University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-03-12


sons is rapidly going out Of date. Tt
emphasize this change of attitude, and
to show that this subject is related
to the practical issues of life, is one
aim of the new book, THE Making ol
Poetry" by DIR. A. ii. r. Fairchild, as
sistant professor of English in the
University.
The book is to help show" says
Doctor Fairchild," that there is a
change in viewpoint from the exclusive
intellectual attitude which science en-
phasizes, to the side of the sensibili-
ties. 1t is also TO show that poetry is
not something apart from every day
life, that as an art it is as indispens-
able to the mind as food is to the body
"a biological necessity"
Doctor Fairchild had been collecting
the material for, and developing this
book several years. Parts of it he had
previously used in class work here.
Part he prepared while in England.
However, / didn't do much writing
there" he said Il was too busy see
ing things" The book was not in
tended primarily for text book. but it
is now used in some classes here.
\ large number of quotations from
familiar English poems are found in
the book These Doctor Fairchild
wrote entirely from memory as he
was preparing his first manuscript.
Later he looked them up to see if they
were correct. Some OF the quotations,
he says, he had never seen printed but
"raked up the dust of old oblivion, to
quote from memory" Among these
are his poetical rules for the use of
the dative and some of the nursery
rhymes.
Wide Range Of Quotation.
These quotations range over all
stages of poetry. Speaking of this,
Doctor Fairchild said: The book
represents my attitude toward a con-
sistent view of poetry as a whole from
primitive man down. Many books at
tempt to show a poets method through
this is candid and frank
analysis of what makes poetry" This
attitude Doctor Fairchild thinks is
best expressed in a review of the book
in the Nation. This says:
Primarily, the book is candid and
attempt to analyze ex-
actly why poetry has been SO enjoy
able to him, and why his enjoyment of
poetry has been so evidently good for
him. His conclusion is admirable
Poetry, he finds, is for human life at
its widest and deepest, a biological
necessity; for it is in poetry more than
in anything else, that man finds the
finest possibilities of self-realizatiOn.
Everyone in whom that most artificial
Of acquired tastes, dislike for poetry,
has not won to mastery, will agree
with this; but not everyone can ex-
hibit it as the result of a coherent
and logical train of reasoning, as Doc
tor Fairchild does"
The book has been widely reviewed
both in England and in the United
States. THE English reviews espec-
ially ,poap n oraot daal tD mo coil
Doctor Fairchild, "as they all come
from men of recognized ability"
Among. the English periodicals which
review the book the Literary
World and the Guardian.
Many personal letters from auth
Ors and critics, expressing approval
Of his work, have been sent to Doctor
Fairchild. One of these is from Bliss
Perry, professor of English at Har-
ward. He says in part:
May l express to you the pleasure
have had in reading your book on
The Making of Poetry should be on
me to be one of the most thoughtful
and really Illuminating discussions OF
his subject in recent years. / hope
he volume will be widely read, and
hat you will have the satisfaction of
knowing that it has proved helpful
and stimulating to many persons"
DIR. E. A. Allen, emeritus professor
Of English of the University, said in an
address at Assembly recently:
Doctor Fairchild's stimulating book,
The Making of Poetry should be on
he shelves or study table of every
students in the College of Arts and
From an Oxford Professor.
ID. Nichol Smith of Oxford Univer-
sity, author of Goldsmith's Reader in
English, says in letter:
Il am very glad to have your MAX
ng of Poetry 1t recalls an evening
IN this room now more than three
Years ago, but the chief pleasure is to
ind that you have been able to carry
Tour heavy task to SO happy a con-
.luSiOn Ac yar have only d;ppad