The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-05-10
NECESSITY FOR POETS
Nothing More important For Each
Land, Says James Bryce.
BIG CALL FOR A PLAYWRIGHT.
Never In Worlds History Was There
Such Opportunity For Great Drama
tis<, Declares Annbass sador--Two Con-
tinents Pant For Great Plays.

Sucn opportunity FoF 1Fcdt DTdUd.
tist. Declares Arbass sador-Two Con-
tinsnts Pant For Great Plays.
"Who are your coming poets? That
Is the question for you. Who are stir
ring Your heart, or isn't your heart be-
ing stirred? Nothing Is more impor-
tant than that each land should have
Its own poets"
Thus James Bryce, the British am
bassador, made reply to a question
about Englahd's coming singers, says
a Washington correspondent Of the
New York Times. Conversation had
arisen over the recent celebration of
Swinburne's SEVENTEEN birthday, and
tho ambassador had recalled how when
an Undergraduate at Oxford the poet
was one OF q little band which met to
re0d favorite authors and discuss them
over tea and toast. Thomas II. Green,
John Nichol, 7. u. Holland, Henry
Nottleship, Walter Pater and George
Blrkbeck Hill wero members OF that
group, and to them Swinburne intro
duced the works of Robert Browning.
The ambassador was asked who In
England were destined to take up the
mantle OF Tennys0n and Browning
aud Swinburne, and he quickly applied
the question to America.
"Who are our coming poets In Eng
land7 One ought to have watched the
horizon more carefully and constantly
than I can claim to have done before
yenturinR to answer. William Wat
son7 Yes, finished artist, q man OF
heart, OF righteous ideals and the an-
thor OF delightful and inspiring verse.
"But who are yoursf That is the
question for you. Who are writing
your songs and stirring your heart, or
isn't your heart being stfrred7 Moth
ing Is more important than that each
generation and each land should have
It's own poets. Each oncoming tide OF
life, each age, requires and needs men
OF lofty thought who shall dream and
sing for it, who shall gather up Its
tendencies and formulate Its Ideals
and voice its spirit, proclaiming Its du-
Ties and awakening tn enthusiasm
through the high authority OF the poet
and the art Of his verSa
~Any generntion Ii indeed bereft
among whom poetic inspiration might
seem to be dying out However much
we enjoy and prize the old singers,
new ones are needed to express the
ever changing attitude OF man to na-
turo and life. There arc immortal
themes, but changing accents and al
tering modes Of art
'sNo, I should not be prepared to say
that the great fact that generation Is
without great poets Is an evidence that
there Is no poetical possibility (no pur-
pose one might say) In the life 1t leads
I would not thus asperse, for instance,
the middle Of the eighteenth century
And many other generations and cen
turtles have not had the highest among
poets or musicians or painters. 1t does
not follow at all that there Is no song
because the bird is not there to sing 1t
There are times OF brooding and time:
Of labor.
"In this matter we are In the pres
ence of one Of the great mysteries o
nature. There seems to be little con
nection between the demand for genius
and Its appearance. Genius Is wont Z
Aash forth not only In the inauspiciou
place, but In the unprovocative time
At oil events, the needs Of the age d
not always succeed In evoking tn
answering response Of genius. Man,
q Trojan war has been without
Homer.
"rs there really any ground for tn
view OF history which declares tina
great occasions create great men G
meet them? The French revolution
didn't produce first rate mnn-hadn'
one to show after Mirabeau died Qf, In
deed, he was first rate) till Napoleon
appeared.
.aTake the case Of the drama. Their
you have one Of the most puzxling phe
nomena OF tho age. Never was ther
a greater call for great dramatis
than there is today. Think Of 1t, tw
continents are painting for great plays
A quarter OF century ago few din
" lighted playhouses In more or les
inconspicuous quarters were resorte
to by small audiences OF people OF III
tie influence. Playgoers were, IN fac
looked upon nskance by not a few VII
cultivated strict responsibility. Sue
was the state of the matter In Londol
I dare say also In New York. In tn
provinces here and In England prii
responsibility was, Of course, AYERS
from admitting any merit In the dram
ana offered little but discouragemel
10 the actor and the playwright.
slow have the times changed! NOV
adays brilliantly lighted playhouses o
cupy the best sites and stretch bloc
after block, while night after night Il
streets are inpassably thronged VIII
professions Of people crowding to pa
high prices for the privilege OF WI
Messing sometimes far from exceilel
performances.
"Think OF the vast sums poured o.
for the support OF the theater. ThiI
Of the audience which waits upon u
playwright today. Never In the world
history was there anything like it-ne
O.. Would It not have been expect'
that the opportunity for dramati
would produce one Of the first magl
tude7 It has failed to do 90. am .
competent to discuss the modern pla