The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-12
HAPPY HOME.
From the New York Post.

~ lNCE MS ARRIVAL IN tnlS country,
Mr.. Alfred Noyes has had a num-
~ Der of things to say about poetry.
Perhaps it is a sign of his being true
poet that his remarks have not seemed
altogether Ineligible to the average
mind. With few exceptions, poets have
been much more successful in doing than
in explaining their work. Pope could ex-
plain the style of poetry and Wordsworth
had a fundamental doctrine-which he
didn't entirely follow. But the reflec-
tions on poetry by the great run of poets
are illustrated by the deliverances of
Shelley and Swinburne, whose attempts
to catch and describe the essence and
purpose of their art ran easily into inco-
herence. When Mr.. Noyes touches on the
mission of poetry he can do no better
than to quote the words of another poet.
"Give us our gods again" He is much
more at home on the practical side, and
insists that poetry has the right to as
independent a position today as fiction
or any other kind of writing AS to
the direction in which poetry should
move, whether it should be more realistic
or more frankly imaginative. whether, in
it should seek new topics. he has little
to say. Apparently, his main desire is
to rally a large company of fearless
standard bearers. confident of their high
calling and determined to gain proper
recognition.
Mr.. Noyes has seemingly not felt, or
at any rate expressed, the great oppor-
tunty placed before poetry just now.
Two tendencies, In the past quarter of
century, have given literature an un-
wonted trend. In the first place the en-
thusiasm, amounting almost to mania,
for realism, and secondly the great pre-
ponderance of prose, have made the chief
purpose of literature appear to be an
attemptto record the literal facts of life.
The corrective of poetry, which. after all.
is not utterly different from imaginative
prose- has been largely absent. Contrast
the present age with the generation of
Dr. johnson. Then, as now, the novel
and the drama were all important; but
the latter was often poetical, or, when
not, made free use OF lyric interludes;
while the novel, In dealing with emotions,
even with action, employed the sweep
AID exaltation of poetry. The distinction
had not yet come into existence that
fiction is nearer to real life than poetry.
1t was perceived that all imaginative
literature had to make a decided COM
promise with life. Poetry and fiction
went along hand in hand, one drawing
from the other.
We need not go back so far to observe
the same effect. In the novels of Thack-
cray Is to be found the set scene, often
managed at great length, which partakes
to a marked extent of poetic exaggera-
ton. Actual life does not flow In ex-
actly such channels. The conversation fs
contrived SO as to lead up to large
impression, which fundamentally would
today be styled poetic because It Is i'm
itation Of life only at great distance.
As1f realizing the superficial untruth Of
this device, our modern serious novelists
have to a great extent thrown over the
set scene and nave substituted for It. an
almost infinite number of snatches of
conversation connected by psychologixing.
The conversation Is perhaps more natu-
raj than it has ever been before; but as
fiction can never free itself entirely from
the arbitrary, the present method is only
another makeshift. BY the change, the
novel has lost the great visualizing force
of the scene and resultant exaltation
akin to the aim Of poetry. Modern drama
has had to keep the scene, but in 10
many other ways has essayed to intro
duce literal accuracy that 1t, too, has
largely lost the imaginative sweep 1t
once had. Further, the disappearance of
poetical drama, save for Shakespeare.
who is regarded as one apart and not
closely connected with the pressing prob
lens Of our day, has helped to destroy
tho kinship Of the stage with highly Inn
aginative literature.
Modern poetry, by being loyal to old
ideals, could help to restore to literature
in general the traditional place of imag-
ination. What is involved is what Aris-
totle described as Imitation" by which
he meant not a Photographic reproduc-
tion of natural objects or emotions, but
an ability to catch the underlying spirit
and then to reconstruct 1t in such a way
that it should be evident, though not
naked. Poetry, because of its very means
of expression, cannot get so far away
from that doctrine as other forms OF
literature. 1t is bound to deal in super
ficial untruths. No man. even in mo-