New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-16
DIR MODERN POETS
AND THEIR MESSAGE
Form and Substance-Alfred Noyess Song Against War
Stephen Phillips Then and Now-Louls
Untermeyers Spirit and Art.

age poetry had seemed 10 be all bound
I'D in the collected works OF unim-
peachable classics. Kipling. OF course,
we had. but Kipling was a thing apart:
he did not even try TO carry on the
main line of the poetic, tradition. Mr.
Stephen Phillips very certainly did
try-and 1t was largely by the mere
fact OF his trying that his laurels were
won. To our mind there is strong
presumption that il the people who
are always barking back to the
"Paolo and Francesca" period would
take down even "Paolo and Francesca"
itself and read Il they would find Il
now Just what we find these Lyrics
and Dramas"-very respectable crafts
manship, very respectable sentiments
and complete lack OF inspiration. II
is only fair TO add that there are three
poems in the Observation-Disclosures
Loves Tranquility" and THE English
Sabbath"-which are so good that
standing alone, they would put our
condescension TO shame; but most OF
them seem to rest on the assumption
that the ornament of smooth and
fairly pleasing verses is sufficient to
make the most commonplace thought
presentable.
II verse serves some poets as cloak
for commonplace, it serves others as
cloak for obscurity. Professor Wood
berry's obscurity, where there is OBJ
security (for some OF his poems are
altogether free from it, is an essential
defect. one has the feeling. not merely
that the poet has not expressed his
thought exactly. but that the thought
itself was vague-so vague that man
} Of Professor Woodberry's intellect
would not Though, of course, any num-
Der of other men would have risked
setting it forth in prose
Even in the metaphysical poems
however, there is a certain grandeur
and considerable beauty. The first
stanza Of 1.-The Riding will indicate
their quality:
said to my young soul riding,
Thou shalt not await the hour,
Though 10 strength IN thy arm o.
Though thy virtue hath put forth no
flower.
And life be all thy having.
And only hope thy dover:
Courage will iy from thy laggard breast
Till thy sword be out and thy lance IN
rest.
And ever the deed that man does best
Is deed beyond his power
But Mr.. Woodberry seems 10 us at his
best in certain comparatively simple
verses-"The Dirge," the sonnets
Fame" and "Peary's Sledge' THE
ReveIer." and above all ITO an Ionian
Boy" a poem from which we should
quote were it not so difficult to stop
short of quoting the whole.
/ Like Mr.. Noyes in The Wine Press
Mr.. Untermeyer is argumentative, COM
bative, full of ideas, which he is intent
upon conveying. He is imbued with the
modern spirit of social revolt, but ne
/ does not lose his head in il. Every one
of his poems in that vein has an un-
/ DERIVING structure of vigorous and well
| knit thought. And, except for Mase'
/ field and Noyes, we know no other poet
of late years in whom is so strikingy
revealed the magic power of rhythm
/ and rhyme to set thought on IRE. Mt
/ Untermeyer's danger lies in his facility
as a craftsman. In come OF the love
poems 1--WE have in mind particularly
some in his earlier book but We are re-
minded of them by "Invocation') this
facility gets the better of him, and ne
may fairly be called sentimental But
in general he has restraint and dignity
as well as passion. The finest Of the
poems, we think. are "A Birthday
The Great Carousal." The Shell u
/ the Pearl" and this Prayer:
God. though this life is but a wrath.
Although we know not what We use
Although we grope with little faith,
Give me the heart TO highland lose.
Ever insuIgent let me be.
Make me more daring than devout;
From sleek contentment keep me free
And fiji me with a buoyant DOUBT
. Open my eyes to visions grit
/ With beauty. and with wonder 1T
But let me always see the dirt
And all that spawn and die In II
] open my ears TO music. let
Me thrill with springs first flutes ana
drums
But never let me dare forget
The bitter ballads Of the slums.
From compromise and things half done
Keep me, with stern and stuooo'n
pride;
And when. at last. the fight is won.
God, keep me still unsausted.
Mr.. Arensburg attains at his best
certain measure Of distinction. ou'
much OF his work shows the marks OF
a hard struggle between thought ahs
sense, from which neither comes ow
unscathed.