The Washington herald., 1915-11-01
Literature and War.
~ JOHN d. BARRY.

ycrgence OF opinion. W., u. HoweHs says that
war stops literature and the English poet Alfred
Moves, thinks that the war of 1914 will lead to a
literary rensscence 81 believe there already
signs of very deep stirring" says Ida Tarbel. eft
has been long since the artist has had material
for such fundamental dealing with life as that
which is being laid before him this very day."
1t does not follow, however that the deep still
may lead to literary poverty. As result of the
anguish and depletion of the warning nations,
there may be years OF rather silent reeuperating
Much of the writing the war, thus far has
been of transient kind, and much has been done
By those not directly associated with the warning
nations. Our own writers have had great deal
to say; some of their comments in prose and in
verse have been hysterical and some have been
fine.
The belief that stops literature rests on
an idea that is fundamentally true Literature be-
longs among the Injuries OF life. In periods OF
stress nations likely to concern themselves
less with luxuries than with necessaries. 1t is,
as rule, out of abundance, out Of accumulation
and excess, that literature draws steady encour-
agement. And yet, some of the greatest literature
in the world has voiced the cry of need. Where
the heart speaks there lies the strongest appeal:
but in order to speak in literary FORM in order to
reach the world, the heart, as rule. has to find
the opportunity and the cultur- that result from
the arts that thrive in peace.
War, it should be remembered is a mighty
and terrible diversion. During its progress life
itself becomes much more interesting and dra-
matte and thrilling than those expressions OF life
to seem anaemic. Moreover, in the period of ex-
haustion, recovery is secured through the prosecu
tton of activities that have little or association
with imaginative writing.
Then, too, in a war, a vast amount of talent
is sacrificed talent that has already expressed it.
self and talent that, under encouragement, might
have been led to expression.
The poverty that springs from is not ma
terial alone. 1t is intellectual WELL and spirit
ual, and moral 1t represents loss in forces that
absolutely essential in the stimulation of lit
erary endeavor.
Nevertheless, in some aspects, war seems like
a glorious moral crusade. Through every
ring nation there runs a fervor not unlike
turn to the earlier outpourings OF faith. peo-
pie torn with petty competitions, developing out
OF meanness of spirit and showing itself in
thoughts and ambitions suddenly become en-
! nobled In some OF its most unovely aspects
| competition disappears altogether before the
spirit OF cooperation. People who would not
have thought of speaking to another before
fraternize. Feelings, apparently non-existent, at
fectionate and generous rise out OF the depths of
the national consciousness Side by side
as tesynS to the orfe OF the
gether in groups for the purpose OF aiding the
sick and the wounded and for sending comfort
to the men in the ranks. The common interests
and affections reveal themselves. not as monoto-
nous, but as intense All life becomes enhanced
and catches something of the romantic glow.
Even from the devastation, in the widespread
death, there rises the spirit of beauty. The wan
ton sacrifice of life makes life SEEM of all gifts
the most precious.
From all this splendor. this TRANSMISSION OF the
lcommonpIace into excitement and glory it would
seem if there must be the stuff that makes
great literature But great literature it should be
borne in mind, does not deal merely with the pic
lures on the surface, with the empty rattle of
the foreground" 1t inteTprets those deeper mean
ings that lie far beneath the surface. 1t makes
men think about the philosophy of living. In this
sense it is essentially constructive.
Till now we have had very little literature of
this kind, dealing with war. Tostoy's War and
Peace, mastery it is, is only promise
| of something greater yet to come Then the de
usions OF war so beautiful and so inspiring, shall
be shown up in their real character, as forces for
good that, by pride and vanity and egotism and
the lust OF conquest, are converted INTO forces
for evil.
| One weakness betrayed by writers dealing with
war is consciousness OF the subjects overpow-
ering splendor So often writers feel that this
thing or that thing in life cannot be described be-
attempt to describe it they sometimes fall into
the weakness OF becoming hysterical, always
fatal mistake OF all the poems written by Walt
Whitman, Captain, My Captain" seems to ME to
be the poorest though it is one frequently quoted
with praise. 1t shows effort to play up to big
subject 1t lacks the lusty spontaneity and the
| simplicity that gave Whitman much OF his ele-
mental power.
| The literature on war that has been most ef
fective has relied manly on suggestion. 1t has
dealt with definite aspects that have expressed
wars animatng spirit Some OF the best writing
thus far, about the has come from letters
written in the trenches intimate little pictures of
incidents and that carry into the heart OF
the situation. Among the books that have ap
peared one of the shortest and of the best
| is from Fritz Kreisler. He makes see what
| he has himself seen by means of calm vision
kept clear by sturdy character and yet colored
| by the temperament Of poet.
! Whether any really triumphant work OF art
like WAR and Peace" will come directly out OF
this war is questionable. If it comes at all, it
may come years after the wars end, when time
has brought perspective. Meanwhile shall
have abundant opportunities Of getting at the war
bit by bit, from widely varying points of view.
Thus far very little in the way of literature has
come out of our civil war which, as moral
struggle, was far interesting than the pres
ent conflict. gross in its beginning. with the de-
! Tense of Belgium its only inspiring feature.
"The Commcmoration Ode" to be sure, overtop-
ped all the other poetry written about it and made
a lasting contribution, associated with the fame
of one of Americas greatest poets. And thirty
years later a young writer leaped into notice with
! a short novel that made the civil wal startling
" real "A Red Badge of Courage" II Stephen
/ Crane had been spared he might now be in the
! full maturity of his genius ready to meet op-
portunity that is calling to the writers of the
world for an epic worthy of the present cataclysm
which yrha else NAV be said for IL is an