Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-13
AoI,s.

~ win huuyuu hlpllng 8 poems OF
patriotism.
The first January number Of the out
iook mas the following to say on KIP
ing as a Poet Of Patriotism"
IL IS interesting to note in contem-
poraiy history the difficulty Of decld-
ING the rank and value Of a piece of
literature when 1t -comes warm from
tne Imagination Of the writer. II
Snahespeare were to give the world to-
gay those superb passages on England
Nhlch may be regarded as the high
water marx OF noble expression OF the
passion OF patriotism there would be
those VINO would urge that the elo-
quehce OF these splendid apostrophes
vac timely rather than enduring, and
lhdl they were calculated TO catch the
eye Oh the vulgar rather than the i'm
aginatlon Of the cultivated.
Mr.. klpling Is now going through the
process OF being Judged as regards the
Importance and merits OF HIS verse
which has been inspired by recent
events There are many who think he
has siven the world nothing fresher
stronger or more original In conception
or decisive In utterance than the poems
called forth during the last two or
conditions. The first of these was the
'Recesslonan which impressed most
people who read II az true insight
into the spiritual significance of the
Jubilee celebration, but which a good
many people. with Mr.. Watson at their
head, instantly charged as barbarlc.
MI. Burrell. who Is usually as sane as
ne Is fresh and entertaining, has re.
Gently questioned the quality Of pa
tfi0tism which has found such yIgor-
Gus ntterances In three or four more
recent poems from Mr. Kiplings hands,
and declared that he was not ready to
believe that "Klplings muse really
| represented, In dignity or in feeling. the
| heartfelt emotions OF a great people"
The poems to which he referred-es-
| peeially that on Russia-have undoubt-
| ed! had a certain touch of almost
brutal frankness; but the great plain
ness OF speech Is something very dlf-
| ierent from vulgarity. Mr.. Kipling
| interprets through the Imagination
what may be called the executive side
OF the English spirit. He is pre-eml-
nently poet OF the Englshman in ac-
ton. That which touches his imagi-
| nation the world over Is the spectacle
or man at work under all conditions:
| and wherever he finds courage, endur-
ance, and capacity, he Is moved by
them even when they are allied with
good deal OF personal coarseness and
vulgarity.
IL Is because he loves life with such
a passionate Intensity that Mr.. Kipllng
has awakened so wide an interest In
a generation which has listened main
~, Tor the last twenty years, 10 echoes
In verse, and has rarely heard a hui
man voice sounding clear, original
and genuine note.
Patriotism is essentially a concrete
quality, and those who have detached
themselves from the national move
ment and hold, with Tolstoi, that pa
riotlsm Is vice, will probably find
any frank expression OF II In the speech
OF men Of elementary habit and con-
versatlon repellent; but IL is TO be
seriously questioned whether the coarse
and frank man who is ready TO do
something for his country, even though
II may involve the sacrifice OF his life,
does not give his fellows something bet
ter and more real than the refined and
cultivated man who stands at a dis
lance, gathers his robes around him,
and refuses to be defied by the posi-
bic contact with the coarse things OF
life, There are phases OF poetical ex-
preston. as there are degrees OF poeti-
cal elevation, and depths Of poetic in
sight, TO which Mr.. Kipllng has not yet
attained; but the obvious reality OF his
work, Its telling directness and con-
crete force, ought not 10 be mistaken
for vulgarity A hundred years hence
his patriotic poems, IL they are read at
all. will probably be free from any sus-
plcions OF coarseness.
Mr. Kipling has not, II Is true, the
flneness Of feeling which always char
acterlzed Lowell; but there were many
who thought the "Bglow Papers" I'M
dlgnlfied as form OF argument for hui
man rights and unworthy a poet OF po-
sition and reputation. There were
some who thought the papers vulgar
because they used the speech OF very
plain people. II Is evident now that
the "Biglow Papers" are not only free
from vulgarity. but are probably the
most original contribution made by
Lowell to American literature. A gen.
Grafton which is hungerlng and thirst
ing for poetry which issues out OF the
deep springs Of human Experience in
stead Of that which is born In graceful
fancy, ought not TO substitute fastidl-
business for taste, nor the purely ana
lytic spirit OF the man who believes
neither In himself nor his fellows for
that insight which Is born OF convie-
tin OF the essential dignity Of human
nature and the essential worth OF hu.
man effort.
In Golfers Weekly Edgar Fawcett
delivers himself In this wise:
Soon there will be chance for Mr..
Kipling TO write another monitory RE
cessl0nal' TO his CONFERENCE.-THE his
beloved Tommy Atkins has come home
limp and pale and splitting blood. "Oh,
liberty" said poor Madame Roland,
what crimes are committed In thy
name!' But the Duke Of Wellington
himself, II / mistake not, declared that
patriotism" was the last refuge OF
blackguards. Well. the duke was no
doubt In bad temper when he deliv- |
cred this cynical epgram. One thing
Is sure he never saw, In all his cam |
palgns, greater heroism, more unselfsh |
comra1ery, more superb risklng Of life |
amid showers. hurricanes, tornadoes Of |
bullets than this present war has |
eyinced, The sudden making Of splen- |
did names is one Of Tennysons MIST |
stirful lines. But again and again |
We hear Of British prlyates throwing
their lives away like the burned stump |
OF cigarette, and not only doing that |
but helping with glad hands a fallen |
brother before their own doom sped |
through lung, heart or brain. Those |
who claim that England's cause is UNI
fair, must at least grant that every |
man OF her troops Is today fighting like |
one "thrice-armed who hath his quarrel |
just"
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