The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-08
WANTED-A HOMER

Who is to be the Homer Of the present war? Some poet
must tell the story to make it live. The historian does well,
but his work is transtory and it passes. The lapidary, who
carves his words in marble or granite, does we'll, but his work
IS local Only the poet can reach the universal car and cnthrall
Every age and every people without a poet die the death.
As Pope tersely puts it:
I'm vain the chiefs, the sagc's pride;
They had no poet and they died"
This war is the greatest war that ever was on earth. Com
pared to it the siege OF Troy was only a skirmish by patrols.
And yet the greatest epic OF the ages was written about it,
When Helen OF Sparta, pursuing her habit of running away
from her husband with other men, eloped With Paris, to avenge
the wrong Greece united and made war on Troy. Thus one
boob husband brought on this great tragedy.
1t IL said to have lasted ten years, and finally the topless
towers OF lhum tell to the ground, victims of the flames.
In selecting the dramats pcrsonae, not so much difficulty
may be found as might be expected. Any Of the severe critics
OF Wilson can assume the role Of Thcrsites. BRYAN, properly
petticoated, would serve as Cassandra, and while we have had no
Achilles sulking in his tent, Foch has been as cunning and as
resourceful as Ulysses, Pcrshng would make a very good
Hector, Kitchener Hectors friend, and all the way along we
may be able to find counterparts for the heroes OF old. The
Had and the Odyssey are supposed to have been composed by
Homer, but he never wrote a line of either. He hummed and
narangued and sung them for nine centuries before Christ, and
he was no Caruso, but they were not reduced to writing until
Pisistratus, the Athenan, undertook the task more than five
centuries after Christ,
We do not yet know how many Helcns and lphigenias
were involved in the present war, but poetic license will enable
the modern Homer to invent them il they did not exist.
AS the world turns on, in the lathe of time. the Kaleidoscope
shows the same combination Of designs and forms as appeared
IN the past The same emotions, pains and penalties are with.
us today, and will forever be. The modern Homer has 4 greater
opportunity than did "thc blind old man Of Scios lonely isle
because the actuahties have o~utstripped the supernatural
machinery used in his day, Men are as courageous. noble and
loyal as they were then, and machinery has outstrippcd the
dreams OF the poets.
One ~rapid-f fire gun would have defeated either the 1roi.r ~
the Grecian army. One proecilc carrying 1000 mounds ~
dynamite would have reduced the towers OF Troy and ended
the drama. "a
What the times demand is usually forthcoming, and these
times and this war demand a Homer to record them IN "tbonnbts
that breathe and words that burn" Who will he bc .mI I lug lshss
nation will have the honor of producing him? We must h,v.
him lest 1t be said OF Us as OF other vanished and {nrr,t.on
peoples-"they had no poet and they died" ~
Switzerland is in danger OF becoming a scrap beap Fvsr,
king that is thrown into the discard goes there II the rseI.sss
queens and Jacks, ten-spots and deuces and all the TRAININGS %
monarchy follow suit the country will be filled I'D with usel.ss
plumber. "N'
Every woman hates a lie, but she becomes amiahly t,1or,n+
when 1t IS uttered in praise OF her own beauty.
Y lie didn't honer or make much noise. but Col I'D Hons.
was there or Whereabouts.
The greatest phylactery against financial pancs is Me Adoo
keep him on the job.
Lest we forget: Foch said the word, but it was Wilson,