Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-19
INDIAN LEGENDS
A REVIEW
BY James WynkOOp

To he clear and delightful with your
words in Just the right place ana III
such a wav as to make the most mar
nonv among the numbers and TO naNe
intense. sincere thought upon supJecl'
| IS il would seem, the better method ~
| pursue in the production OF Poe's y .
| There is much verse that talls nat AoI
want of words in the rlghl place, t;lI aHu
| there is many a metered composlIloll
| narfect in construction but lacking that
feeIing which some call passion put
which is nothing more than sincerity
| intensified. .,- ,,..,,,.,,
INDIAN Legends and Other Poems
! Is the title of a book ust pupllsned ny
the Salem Press for Hantord Lennon
Gordon, the venerable Minnesota PUe,, 5T,eig
who now lives in Los Angeles. inns
volume of 400 pages represents Ihe
dream hours of man who has lived a
| long and useful life among men ana IS
his final collection, although some uI
the poems have already been publlshed.
In such a large book one must eXpect
TO find weak links, but the poet MAKES
his quaint apology in preface lllat @
saws of these verses: They are my
chicks and [ will not disoWn them
The Indian poems all treat OF the
legends of the Indians in the early
northwest where now is situated tie
e+ates of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Mr.. Gordon has lived among the lhulah
tribes of which he writes and in root-
notes recites history and heretofore IN
Dublished data concerning the PIC
tureSque race IIldl Is last Ne'iii4-'-9
| from America.
Among the legends are the Feast OF
+he Virgins" "Winona," 1.-The Legend
of the Falls" and 1.-The Sea Gull" Each
of these poems is narrative in style
and of different meter. The several
meters of Longfellow are used, but the
"Feast of the Virgins" is written IN
verse not usually found IN lndlan poe
try. For example:
proud1v she turned from the silent brave,
| And went her way; but the warriors eyes
They flashed with the flame Of sudden @ nre;
| Like the lights that CLEAN in the sacred
When the black night covers the autumn
skies -
And the stars from their welkin watch re-
tire.
Tho noetrv of Mr.. Gordon covers a
wide range of thought and traVel anu anu
! he sings the song of an experienced
hand and heart. Pauline" the longest
noem in the collection, is a war time
! ballad in which is woven a pretty love
! story. Two Hungarian legends have
| also found their way into this book. a
| number Of rousing war poems, poems OIL
| n humorous vein and personal poemS'
| together with llle ItBHllhS' lieiNC GIL ~
teresting collection and book ht Tor
the best library.
Here is what this poet says Of poetry:
Who sings for fame the Muses. may disown;
Who sings for gold will sing an idle song;
| Rut he who sings because sweet music springs
! Tnbidden from his heart and Warbles long,
| MAY haply touch another heart unknown.
There is sweeter poetry in the hearts OF men
! Than ever poet wrote or minstrel sung,
! For words are clumsy wings for burning
thought;
tongue,
| And silence is more eloquent than song,
! When tender souls are wrung by grief or
shameful wrong.
Elision finds no place in Mr.. Gordon s
noetrv. He seems content with whole
! words and is strong In expression
through the able command of simple
! language; and he uses words that we
speak today, not those that limp with
! old age.
The book can be had from the secre-
tary of the Minnesota Historical so
ciety, St. Paul. Gndian Legends and
Other Poems, $1,50).