New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-08
POETRY OFRTDYARD KIPLLNG
MISS FORD DEFINES ITS CHARACTER
ISTICS AND BEAUTIES
-Hr- coNrERENcE rHAr FOLLOWED rARTIcIPA-

THE CONFERENCE THAT FOLLOWED fART1ClPA-
TED N BY SEVERAL NOTABLE PEOPLE.
9TH, Poetry Of Rudyard Kiplng" the sub
tor % Miss NJ Eleanor Fords lecture Yesterday
ee,a~-oon at the home OF Mrs Butler Harding No.
. G-amercy Park The tmeliness OF the subject,
owing 70 the recent critical illness Of Mr. kiphng
awakened greater interest than usual
Mss Ford placed Kipling among the poets who
.npart the gift OF seeing 10 others
What he portrays is real 10 us" she said. We
a-e In the midst Of the events recorded. We know
his characters individually Brotherhood and
progress are his chief themes and In making prog
-ess poetic he has struck new note in the great
chorus OF the closing century and has fulhled
sigriAcant prophecy OF Wordsworth
..McAndrews's Hymn" and The King" were cited
as chief among his poems Of progress. Miss Ford
next considered Kipng as the peoples poet Civ
ing me philosophy Of some of his Tommy Atkins
verses The Little Cargo Boats, and others or
this class She dwelt at length on his poetry Of
imperialism showing that he gave new
thought Of unity which mere historic and geo
eranric facts could not DO. His solemn warning
70 the growing egosm Of England engendered by
her success IN war and commerce. was admirably
gwen 10 the Professional" The Rhyme or True
Thomas" was thought 10 entitle Kiplns 20 he
called poets poet. Il voiced an appreciation
Of the Office unsurpassed in literature.
In conclusion Miss Ford recited The English
Flag" as her favorte among his patriotic poems
The conference which followed proved uhuSudI4S
Interesting Mrs Margaret A Sangster confessed
that she had fondness for his bad poems, even
that one that did not speak well Of the Ten Com
uardn1ents The one that praised the banjo was
arothe- favorite and she gave a humorous quota
ton from the poem that recognized the sisterhood
Of women. whatever their color She said she
loved too his good poems. with their reverent
spirit, but she declared he has the limitation Of
his period he lacks the massiveness Of Browning
and the marvellous technique Of Tennyson.
DR. LYMAN Abbott made two classfcations o.
po4ts-those who deal with universals. and there
fore live forever. like Homer, Dante and Shake
speare and the others. who deal with the Things
Of their own time. Ike Balzac. Thackeray and
Hawthorne and in this class he placed hlpHns'
when ne declared 10 be great power IL He.ln-
eaiirs nineteenth century events. he mas written
force into poetry and poetry INTO iorce, -, r,,r.
] . Barry spoke more from the personal point
a. view He claimed kipling to be "a superb am
ma whose genius was developed by MS early en-
vronnent in India. His chief charm was his orlgl-
naiifT While the Young universiry-bred poets Of
h ing Sef- caeeg KipIine was throwing of
Nr Barry differed from DIT Abbott who though
thai perfection Of style and form had nttle 70 90
in perpetuating poetry Mr. BARR INSISTED .ns
because Kphng's style was contemporaneous WIN
the thought OF to-day. II was good reason LOT
thinking II would not endure =, -,
The sneaker also differed with Miss Ford in her
ca'r that this modern poet IL any way resenloied
"a poets poet" He believes him 70 be essentially
q mans poet. strong and masculine. necauS
addicted 70 poesy- his most ardent and appre-
Mis- Ford has been asked 10 repeat her lecture
al Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Among tne audi-
ence who cougra tulated her on her lecture were
Ms Lorillard Spencer. Mrs. Reginald pe hoVeI
NJ J Frederic Tams Mrs 7. 5 Morg {ad,r,, OF
Ms Amy Townsend. Miss II Lawrence, MIS-
Young Mrs stone and Mrs. Ledyard