New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-27
Mfr. Will;am Watson and What His
Friends Haze Done for Him.

The modern poet needs to be protected from
g. friends Writing an introduction for The
gems Of William Watson tJohn Lane Com
,.nza q new collection in two volumes of the
authors complete works. Mr. ]. A. Spender be-
rsus In this wise: For any third person to
stand between theN public and poet OF Mr..
w.t.cn's en1invnce would be en- impertinence
~ which I have no desire to be guilty Mr..
watson Is not eminent poet. At the end of
his introduction Mr.. spender remarks: Il 60
,.xond my strict province when I praise the
no.t In his own book. but I cannot forbear to
express my opinion. for what it is worth, that
IN. work contained In these volumes enriches
English poetry with q contribution OF the high
oct value" In the circumstances we can only
observe that Mr. Speuder's opinion is worthless.
Mr. Watson has not enriched English poetry
with 8 contribution OF the highest value. What
r. has done has been to write a considerable
body Of verse which Is mostly thoughtful, some
times rneIodfous. and on rare occasions charm
ing: but other minor writers could claim TO
have done as much. and there is earthly rea-
son why Mr. Watson any Of his peers should
he set upon pedestal The point would scarcely
ceu for notice if IT were not that his career a
meet offers singularly good illustration of what
bannen. when a mans friends lose their judg-
,nent In applauding him.
When Mr.. Watson published his first volume
he WAS welcomed by fastidious readers for his
seriousness and his good craftsmanship While
they were nationally appraising him some one
discovered that 'FWordsworth's Grave, and In
T,aleham Churchyard," were elegies OF phe-
,oreneI depth and felicity. Other hysterical
gentlemen followed in the wake Of this Column
hus and, as our quotations from Mr. Spender
have shown, there are people who to this day
see Mr. Watson in false perspective Ihis
SORT of thing is to be deplored for two reasons
In the first place 1t does violence to SOUND
traditions of taste and criticism; it obscures IN
unanv minds the importance of recognizing the
difference between the best and the second best
Furthermore, indiscriminate praise inevitably
harms the man upon whom it is lavished. If
Mr. Watson had not been taught by his adula-
tors to take himself too seriously, he would have
left unpublished many OF his lines mediocre
performances i'll calculated to be of interest to
anv one outside his immediate circle Of friends.
Yet he has had il in him to write a lyric like
his ..Ieave-Taking" which have quoted be-
fore but must quote again:
Pass, thou wild light.
Wild light peaks that SO
Grieve TO let so
The day
Lovely thy tarrying. lovely too is night:
Pass thou away
Pass thou wild heart.
Wild heart of youth that still
To STAY dayt
grow TOO old a comrade. let part.
Pass thou away.
>ow why could not the poet have been let
alone to write things like this. and only things
like this? He has achieved other work as good
and has done it often enough to deserve honor
able rank among the minor figures in English
literature But no, his so-caled admirers
must hail him as master, and so he writes his
sonnets and other poems "On Public Affairs
and, like Mr.. kipling in his political rhymes,
presents the sorry spectacle of man laboring
at a task for which he is totally untitled. Here
is specimen Of him In his homogeneous assump
ton of the oracuiar mood:
LA HAUTE PoLITIoUE.
sailed IL fancy by beach of gold,
Toward d golden city like star.
That quivered the morning from affair
TurEets and domes and airy spires untold.
But when neared the marble Quays, behold,
Orai and ordure; lurking Shames. that mar
The hue Of sunlight; Plaques that deadliest are;
And ancient Tribulations manifold.