The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-04-25

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VGSy.sza SssNY brought WILDLY
ssssEs5 before Kenoshans
on Tuesday even
ing when Harriet Monroe delivered
her lecture on "The Poetryn of the
Great War; in the main auditorium of
the Park Avenue Methodist Church.
The function was highly successful
from every standpoint. The attend
ance was very gratifying, music and
oratory were alike inspiring, and as a
consequence the atmosphere was vi
brartly charged with loyalty and win
the-war resolution. Incidentally the
receipts from the lecture will make
possible the purchase of a Liberty
bond by the Alpha Omicron Club in
addition to the satisfaction of know
ing that they have brought cultural
innovation to Kenosha.
Preceding Miss Monroes lecture,
Mrs. F. Fl. Truax sang "The Marsel-
laise," "Your Flag and Ny Flag"
and "Laddie in Khaki. - The num-
bers were tragically appropriate and
were interpreted with a technique
and charm typical of the artistry
of Mrs. Truax.
Introduced by Earl Marl"tt, Miss
Monroe began her lecture with dis
cussion of the part of poetry in the
world-drama of war. With apt allu-
sions she showed how bards in all ages
had fostered the romance of war and
clothed the institution with a glamor
that had made it fascinating and con-
sequently righteous in the eyes of both
participants and their supporters. She
also insinuaetd that the same genius
directed into other channels would
eventually bring the abolition of war
either through the present conflict or the
peace campaign which win follow it.
Thereafter she presented review of
the best poetry of the Great War in
classes including the poetry of appeal,
the poetry of moods, and the poetry of
elegy, hope, and heroism.
In the first group special attention
was given to Kipling s invective against
the Hun fendishly hammering Sat
the gate" of civilization and freedom.
Well introduced and well read, the
poem was highly impressive and ex-
planned to a certain extent why Rud-
yard Kipling has been so long the pop
ular laureate of the British empire.
Robert w. Services "War, War,
War; was also interpreted ultra
effectively and served to confirm the
spirit of patriotism already developed
by Miss Monroe's comment and Mr..
Kipling's classic.
The treatment of the poetry of
moods was especially masterful. Sc
Letting songs showing the horror, the
hope, and the humor Of war, Miss Mon
roe introduced the work of the great
est and best of the poet-patriots both
| American and English,
| Conspicuous among these offerings
were the poems of Baker Brownell re-
Gently published in "Poetry" and the
weird fantasies of Haniel Long sched-
uled for early appearance in the same
magazine. The selections plead for de-
votion to the cause in order that the
dead lying somewhere between Cam
brai and the Asiago might not com
plain forever eve have died in vain
we have died in vain"
Equally inspiring were Miss Mon
roe's readings of Wilfred Gibson $
'fPoems of Battle, = with their moving
pictures of death and tragic comedy,
and of her own artistic treatment of
the problem of war in poem en-
titled "On the PORCH
/ In the realm of elegiac poetry Ru-
pert Brooke received the most atten-
ton. Miss Monroe described S'the
great lovers visit to the "Poetry'
offices in Chicago and thereafter read
| the famous tsSonnets'' first published
in America by her magazine. They
concluded with the immortal song be-
ginning eff I should die say only this
of me-there is one corner of a foreign
field that IS forever England and
so provided a fittinr finale for lecture
on "The Greatest Poetry Of the Great
est War;