The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-11-05
POLITICAL WORK OF
JOHN 81.

u ffcaiHhHaoS uSOAAC1 VI Nf0
Literary Group Ia New York
City.
Fy II. II. PEcKHAN. North Carolina
4. & N. College.
In an article On "Present-D Day
American Poetry" In the July num-
Der Of the South Atlantic Q~asrter1y.
I spoke OF John Hall Wheeaock as
n OF the most promising Of our
younger poets Lot me add here
that ia my opinion our literary hts |
tory affords few examples OF bards
who at Mr.. Wheelock's age have
spoken with 81 much insight and
fresh vigor as he shows.
Mr.. Wheeiock's advent Is so recent
taAs 1t Will DO we'll to give Review
readers q formal Introduction to him.
lie was born On Long Island In 1885.
ana spent most of his carly years In
me vicinity Of New York. He did
mas undergraduate work ct Harvard.
takins his baccalaureate degree fn
1908. During his student DAYS he
wrote verses which elected very
favorable comment from the late VII
,,a"a Vaughn Moody. and at gradua-
49, 81 NAAO OAA VI DC1IE NiaS0
Poet. After leaving Harvard he
t''died abroad. at the universities OF
t'ertin n Goettingen. Since his re-
turn from Germany in 1910. he has
been a member Of the liter
airy group OF New York. During the
past two years he has contributed
a numoer OF poems to such magazines
AS Scribner's, the Forum,
n the American.
Mr.. WheelOck'a chief claim 10 a
prominent place in present-day let
ters lies, I think, in the freshness and
Significance OF his message. The only
book which he has yet published,
The Human Fantasy,"s is not only
absolutely different from any other
book which has appeared recently,
but 1t treats a rather common human
experience with q frank fearleSsneSs
and a penetration decidedly uncom-
mon.
1t cannot be claimed that Mr.
WheeiOck does any new thing when
he chooses for his setting the city in
stead Of h country; for during the
last decade the tendency mou u
younger singers has been to desert
the daisied fields. gurgling brooks,
and trilling birds, for the looming
towers and noisy canyons, the blare
and fare, Of the city. But Mr..
Wheelock treats the subject from q
fresh viewpoint. penetrating beneath
tho surface Of things. To him the
great town Is not a mere Wonderland
Of lights and gaiety, or the lair Of
Temptations; 1t is not q mere "harsh,
heart-wesrying roar" OF the dwelling
place Of Opportunity: it is rather a
place full OF comedies and tragedies.
neither more nor less significant per-
haps than those Of the simpler COM
munities, but different.
TO return to 1.-THE Human Fantasy"
It is a love-story SO commonplace
frequently in real life than on the
az of q romance. l can best set
forth the outline OF the a by quot
ing from the authors prologue:
$50 it appears that he fell in love
with her,-a little shop-girl. l be-
lieve she was, and a Roman Catholic,
pretty, Jolly, impetuous. and foolish
tawdry and absurd enough. Well, II
was but a boy and girl affair In the
End. very youthful and unworldly
very silly as many would say. The
were both exceedingly young. and the
in~toxication and whirl Of a grea1
city,-the now environment and ALL
undoubtedly played their part. I'M
mature is the word for It,
yet. even so. how 1t could havt
happened I can't imagine, G. being
the unreal and complicated sort or {
ghost that he is. always with his nos
in a book. or imagining some tanca'
full thing; the last sort OF person tina
you would picture in any real hesf
and blood romance, and so common
place q at that. .
Granted that it was but 8 fascina
ton and q case Of 'calf-lOve,' 1T wa!
enough to prevent him from sullyinl
her. in n way. on a night "nel
they had abandoned themselves u
one instinct. passionate n I'M
petuous in both. This was the nisn
before the day set for his departur'
from the city and when he knew tina
ne should probably not see her again
Light little bird that she was, i.
doubt if she could understand M
feelings and. they say. has rapldi
forgotten him. not without q certal
disgust very justiiiable. 1t IS oette
so. in any case"
.'Tho Human Fantasy thong