The Washington times., 1902-06-29
By L. LAMPREY.

In view Of the events of the past
week the laureate's ode on the coronation
Of King Edward takes on a somewhat
pathetic aspect. Most OF it reminds one
of the faded garlands and trumpery dec
orations now being torn down in London.
Tut there is one Coronation Ode" and
it is not tho Laurea;e's. which does not
suffer by the sudden change of program.
1t is the tribute of William Watson.
one OF the finest. If not one of the great
est, Of England's living poets. and Ger
tainly some OF his most sincere admir-
ers viii find in it reason for surprise.
| 1t is not too much to say that nothing
like this has appeared since the occa-
sional poems OF Tennyson, which it
slightly resembles. The music of its
cadence, the exquisite fitness of its
phrases. and the loftiness of its thought
are all striking; and while it may never
attain the popularity which is like
sounding brass and tinkIing cymbals. it
can afford to do without that There is
not slipshod line or a labored ex-
ression in it, and as a whole, it pos
sesses a simplicity and beauty almost
Greek.
1t is impossible so to quote from 1t as
to give any adequate idea of the poem as
a whole; for it is an entity. full of
delicate but distinct individual thought
which cannot be dissected without caus-
ing all the life to go out of it.
The ode is in five parts. The first
presents to the imagination the empire
and its growth-a mighty thought to be
compressed in twenty-seven lines; but
the achievement is so complete that one
is amazed to find how few are the
stanzas. In the second division are
glimpses OF the monarchs Of history,
half dozen clear-cut, definite outlines.
possessing, however, all the suggestive
ness of portraits. In the third the
scenes of the coronation day itself are
suggested; the stately lines form word
panorama of the successive events
A touch of weirdness and mysticism
creeps into the poem with the next
verses, in which the spirits of van
ished races seem recalled by the de;t
and wizard-like touch of the poet. In
some ways this is the most striking Of
all. for its power is more in suggestion
than actual description, and the elusive,
mysterious charm of its lines battles
analysis but chains the imagination.
The fifth and concluding group of
stanzas contains a forecast. some OF
whose lines are almost uncanny in their
fitness to events now past. 1t repeats
the boding note of Kipling's "Reoes-
sional." touching and refutlng the as
sertions of England's enemies that
fall as has ended the life of other
empires now dust This division of the
poem is likely to be most quoted and
best known. for it contains some telling
phrases. and appeals to emotions al
ready somewhat familiar to the reader.
It is perhaps the only part of the ode
which is reasonably sure TO be under
stood by the average member of the
reading public. But even those who do !
not wholly comprehend are likely to bc
attracted by the rhythm of the verse
which is both peculiar and striking. end |
suited absolutely to the theme
When one comes to discuss the salient
qualities OF Mr.. Watson's style, one OF |
them Immediately appears to be the use
of monosyllables, particularly those Of |
Saxon origin. Doubtless this is one |
reason for the mingled simplicity and |
strength of this poem. 1t removes the
verse at once from the polysyllabic and |