New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-23
THE SEASONS SONGS
More Verse from the Modern
Singers


THE UNDERSTANDING HILLS AND OTHER
POEMS T. Livingston Ludlow J. ode Up ~
ltl DoId. Mead Co
HART SONGS AND HOME SONGS. By DENIS
A Mccarthy. 20. IT. 10. Lite. Brown TO-
THE QUEST By John G. N-chafdt. 20 1i ISL
The Macmillan Company
There is neither accomplish nor
marked promise in Livingston Ludio."
Biddle. who would seem from his BOOK,
"Tbe understanding Hills" 10 be very
Young. if we may Judge from over
seriousness. under sincerity. and really
nothing in particular present TO De
sincere o. serious about As poet OF
trivial Heine-like things without any
such marked individuality as IS % be
expected). some Of his little poems
have a pleasing youthfulness lwithou,
youths passion. wlnsOmeness. ana
mildly haunting wistfulness. 10 Ohe
Beloved" "rO One Away "A Spring
Idyll," early November" TO Those
Who Vigil Keep" "To a Violet and
"The Story Of a Rose" show, in gen
tral. his. and youths, best subjects.
Such poems as these have certain
value and we should like to. later, see
more mature things from Nj. Biddlc
of equal delicacy and. yet, or greater
significance. Also more such sound.
and visions as and throaty boom OF
frogs" and "the sun about TO close ils
cleaning gates Of Furnished gold
Heart Songs &ld Home Songs IS.
At least count-for we have two VOL
umes by the same author listed at the
back Of this volume Dennis A. NC
Carthv's third book. il the preceding
Volumes Of verse we're as undiatlneliVe
as this one proves 10 be, and if the%
should be.-Mr. Mccarthy shouldn't
bv this time. mind what We may say.
Pearse. McDonagh. Plunkett and SIR
Roger Easement we're such merry spirits
rs needed 70 be eXtineulshed. ms
book is timely reminder that even
Irishmen are not all twangers OF
worthwhile harp. The first half OF Mr.
McCarthy's haipng is on patriotic
and occasional" themes largely. and
makes poor music. But the last nan
contains more moving, even u some
what worn out. tunes. We are forced
at last "to give mild ear: Thirty
Years After" "The Leprechaun. The
Little Town o. Carrick." Living Out,
"St. Brgd." and THE Cnildher' are
almost good enough 20 be worthwhile
even in the overcrowded field OF lrish
verse. and 10 make US wish that the
preachy things included had not clut-
tered up the book
Coming from a poet a. well known
and as much heraided as John 6. Nei-
hardt, The Quest is a slightly dlsap-
pointing book. There IS scarcely q
Surprisingly good poem in It's hundred
and eighty pages unless we except
Morning Glories,' which appeared
back i'm Mr. Braithwaites Anthology
for 1919
THE Quest" is in four divisions:
a Bundle Of Myrrh." a Vision OF
Woman" "The Stranger a, the Gate
and The Poets Town" which may be
SAID generally to celebrate the periods
Of youth. love. parenthood and actual
life. "A Bundle of Myrrh" is made up
Of the same songs all young poets not
anemic sing. This sections two most
interesting. even IL possibly very
crudest. poems are two little love
tributes IN free verse, The WItless
Musician" and The Sound My Spirit
Calls YOU" beginning
would knew some SLOW. soft sound
to call you:
Some slow. soft syllable that should
lnger on the lip
As loath 20 pass, because Of It's own
sweetness.
In these poems Is the early. tender
passion Of youth worshippinG az
white fame. and boldly drinking IN the
white beauty for which it searches
everywhere At moments Mr.. Nei,
hardt's susceptibility to the beautiful
approaches that of writers beyond our
shores. where beauty has until re-
Gently seemed somehow q bit more
dclcately sensitive 10 the poets needs
10 Judge from his tributes back 70 her.
Of say) Gustaf Froding and Gustavo
Adolfo Becquer and Remy DE Gour-
mont. OF Sweden and Spain and France.
when purple mornings blossom into
gold" The charm Of night Divinely
lonesome with the changing moons,
and And | shal hear the robin
through the fall and in the snow in
commenoration of summer OF love
INST ending. he is singing)-are brief
examples Of this poor poet o. poems