The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-17
MEATS ~ GERMANY
And the Influence Of the English Roman
tielsts on Modern Thought.

1t ~ always said that Byron is more
admired by foreigners than by English
men, says the London Times apropos the
influence OF Keats on the new romantic
school OF German poetry. Just because
they cannot detect the lack Of verbal
magic IN his poetry
Indeed. Swinburns Contanded that
his verse il improved when Il il turned
into good foreign prose But any trans
lation, one would think. must rub the
bloom on the hest 81 Keats poetry, and
without that bloom what would remain
What are the ideas which the new roman
tic poets ~ Germany find valuable in
Keats?
In his poetry We find besides mot ION,
which ~ expressed in his verbal magic.
not IDEAS so much as AN attitud. toward
life lie - the most unworldly Of poets.
the one who revolts most passionately
against the notion that life IL all "A matter
Of pounds sh,Ilings aud pence In one
respect he is further removed from the
ordinary man Of business even than
Shelley. IN that he does not rebel against
what W" call the practical view Of things
but ignores n
Now IN Germany the practical view
~ things has been for some generations
embraced with an ardor unknown in
England because It - new to Germans
In IA. past Germans were always re-
gardad ~ the most romantic and senti-
mental ~ races
They were converted from this santi-
m-nt and romance mainly perhaps
hy their suferings under Napoleon The
results II their conversion were first
fully revealed m IN" war Of 1870 Since
then they have been practical in all
departments ~ life with a systematic
enthusiasm unknown IN practical Eng
land
but this practical ardor Of theirs was
sure To provoke a reaction. and u - only !
natural that the reaCtionaries should I
turn for their inspiration to the English
rebels against the practical view 81 things
For modern English literature ~ full Of
such rsl.lhons. Just because the practical
view ~ general aud Of long standing .
William Blake was the first great rehal .
against the Triumphant common sense of
the eighteenth century. and his writings /
are now. We believe. beginning 10 he stu
died ~ Germany heats did not rebel
formally. rather IN his works he rep
resented "a state ~ being freed from all /
material interests and expressed a series
Of PASSIONS perfectly disIntereSted
Ia him they were real passions. and
their reality - what makes his foetrv as
strang" and vivid ~ noonli ght II Is
worth noticing that the two other writer's
mentioned bv Prof Siep-r col Munich
I nver-tvI were both ardent admirers
~ Heats They preached directly thai
u which Heats indirectly p"rsuades Us
the enormous value ~ beauty 10 the life
uf man Ru-k IN. h"caus" Of his way
wardn.Ss. his frequent errors on matters
~ fact his sometimes interruptions sen I
has lost much ~ his inhu-
enC- m England
We are ~ familiar with hum that We
forget how many momentous things he
aid for IN" first time But IN Germany.
M doubt his whole view Of life - still
unfamiliar for the Germans have lust
STAINED To that general state ~ opinion
against which he rehelled fercalv ~
England There II the same novelty for
hem m his IDEAS a. there was a genera
ton ago IN the IDEAS against which he
protested For rs he ~ Just becoming
Did fashioned hut for them he IN a young
crying out against the
1ere-ies 81 Yesterday. exposing the fall
acies that are still everywher" trium-
chant
In Germany CONTINUES the article
u regard To- William Morris they see
lim from further "A and they So, tn"
most thorough. systematic and inspired
'sDsl against what he would have called
he prevailing devil worship - the world
For them the politician. N. trade-man.
b" archaeological rs,IvalIsi are all lost
n the poet and prophet
We can bv an effort ~ Imagination
hoW different j. the ideal
tat" d.-'rii-ad m News From Nowhere
rom the ideal state - NE. Pan German, !
md when ws haN" done tins Ne can form /
ons notion ~ the significance which .
News From Nowhere must have for a I
ierinan sho cannot ace th" millennium
u Pan Herman ideals
In England Morris IN m CpuhIr' with
he lack ~ deals. with a merely hand Z
- mouth notion - lfe In Germany
ls must seem 20 he ~ gar with a con {
ray IDEAL. with all that p'incipl.d and q
vs'ematIc mater alism which has made
he success ~ modern Germany Per
aps ia MnrrI-s poetry and IN his vision.
nv and controversial prose the German
ears IN" long suppressed voices II his
~ past and remembers ono" more m" Z
lei Germany full ~ Legends and dreams .
nd dlsiu'er.stad wonder :
Morris tries To 'Dll ~ how 80 recrea'. \
world such A. thai He tries some :
fould saw to pat the clock hack Ru'
hat - logging the whole pusstiou u. I
-ould argue that W. and the modern A
i"rmAns have merely pu' the clock ont L
{ order They are the last paopl" in tho
'orld "" should expect 80 listen 10 him. =.
~ Prot Siep.r tells us they are lis
h.s -. -. g.