Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-11-16

mark OF literature.
Books that appeal only to the intellect,
that gives US knowledge only, are SCI
ence. they are not literature. More
over. emotion is the preseryatiye, per-
nanent quality in literature. The only
truths of human nature that are abid-
ng are those rooted in feeling. Theo-
ries vanish. PHILOSOPHERS are dissolved
by fuller knowledge even theolog1es
change and grow; but the human
heart. the Fundamental emotions, these
remain with little change. And there
is no better test of the spiritual health
Of any age than the depth and sanity
of these emotions to which 1T makes
most frequent and most effective APP
peal in its literature and art. And
here it Is that an examination OF
poetry becomes especially significant.
For, without making any attempt at
a. careful definition of poetry, we shall
agree that poetry is pre-emlneatly the
language of emotion and imagination.
The rank and value of, any poetry.
therefore, will depend directly upon the
quality OF the emotions it expresses
and the quality of the poetry will in
turn afford pretty good test of the
sanity and yigor of the age.
Let us look for such test at con-
temporary. American poetry. At first
glance we might be tempted to say,
there isn't any American poetry.
Within the last Is years. since the
6ECdl NlClOI1thu RO6lS -HSUlt we nave
certainly had writers whose work,
measured by such standards as / have
mentioned, entities Them to be deemed
very genuine poets. But of these poets
three died years ago, and Of the two
stin living, the younger is, I think,
SO years of age.
.e-.. Some Genuine Poets.
There are, however, some genuine
contemporary poets, poets who have
begun their career within the last five
years, some of them within the last
year They have discovered along
with various individual differences,
they have common purpose, and
common protest.; a purpose to found
a new school of poetry, protest
against the conventions of subject and
Of manner that have hampered older
poets. The art of poetry, says one of
them, as it Is practiced in America
today, is in very backward state.
1t is Americas opportunity to
lay the foundations for a new flower
ing Of English verse, and to lay them
as broad as they are strong.
If 1 have spoken at PERHAPS undue
length upon this new movement in
American poetry, it is not so much
Importance, but because it indicates
some tendencies in all our literature
today. II what have been saying is
not mistaken, our prose literature is
lacking in the element of reflection. Is
becoming a literature of fact rather
than of truth and both our poetry and
prose are lacking in the power of APP
peal to deep and serious human emo
ton. -
Age of Science, Not Philosophy.
We live in an: age of science; not Of
philosophy; in an age of automobiles,
faeroplanes, wireless telegraphy and a
thousand and one applications of ma
tAri11 fnrCAz aEarV6av life Won
cannot get away. nowadays, on land
or ocean, from the insurgent clamor of
the work and warfare of men. Another
characteristic of our age Is the rest
progress We are impatient of 2conven-
tons, of the established. We are con-
WINGED that we Hive in an age of tran
sition. For with all our boosted pro-
gress we do not seem to arrive, we
do not seem to make much real ad-
vance. We look on today in terror
and In sympathy upon the most aw-
full and needless warfare ever waged
upon this globe. Right here at home
we see that our economic and govern
mental problems are growing more
and more complex, our society no long
err simple, but rather full of varied
and seemingly conflicting interests. We
are all of US convinced that this is
a period of social movement and we
are rather proud to think so; but the
movement seems thus far anything but
united and definite. Now l repeat that
would not ,deprecate the interest In
various plans for social reform and
advance; they are, take it, evidence
that we are not SO eT1grossed in com
mercial pursuits and ambitions as oul
critics sometimes allege. 81 f~
Not the Soil for Great Literature.
But 1 will say that this temper
which spends itself in detailed effort
For gfr1ar
and there, that delegates most of its
active benevolent work to- organiza-
tions and wfthdraws attentions from
the deeper. spiritual life Of the indi-
yfduai n1an-this, ] say, is never the
temper out Of which we may ex-
pect a great or vigorous literature te
grow. You can make great literature
out OF love and grief. out Of virtue
and sin, Of hope and despair, Of pur-
ity and passion. of honor and faith
ana endurance and truth. but you can
not make great literature out of Gu
genics or sanitary regulations, or the
relation between chastity and the
eight hour day. Out of such material
you can at best make only. studies
studies which usually afford excellent
opportunity for begging the question
Deep Human Interests.
II we examine literary history we
shall find that as a rule. the great
VOVAS NAYS appeared IN pSIlOQS Wnen
the minds and hearts Of people, GER
tainiy OF the leaders OF the peoples
thought and feeling have been deeply
moved by some large human interests
Take the Victorian period OF English
literature, for example No one can
read the poetry. of Tenpyson and
Browning and Arnold, the prose OF
Carlyle and Ruskin and Newman, OF
OF Thackery, Dickens, George Eliot,
Without perceiving that these writer's,
however different their beliefs and
opinions. were oil stirred by that great
wave of interest IN all deeper human
questions, religious and social. which
swept over England between 1880 and
1880 The Same is true Of our New
Eneiand literature OF the same period.
an surc you will not understaad
me Co imply In ell that have been
sayang that literature IL of necessity
the most important product Of a ma
ton. On the contrary, Some literature
10 of very little Importance. We have
nothing but amused indifference OF
contempt for the little diletante who
assures You tiaak 10 make a pretty
sonnet In O greater thing than 70 make
an oeean steaEastip, What say In
that tho man who writes really inn
peftant books Will realise and srabody
the tAou9itt OF the age In its IarEer
and more permanent human FelatieAsi
they will appeal 10 the dominant eEna-
tiffia -