The San Francisco call., 1910-10-02
OF THE SUNDAY CALL
First Poetry for Autumn

First Poetry for Autumn"
The poetry for the autumn season
Is :ust coming in and this week
brings three nttIe volumes to the re-
viewing desk Taken in the order OF
merit. the FIRST is entitled sun Ways
of Song" and consists OF collection
OF all sorts of verse by A1onzo L.
enthusiastic word OF Introduction for
the little book. but even without his
words to point the way we should
still have seen the beauty In "A Dead
Bee:
Within the golden liIy's scented bei1
The bold freebooter Hes No royal king
Has couch more splendid Folded in bis wing
From further conquest down the sunny dell
His shining shield beside him where he fell.
Reflects no more the CLINT OF 1ourneying;
No more among the roses will ne sing.
Nor in the meadow lands at nOontide dwell
He's dead-this is the only thing we say
And proftleSs his busy summer task;
million others al the suns fair ray:
So when /. too. have toiled and passed swav.
win Nature smile behind her fearless mask-
other selections chosen by Charles
Major are When Baby Died" The
Other. Life and Come, Go a Piece
and they. viii appeal to all The sad
sweetness Of the last one brings tears
TO the eyes. rare thing in this cyni-
cal old world today.
There are many more than hun
dred of these dainty little poems.
some Of which have appeared in maya e.
zines in America and England. (Sher d..
man, French & Co, Boston. SO
THE Border of the Lake" BY Agnes
Lee. is the second book TO demand at
tention and contains much work of the
first excellence. Most OF these have
appeared In magazines also but are
decidedly worth rescuing from that
oblivion. A little one entitled The
waif'' is quoted. not because 1t is bet
ter than the others. but it shows the
authors style and ability:
7 met thresdbare waif below the town.
Sad were his eyes. and from his dusty coat
Pebbles that had been kisses decked his throat
He held cup. and listlessly and slow
Drank wine. as who had no joy thereof
And when I asked his name. he answered low:
Love" <.-.-'-. s.: ....s
1t is scarcely fair to give but one
sample of this poets work when some
are so gay and charming. A dainty
little bit is entitled The Sign: s.:.:.
Her smiling is the sun for me
Though I. her eyes the rain aoods dwell
=. For /. who know her heart so we'll
r. Through loves divining.-
Can see the sudden sign. can see, $50
Like 70 gold swept amethyst ~ - 49,:
Adown the sunlight and the mist =
Loves rainbow shining. - +: ~.
: (sherman. French e. Co.. Boston. So.
:. !. The only" thing adnnirable about the
third. book "a Golden :. Fancy and
: other Poems ~ IS THAT the young au-.
thor Henry Dunnont, has an intense
and very" evident: sincere admiration
for George Sterling and his work.-Fhe
book is dedicated to- him. and the hrst
two poems, both 1ong. are written upon
lines from Sterling s#Work X. * Golden
(. Fancy" ii s the, title. % the .hrst.: and
the line of SterlinSss clp>.sa- is . r. 'ancyss.
:carveI seeks @an. isle: afar9+ # he poem
is rather involved and a hurried read
ing IS nots sufficient to grasp It, Ehe.
second poem. THE Vision. of d city is.
simpler Sterling's line. ITO each the
city of his dream" is the text for that,
and the peom which follows. is full of
beautiful lines and fdealized visions.
The poet Is generous. for he contrib
utes a lot OF sonnets, quatrafnS and
lyrics, among tn latter one Ito George
Sterling which. considering so. much
has been said of him.. we .quote* -
Long ocean sands thy passing keels have strewn
with lustrous gems. from islands far away.
Which shake their splendid. hues- on wave. and
dune. =; .'-. = r.:
And set jeweled pathway through the spray;
And we who love to wander on the shore. -
OF Songs great sea. shall treasure every stone
Upon the strand precious, priceless ore
Washed from some barque of dreams to. sea
ward blown. E.. 80: =
While the book contains many. noble
efforts and some charming nness one
is conscious OF the strain II has been
on the author TO construct: these. poems.
The machinery IS = seen and heard
throughout. and the pleasure ,of.read-
ing destroyed They create. the Inn
preston that the author is still young.
so when he has worked OF some OF
his stilted affectations he. may do some
really good work For there Is some
real gold in the book: (ChappIe pub
fishing company. Boston.l ..-.