The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-09-12
ENCLAND'S new
POET LAUREATE
NOT POPULAR
His Poems Written for Appre
citation of Highly Educated
Minority "
MANY OF BEST WORKS
PRIVATELY CIRCULATED
Indifferent to Public Applause,
He Writes Only For Joy
In Work

LONDON. Sept. 1l.-When the TO
rort that Robert Bridges had been APP
pointed poet laureate Of England was
cabled across the ocean, there were
many Americans, some OF them en-
thusiastic readers of verse, who then
learned his name for the first time.
Some Of Mr. Bridges works are.
by their very nature, shut out from
the possibility OF popularity For ex-
ample. We never expect to ind
among the best sellers the Latin
poem Carmen Eelegiacum de Noso-
conf Soti Bartholomew Londinensis.'
Then. too. many Of his best poems
have been printed privately at the
press of his friend, Mr.. Daniel, OF
Worcester college and circulated only
among collectors Of rare books and
personal acQuaintapces OF Mr.
Bridges. Recently, however, there
has come from the Oxford university
press a handsome and inexpensive
volume of hts lyrics. entitled "Poeti-
cal Works of Robert Bridges" and
this book has enlarged the circle OF
his admirers In England and Amer
lea. In that admirable series called
The Poets and the Poetry OF the
Nineteenth Century" published by +.
p. Dutton q Co.. one volume fs
Robert Bridges and Contemporary
Poets" Here are to be found many
OF his best poems. lyric and dramatic.
and an excellent biographical and
critical sketch by DR.. Herbert War
L.. hnt NJ
following information concerning his
life Is taken.
Although he Is seldom called DIR.
Bridges" this poet, like Keats. has
studied medicine. Unlike Keats,
hover, s.ssAA Nike two American pe-
cts. .a.l,H' sxysfaeli Homes v
DR.. Weir Mitchell. he persisted in lis
studies and gained distinguished
place In his profession.
Robert Bridges IL So years old. hav-
ing been born In 1874. He comes Of
a distinguished English family, be-
ing the son of John Bridges OF st.
Nicholas, and Walmer In Kent. and q
kinsman of the Rev. Thomas Edward
Bridges. d. D., who was from 1923
to 1S43 president Of Corpus Christi
college, Oxford. At Elton, and later
at Oxford. Mr.. Bridges was noted for
his scholarship, but he found time
TO distinguish himself In athletics.
He was an enthusiastic crlcketer and
oarsman. In 1867 he was placed In
the second class In the final school
of literae humaniores. After leaving
the university he spent a number OF
years In foreign travel. familiarizing
- IN n.
Englishman, with life on the CONT
nent and in the far east
Studies Medicine.
On his return to London he became
q student OF medicine at st. Bartholo-
news hospital. receiving, In due
course, the degree Of M. B., at Ok
ford. He then began the practice Of
his profession, being regularly at
tached to the stan Of st. Bartholo-
news hospital and OF the Children's
hospital In Great OrmOnde-st. Re-
firing from practice in 1882 he mar
ried and left London for his beauti-
full rural estate at Yattendon In Berk-
shire. Since that time he has de-
voted himself exclusively to litera-
ture, and practically to, poetry.
II may be that one OF the reasons
for the smallness of the company Of
Mr.. Bridges admirers 10 his devotion
to the most technical and abstruse
problems of versecraft His book
Millions Prosody' published by the
Oxford University Press) Is, in the
words Of DR.. Herbert Warren In
Robert Bridges and Contemporary