New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-05
POEMS A BANK TO MOVES
Briton Makes EN- Pay, Hence
Dresses as a Banker"
NO "COMMERCIAL PERSON"
Not Inconsistent with Dignity
to Think a Bit About Price,
Says Writer.

| Alfred Moves. who ears his living writ
ing poetry-and good poetry. II his stand
ard OF living may be taken a. q criterion
! explained Yesterday TO the Poetry So
! ciety how Inc is able to dress like a
! banker" a. some reporter had recorded
when Mr. Noyes arrived hers week or
SO ago from England.
! The remark as TO his sartoral fitness
was most displeasing 10 Mr. Noycs. and
ever since he read the newspaper that
| day after he came ashore he has been
! seeking some means Of putting himself
straight with the American public II
was useless to appeal TO the newspapers.
He did dress like banker-there was no
getting around that--and he was bccom-
Ing desperate when the Poetry Society
| invited him Ia luncheon at the National
Arts club
Before thank you ior the touching
reception which You have given me.
said Nj. Noyes. II have few personal
explanations 10 make I'm the first place.
II YOU have read the newspapers you will
have seen that / dress like banker
that ] make my poetry pay. and YOU will
doubtless think me Il very commercial
person.
But my position is merely this that
see no reason why poetry should be
placed on a different footing than any OF
the other arts Take painting. for IN
stance II is not deemed inconsistent with
the dignity of q painter 10 think 4 bit
! about the price which mis- picture VIII
bring An other view o. the work Of
poetry has led to lot OF humoue in tho
past, and viii n the future.
Another quite misleading statement
which has appeared IN the newspapers Is
that have been passing Judgment on
yOur American poets. and placing them
IN the order OF their sequence. ! assure
you that never adopted such an atti-
tude and I trust that YOU will not he
lieve II. even II you see it IN the news
papers"
Nj, Moves spoke OF his reasons for
tribute To his wife who f.. daughter Of
tho late Colonel y G. Daniels, Or the
? United States army
1T Is your country" he said that. in
very personal sense made ny home In
England complete. ] am not visiting II
az q stranger but a. son-in-lsw.
Tributes were paid 10 Mr. Noyes
genius by Henry Mills Alden. editor o.
"Harpcrs Magazine Edwin Markham,
George sylvester Vicreck Witter Bynncr
and r. j. Whccler. editor o. Current
Opinion" a3d president 81 the society.
Nj Byuncr. exp0Inding the theory that
honesty H. the best poetry" ciassed
Noyes with James Whitcomb Riley. Rob
eri W Service and John Masefcld as
honest poets worthy OF their salt. The
theme led MIN 10 the composition or this
little parody on Gclou Burgess.
never saw q uonet making pot.
never hoIed 90 see ore
Bee 7 tout care hoy NAM ~ toI er'r lf.
10 give q Got 20 n one
Others At thc luncheon were Mrs Flor
cnco Earl Coates. Mrs Douglas Robin
son Miss Anna Hampstead Branch.
Charles Hanson Townc. Charles Buxton
Going. William : Woods Albert Bge-
low Paine William Huntington Wright.
Miss Sara Tcasdale. Arthur Guitermar.
Dr. Francis Rol, Wheeler. Mrs Simeon
Ford Miss Jessie y. Rittenhousc and
Mrs Ines Putnam. Letters o. regret
from Robert Underwood Johnson, William
Dean HoWclls Percy Mackayc and VIII
lam Winter were read BY the secretary.
Joyce kilmer.