The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-05
Ezekiel Ledvitt, a Refugee
Poet of israel in His New Home.

| Israel, he sings with passionate melancholy
OF his race aspirations, But while he seek'
TO be more OF the school Of Hugo than OF lola
in his prose yet certain lines OF his poetry
have the strong frankness Of a spiritualized
Walt Whitman:
| A Hons spirit dwclls within me from my
youth. rise high; my heart longs for.
asplrns after great Ideals.
! despise small things -sooff at low creatures
who walk smilinRly
/ acknowledge no power--l creep not before
any potentate: neither fear / his terror.
| with JOY choose the lions death rather than
the dogs life.
Deborah an epic In four parts. Ia the
story OF sensitive Jewish girl who loves
a non-Jewish youth. Her strife between
Judaism and love is said to be sung in mas
terly poetry. "To the Exeoutioner "To
| the Brethren in Zion, "WhyiT and "One of
Many in their pungent satire, remind
Mr.. Leavitt's American critic and COM
! mentator DR.. Louis Alexander. Of the
great Russian fabulist. Grandpa Krylov.
Dr. Alexander has published in English
a monograph about Ezekiel LeaMtt's work.
His Hebrew poems express the patriotism
OF the Jewish race. These Lights, AN
Elegy Of Zion, The Voice Of God The
Prophet Gould l Sing and "Of Jesh-
urun's Songs are some Of the titles. The
last has been styled national epopee.
1T reminds us OF B6ranger's SONGS ex-
claims DR.. Alexander
Mr. Leavitt is Zionist. He has written
poem entitled I'VE Shall Not Go to
Uganda" an argument against the pro-
posed Jewish colony in South Africa.
Il love the Russian people; they are good
and kind said Mr.. Leavtt. He sat in tn q lit
tie front room, where whitish light filtered
through the clean curtains, and slipped
a steaming glass of Russian tea. But the
Government is worse than bad. We are
all happier in America for reasons OF eco
nomio freedom. The energy and liberty
here are most grateful to one VIII has lived
In country where censorship interferes
with all journalistic publication, and, there
fore, with the spread Of truth.
The future of literature in Russia is Very
great and this becomes more and more APP
parent, journalistic comment pamphlet
eering. &c. being subject to severe CEN
sure. the lessons in life must be through
the fiction with which the cansor does not
deal. Our movement thus has remark
able literary power, our literature a wonder
full human application.
Il do not believe in writing about tho
revolution. We may expect change in
Russia, but not very soon. Ten or twenty
years. This Is conservative, but / think
know better than many who think IL will
come more quickly. l have watched the
matter from the inside
Many writers and philosophers make
pilgrtmages TO the little white fiat in Broom,
street. Mr.. l. avitts friends include we'll
known professors and learned men. They
also include those who inhab.t that wonder
full garden of strange flowers, the New York
Ghetto, men like Napthali Herr Imber,
the vagabond poet. who is Verlaine,
MurRer and Villon in intention, rolled into
one, besides being orumped min allure
of the type of Disraeli in looks
Strangely enough. 10 crown this list Of
those who look to the young Ezekiel
to help to lift the cloud from his peoples
spirit by his poetry, his dignity. his spiritual
exaltation is William Jennings BRYAN.
who heard OF Mr.. Leavitt from his friend
Tolstoi during the time he spent with the
great Russian follower Of the pale Christ
in Russia.