New-York tribune., 1919-06-22
Whitman
And His .
''Song''

New 4ork Globe" by Charles n
Isaacson, who writes:
"There is scarcely a poem Of An,
consequence in Leaves Of Grass, hv.
has its reference to music so- :.
seems as though the good rrav n.s.
viewed all things and all ideas :,
musical way.
"He did not write poetry, he s.rst
He does not say I write poem =
is I sing He carols, he sincs fo,tN
song, hymn, a dirge. a symphopv,
madrigal. with additional sonr,'
every spring will strike up additional
songs. My recitatives, to sing with
the birds, warble for joy.'
"'Oh, trumpeter, methinks am NM
sels the instrument thou playest.' ii
declares in metaphor; and INTRODUCED
poem. First of songs for a prelud.
lightly strike the loud tympanum.' A.
another time he says that he is "A
dance, play up there, the fit is wbir,.
ing me fast He begs you to listsn
to his mornings 'Romanza.' Thu
orchestra whirls him wider than
Uranus flies.' I hear the chorus. n
is grand opera. All, this is indeed
music; this suits me- =
He Really Kne,c =
"Few writers have known more a
the literature of music and could taIk
so knowingly Of instruments, singers
symphonies and the operas. At timss
he sounds like professional musician.
He talks of the pure contralto,' the
trained soprano The tenor ia 1arrs
and fresh, the orbic fex Of his mouth
is pouring and filling me- He ssys
Sing on there, singer, bashful and ten.
der,' though his plea is to the bird
He knows of the Egyptian harp Of
many strings; there is for him the
tongue of violins, the tremulous organ
harps' cantabile, the shriIl flageolets
the martial clang of the cymbals, the
Hebrew Tyre, the tinkling guitars, the
clattering castanets He knows Of the
music of an aroused people in eWilliam
Tell Meyerbeer's tHuguenots,' The
Prophet and Robert Gounod's Faust
and Mozart's Don Juan He has
heard the vast concourses of verses
in Rossini's 'Stabat Mater the passion.
ate 'Agnus Del and Gloria in Excel
SIS He loves the symphonies and
oratorios of Beethoven.
Handel, Haydn-the Creation II
billows of godhead laves him. He sees
Norma of Bellini stalking across the
stage; poor crazed Lucia's eyes have
an unnatural gleam. He had known
Ernani walking the bridal garden,
Amina has sung to him, Fernando's
heart is breaking. The history Of
music is at his finger tips-all the
chansons of France, Scotch tunes, Ger.
man airs, Irish ballads, jigs, and
dances. He sings of the religious
dances old and new, the Crusaders
marching, the dervishes endlessly
chanting, the wild Corybantian dances,
the primitive chants of the Nile boat.
men, the sacred imperial hymns Of
China. He speaks of mnnesingers,
gleemen, troubadours, Welsh harpers.
He sees the modern Greeks dancing.
He is able to discuss TIE fretting
twang of the vina. He mentions AL
boni, the teeming lady, Venus con-
tralto.
But he is greater music lover; for
he hears his music not only In ths
concert hall and at the opera, but out
of doors and everywhere. What great
er work is there in all literature than
Proud music of the storm? Here he'
apostrophizes the chords of nature,
serenades of phantoms, bravuras Of
birds, the musical rain, undertone OF
rivers, measured sea surf, twittering
fowl, Growing cock at dawn. There are
minstrels latent on the praifie-
Shrouded bards of other lands may
sleep, they have done their work Sci.
ence, ships, politics, cities, factories,
are like grand procession with
music of distant bugles pouring, tri'
umphantly moving The violoncello -
the young mans heart complaint
There is the musical clear call of sun
rise and sunset
EUeryichere
"Music is always around him; he
moved not only by the music, but byln
exquisite meanings. A Transparent
bass is shuddering lusciously throuss
and under the universe. A soprano {"
daybreak sails buoyantly over ths
waves. There is singer in the pnF
on, there is a singer in the asylum
There is music for all and eyerF
where.
Have you read that lovely song
The Mystic Trumpeter,' who recalls al
the worlds history and prophesies sh
the coming greatness?
And among musical prophets whoS
greater than Whitman? In his story
Of the American to be he makes spec
ciaI provision in every city for musie
house. 1t was the Whitman at CaS'
den who foreshadowed all that burH
of communal singing which is spreas.
ing across the continent when ne ss'o
with prophetic vision, i see Ameries
singing
"Therc are the singing of mechanics
carpenters singing as they measure the
plank, the masons singing at work, tae