The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-10

and a vocabulary Of strange new words or
misused old ones. But real poet arises
only once i'm a half century; let us acknowl-
edge at the outset that Ireland has sent us
the latest singer worthy of the name
a poet is one who has an intense longing
after immortal beauty and an immediate
perception OF il. But more than that, he
must have the power to make others nave
that perception, too, or he remains mute.
ingorious Milton" A real poet is known by
his magic lines"-certain passages which
produce a responsive thrill or sound uni
versal echo beyond the power of the mere
words or the thought that is in them to eX
plain. II this charm, this magic. could be
explained or analysed IL could be repro
duced by mere skilled workmen and talent
ed imitators. IL is the quality that detes
analysis which is the distinctive mark of
genuine poet.
And so the critic who opens a volume of
this Irish singers verse will make but poor
job of trying TO explain wherein his power
lies. A homesick sort of reaching up and
grasping after unseen. half-remembered
loveliness-that is the dominant chord, and
the one you will remember. His poems are
saturated with this stuff that dreams are
made Of" His exquisite fancy is misty and
elusive it is tuned TO a minor key because
tits Gaelic, and it is mystic and symbolical
because it is Celtic His lines are full of
the poetic feeling-and that, as was said
before, is an indescribabe thing, but III
stantly and easily recognizable.
Mr.. Yeats will be criticised on three points
! first, for his neglect of the human side or
nature. He lives in fairy lands fOrlOrn,
where there is so much mysticism that hui
! manity is lost sight of. He even submergeS
! his individuality here, and flies above our
| heads. And. second. IL Will be objected that
! Critic SAYS, "see the world more dreary
! because of the beauty beyond it, But that
i Is criticism that may be dismissed with a
/ word. / rather a Z,
| and the critic must begin at an early period
| of the worlds poetry If he is going TO carp
| at all who have the same effect Yet II is
true that many of his verses are distinctly
displeasing. The divine discomfort" is easy
to catch. The third objection to his genius
| is the most serious of all--his lack of moral
/ and intellectual strength and strengthening
4 quality. He does not help us to live and
:. be brave; he has no message of cheer and
| hope and uplift; he will not make the world
brighter and berter-and this will keep him
out of the highest rank of poets.
|
Nevertheless he is a poet and genius.
| He has woven his songs from tissue of
| dreams, elusive and vague, but wildly beau
tiful. They are plaintive, as are all the
songs of his native land and none but a
poet could sing them.
Mr.. Yeats is the recognized leader of the
new national movement in Irish literature.
| With his colleagues he has worked hard
| for the preservation of the Gaelic tongue,
with its traditions. it's folklore and it's po-
| etry. 1t is nothing less than revival of
Irish letters and OF the early movements
of the Gaelic imagination, which has had
| such marked effect on English literature.
| All are familiar with Matthew Arnold S
theory of the Celtic genius. 1t is only
through a touch OF it, he thinks. that an
| Anglo-SaXon can he made a poet. The
| intellectualism belongs TO the Saxon but all
| the imagination Is the Celts'. So II is this
+, well-spring of native fancy that Mr.. Yeats
and his fellows have been engaged In clear
! ing out for us. They seek to revive the love
of legend, the love of beauty and the inn
| agination which lie at the root of Irish race
| consciousness, for they think that only by
| this can national existence be preserved
| They have done much noble work and will
| do more. They have succeeded in getting
| the ancient tongue taught in the schools
| and the ancient tongue was rapidly be-
| coming extinct. They are fighting against
| emigration, and against the Incidence and
| ignorance which have ever been the ma
| tional handicaps. And they are trying &c
| replace the violent and traditional political
| hatred by a saner view Dreamers they
| are, perhaps, but they are the kind OF
| dreamers whose visions have a purpose and
| a result. They know that there is only
| one way in which nationa become
| immortal, and that is through the distinct
| I'VE things Ii imagines. thinks, does of it.
| self and within itself and gives out to the
| world. And so they are truer patriots than
| a host of agitators, political orators and
| fighters. Their work cannot be barren OF
| great results for Ireland.
EDWIN MEADE ROBINSON.