Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-09

TENDENCIES IN MODERN AMERI-
CAN POETRY. BY Amy Lowell,
author of six French POETS" etc.
New York: The Macmillan Conn
pany.
IN substance, Miss LowelPs book II
a concrete study Of certain gen.
eral conditions which. in combina-
tion. have added. logically. . new
:. form to poetry-jugt as these
same general conditions have changed
the outlook upon painting, music,
architecture. the play and the novel.
modifying the forms Of these arts also.
1t is. moreover. critical comment
upon this new form. upon the art of
free verse" In the clear interest of
the reader Miss Lowell has made use
of a concrete metked of exposition.
enlisting some half.doxsn free versi-
fiers whose life and work are chosen
to show not only the quality Of the
free verse, but to point out. ~ well.
the physical and spiritual sources of
their poetic heritage This group IL
illustrates also certain we1l-marked
stages in the evolution OF the new
poetry. Two Of the half-dozen com
prising this group are still clearly uti-
der the influence of the old poetic con-
ventions. Others are In the midst OF
an out-and-out revolt against thems
While others have passed out OF con-
tention into a new realm of poetic In
sight and interpretation. into a "re-
birth of the spirit of truth and
beauty" This Is an Intelligent and
to turn the skeptical. and even the in-
different, to a serious and open-minded
consideration of such poetry-such
new poetry"-as both David and
G41A kA 1An
toward in their own distant days.
INTERPRErERs AND IsTERPRETA-
TONS. By Carl Van vechten. au.
/ etc. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Mr.. Van vechten has achieved that
which. as a rule. appears to be past ae-
complishmsnt. That is to say, he has
pgpved himself able to be both simple
and interesting upon a subject which,
highly specialized in itself. Is held COM
monty By both artists and critics to the
exclusions Of an unknown tongue. This
is the subject OF music. In q way that is
as informing as II is fresh and informal
he sets certain distinguished singers In
their various operate roles, for the sake
Of estimating the measure In which they
have been able to I'LL these roles, and the
dsGree in which they have fallen short Of
t11.siA- Anu bcst hhoWh VI tHo 1tAi8Sso sls
this group Of eight are Olive FYsnstad.
0SSaldine Farrar ana Mary Garden. with
Yvette Guilhert in class By heFssif.
Sincere. Independent and impersonal. the
writer gives praise and Withholding, Ina
partially. from the standpoint Of the
Sfttsts conception Of any pertieuIaf role,
coupled with the technical and dramatic
power 70 feproducs that role In the .es-
aSpce Of Its original intent. The for
48rd- lookins attitude Of this writer, his
rfppdiatioH Of musical tradition as such,
~ open mind toward such innovations
- are rooted In the soil Of genuine
musical sense-these are the qualities
Which one welcomes here, Just as he re-
sheets the high competency Of Mr. Var
Eechten to write on this subject, and
delights In his refreshing way Of putt
ting what he has to say.
ALsACE-r0aRAINH UHDER GERlGAH
RULE. BY Charles Downer Haxen.
New York: Henry Holt Z Co.
5rhis dramatic story OF Alsaee-I.or.
fame opens with a fact accomplished
mat is, 1t. opens with that article in
- sssssy - FFsaEseFts NAaehssa.