The sun., 1919-10-17
LORD DUNSANY SEES
POETRY EVEN IN N. Y.
Convinced of 1t When He Spies
W0olwOrth Building, He
Says in Lecture.
HAS KIND WORDS FOR POE
Ideals Beneath Hard Headed
Business Mems Rush-Ad-
vises Young Poets.

The dream countries OF his writings.
MY Own Lands" was the announced
subject of Lord Dunsany's lecture at
Aeolan Hall yesterday, his first lecture
in America, but he took time from tho
strange and fascinating places OF his
maginings and from his remembrances
of his boyhood to make many gracious
illusions to America.
do not suppose that ! walk blind
fold among you that because I am from
England and ireland I do not see the
romance of your city" he said al
FIRST, 1 admit, / was little troubled
by the geometric precision Of the streets
and buildings-but then saw the WOOL
worth tower, and l knew that poetry
dwelt among you. l saw 1t In the
evening. looming up like mountain
with invisible base, an incredible precl-
pice lifting inscrutable beacons to the
sky. ard l thought that l had seldom
seen anything so wonderful
The speaker put an American poe,
high among those on whom he touched
as having Influenced him-Edgar Allan
Poe--and quoted "Annabel Lee" as n
haunting piece of idealism. Ideals. he
said. were what no nation could live
without.
zone man makes bricks. another
houses, another chairs--why should not
some men make ideals? Looking at the
rush of daily life 1t sometimes seems
that there Is no room for ideals. but
there is. The most hard headed busi-
ness man has the urge at times to 60
away to the sea. to the woods, and II
is not alone a holiday for the body that
he seeks. Whether he knows II or not
he must also have holiday for the
spirit"
Lord Dunsany said that he began late
MS n poet: he was 23 when he began
to write. He added:
Think what Keats had done at %
perhaps had lyric periods before
that age; things passed through my
head. but I did not write them. I an
| not, in fact. a writing man. / write
| only when the desire IL imperative &c
leave the active concerns of life, tht
hunting and shooting and so on, anc
| take to my pen. l write very fast
usually finishing a tale or play In 6
| sitting, and | put down names OF coun'
| tries and people as they come, withou
changing them. I believe II Is best fol-
| a young poet to begin with imagination
| and let the technique come, instead o
waiting to gain command of the trick
of the trade"
| The writer's of this later time. Lore
| Dunsany said, inevitably must be lessee
men than their forerunners. They can
not help being Influenced by those VIII,
have preceded them. have never copiet
nybody, never: but unconsciously on,
| is Influenced.
IT have not read many books. Blu
there are a few that stand out as thos
that have helped to make me. Tn
/ Bible of course everybody reads, and tn
majesty OF its language is not cqualle'
even in Shakespeare.
THE first books ! ever read, the frs
that came after tales that were told IN
by my elders. were Grimm and Ander
sen. 1 read them In summer twilight
by the open window, and I think m,
parents could hardly have done bette
for me than to give me these tale
'0--' h poets
Om-r khayyam. he said. he ono
knew by heart-'in the days when tn
only books that were beautifully boun
were Omar and Christmas presenta
ton volumes" He gave humorous &C
counts OF his days at school, which
entered after sessions with the cram
mer, who taught him how ito make tn
examinator believe / knew things l di
not know"
Lord Dunsany closed with the hear
felt wish that his country and our
would always remain las close In feelin
as they are now" He gave his lectur
IN n charmingly informal way, like
nice boy who is a bit overwhelmed /
the cordial greeting that is tendere
him, who has much to say and is Jul
hit bashful about saying 1t. Thel
was a large and sympathetic audienoe.