New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-16
Distinguished English Poet
Guest of a Hundred at
Hotel Aston.
AMY LOWELL'S PIC
BAYS AT THE MOON
Louis Untermeyer Burlesques
Verse of Honor Guest.
Noyes and Masters.

You did no. have 70 be poet last
night 20 realize that the fable OF the
starveling rhymster living on crusts in
his garrett has long ago passed into an
tiquity. At least q hundred Of them
dined and talked from s until ~ o'clock
in the grand ballroom Of the Hotel
Astor in honor Of John Maseheld' the
English poet, surrounded By some I'VE
hundred writer's Of plain prose and or
binary people who could not -artieu-
late sweet sounds together to save
their souls. Eleven Of the immortals
sat on the platform in full view OF
their admirers, attired In admiral
swallow tailed coats and evening gowns
and appearing dissppOintingly Ordi-
nary except for one or two home
e-row, poets whose hair was beyond
the legal length.
Reside DR.. Talcot williams, the
postmaster. who, whenever ne rose TO
sneak. uttered prose that might very
well have been blank verse, sat John
Waseheld. the guest Of honor, and Amy
Lowell. the prophet % the new poetry
Alfred Moves. Gale Young Rice, Edwin
Narkham-labelled by the speaker as
the Poet Of Democracy; Louis Inter
never and Laurence Houseman arose
from the banquet board and quoted
verse. usually their own, or oat'ieo
with Amy Lowell as 20 the significance
or utter insignihcsnce Of vers HIRE.
Kisses for Miss Lowell
Alfred Noyes was the first poet in
troduced By the POSTMASTER. he read
his Lord Of Misrule." and & very Ap-
,-onr;ste choice il was, since Amy
lowell sat al his left, and ~ was nea
remarks on the poetry OF tne lu'.to
that east the apple OF dlscord lhtV W
midst of what might otherwise nav
been q most harmonious love reaSI %
we'll FED and happy poets. MISS 70"
eli prefaced her remarks oy ASKING Iol
Kisses from the audience, since sac
US anDarently unable 20 speak WIN
ont the inspiration Of hostile gamer
no She got them and continued 70
berate the verse Of the past 70 the lN''
satisfaction OF everybody.
CsIe Young Rice had been CHOSEN 20
combat with the priestess OF vers llore'
brt every other speaker except Lau-
~s1cs Houseman wandered sooner or
ister into tho fray. Mr.. Housemah
read two beautiful lyrics Of his famous
brother. A. Z. Housemsn. The issI'
"The Oueen Of Air and Darkness ne
said had been found, written In pencll,
Nth the body Of his nephew, Wno WAS
Tiled on the battlefield OF Flanders.
fo-,is Vntermeyer had written se'-
a-aI side-splitting burlesQues on the
stvIe of Amy Lowell, thus adding M
a,sic,h, "a the battle. and on the verse
~ John Masefeld and Alfred NoyeS;
Tla ers. was a most pathetic ballad
aboyt TON. Tom, the pipers SON. was
Forrteen when he took 70 fun' II
mich the poet strained several laws
20 verse and made wrists rhyme WIN
sn4recists. and which wound up WIZ
the melancholy sentiment, why shouiu
7 he drunken slob, when there's sal
vation in Job?'
Purple Pig Bays.
ANY Lowell received her just dues m
g noern which contained the remarkable
lines. And in the grass the purple pig
baved az the vhimpering moon. lhere
vas also a burlesque OF Edgar Lee
Masters spoon River Anthology ana
an explosive parody Of NichoIas
Y Lindsay's style, which bore no titIe'
but which frequently repeated the mar
monious lines, Bang, bang, pop!
During this part OF the banquet
Love ard solitary waiter, who STOOD
hack 20 Ny. hntermeyer's chair, seemed
10 be looking about for an exit. d,
However. aside from the occasional
outbursts Of humor, the poets were IN
: very serious frame OF mind. In the
est Mace. John Masefield was leaving
.ben and. in the second. there was not
one OF them who did not recognize tnst
u was principally on those gathered -
tho hall that the responsibility OF the
Continuance Of the traditions OF Anglo
Ssyon verse was laid. There was not
note Of disagreement with Dr. VIII
iarns's dictum that the strange sl!enoe
that had fallen over the poetry OF the
race az the beginning OF the century
had been broken az last. A nation
he said. Elves only In its poets: me
dinner az the Astor given for them Dy
the Civic Forum is at least PROOF tha'
there is one nation that does not IN
tend 70 starve its poets TO death.
Az the speakers table were John
Talcott Williams. Jessie B. Kitten
house, Percy Mackaye, Mrs. Josephine
Dodye Daskem Bacon, Edwin Markham
Amv Lowell. Louis Untermeyer' Gaze
Young Rice, Laurence Houseman, Al
fred Moves and MsseAeld. Among
the other guests OF the Civic Forum
we're many artists. writers and well
known society people.