such "a woman ard set keep IL poetry.
Here Is tiss beginning
80 Aslur@,i nv she ataas truass tavern Mwh.
Unhappy things flew in nut ~ sae nsxhss
Ana ever tho sad apFaaa swarm returned
senss crazy flustsr!ns snA sesao hair
horned
AmenE tae iAsssyers. gaasies ard sY,lasaeS,
With gasrs.
The ssislEl9ssesteS seassa sfpplns Hr~.
Siew t9s@ttn< eafsataeFS asnsst fne zare
knS 'uytA f0saE8sttos~ I VAS sara
,t tAst eeas isce ssam eascA / nssy no.
Tas.