The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-07
MOTLEY RETURNS
FROM PARNASSUS

FROM PARNASSUS
AS though the definition Of poetry
were not already difficult enough, some
| modern poets appear TO be endeavoring
TO remake IT, and not to make II any
easier. Parnassus harbors a motley
horde and the Castalian waters hold
strange new elements In General Will
lam Booth Enters Into Heaven and Other
POEMS" by Nicholas Vachel Lindsay
tMitchell Kennerley), the poet IL also
priest and politician; now an anti-saloon
crusader and again full of pagan lines
and loves. here a sociologist. and there
poet Queer stuff is in "Why 1 Voted
the Socialist Ticket" The poet would
have us vote against our human nature,
) Crying to God in all the polling places
To heal our everlasting sinfulness, And
make us sages with TRANSPORTED faces"
In some stage laundering lines ITO the
United states Senate" on its validlfca-
ton in 1911 of the election OF Lorimer
he lays claim to the precious distinction
OF injecting Armageddon into politics.
What will you trading frogs do on day
When Armaseddon thunders through the
when each sad patriot rises. mad with
shame.
His ballot or his musket In his hand7
San Francisco is THE City That VIII
Not Repent" Scoring her days of
sackcloth, Scoring her cleansing fre,"
blowing bubble towers for her fair,
Singing with piercing art, Calling to
ancient Asia. Wooing young Europe's
heart" No wonder young Europe Is shy,
for IL this poet is true prophet terrible
things are still in store for the wicked
metropolis of the Far West. Some OF
Mr.. Lindsay's pieces are really poetic.
He is seldom dull.
British reviewers are at war over AL
fred Noyes's poem for peace. THE Wine
| Press, a Tale of War" (Stokes) This Is
not literature, but a document. satirizing
the well groomed gentlemen in Euro
pean Chancelleries who press a button
and set the machinery OF slaughter go
Ing. and the alleged stolid indifference
Of non-combatant nations TO the suffer-
ings OF the embattled hosts and their
home folks. II is so completely I'M
sparing in its depletion OF the grue-
some scenes of the battlefield that one Is
inclined to suspect II OF having been
composed in an ecstasy OF morbid mag
nation. All OF the English poets very
considerable command Of the apparatus
Of tragedy is exercised in the dramatic
presentation of his theme, "A peasant
soldiers experience IN a Balkan war
AS a galvanizer Of public opinion II may
possibly be- effective, but as poetry 1t Is
not for all Its fire and fury, an add
ton to the treasures " the language
England Is not going the way Of Rome
because "Salome" draws full houses, and
Ministers are not wicked because they
smoke good cigars. In an epilogue. The
Dawn OF Peace" the poets young, no,
soul scolds the wicked old world al
young, hot souls have always done:
Tell us that custom. sioth and fear
Are strong. then name them common
sense!
Tell us that greed rules everywhere
Then dub the lie experience:
Year after year. age after age
Has handed down, through fool and child.
For earth's divinest heritage
The dreams wherein old wisdom smiled.
Distinction Of style marks the create,
part Of Florence Wilkinson Evanss sub
stantial volume OF verse, The Rid,
Home IHoughton MliH.n). but hel
muse exhibits at times want OF chast.
ening self-discpline, Mrs Evans write.
of this city, It's skyscrapcrs and sub
ways, its bridges, shops and factories
and unhappily of its fallen" women
In poems like "Salutation to Russia.
Hands and People" she breaks into
Whitman!a, rugged unrhyined celebra
ton of an ideal democracy Her song,
OF rural regions are slight. but pretty
Her travels in France. Italy and SPAR
are distilled into rich verse. Her charac
terization Of Spanish cities is trenchan
=, --"tawny Toledo" Salamanca, medi
tative wholly; white Cadiz' and pAl
cantara, war broken speare,
on its preclpice. an eagles nest b!
5 chasmed Tagus." Some fantastic phrases
however, creep In To mar the lines, he
etymology Is too often Latin, withou
. gain In sense or beauty. poet Wit
loves life and the world az they are ant
is neither sensational nor metaphysical
in her art, although she can be quite i'm
pressionistic. The Marriage OF Gut
Meth strong reading" tragedy. !!
reprinted with this collection.
A new collection of the poems OF
Richard lie Gall!enne is THE Lionel,
Dancer" Lane). Showers and flowers
years and tears dream deep eyes anc
vernal spheres. music and mystery
faces and feet, roses and butterflies
messages sweet; webs of beauty anc
hearts afire. seasons and paradox anc
desire-that's what poetry's made OF
Mr.. lie Gallienne sings easily and car
sing very sweetly. Can women really
prize highly an endless adulation O
the eternal power" that "weaves III,
marvel OF their hair? Does il thrill
the true woman heart to hear: Though
all the world he filed with snow Anc
fire and cataciysmal storm. I'll cross 4
just to lay my head Upon her bosom
warm? Does 1t fatter the sex to b,
asked to walk strangely, like wilc
, rose, into the room where liGhtnng'
flicker round the poets head and all thu
world seems doom? Is there som,
: subtle charm of poesy in: II crossed
: the orchard, walking home, The risint
!, moon was at my back, The apples an,
" the moonlight fell Together on the rail
a road track? Is 1t kind thus to hal
u an elder brother Of the craft Poe
d Poet of doom, dementa and death"
n The seven o'clock whistle blows. "Ant
:. too turn to sleep once more, A haunted