Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-02
OUR OWN CONDENSED CLASSICS
"pm Forever Blowing Bubbles"

TNHE verses of this magnificent song, ten
L der'and appealing as they are, may be
omitted in any rigorous condensation, as
their message is adequately summed up and
crystallized in the poignant chorus. which
seems to be intended by the author to SYM
boize the dark and drenching futility of
human existence. What could be more pa
thetic, after ali. than the collapse of an
irdescent bubble. spun from the soapsuds
of dreams and colored by the rosy blush of
hope? Our learned condensing specialist
also wishes to point out that this poem Is
undoubtedly intended as an. allegory sug-
gesting the downfall of Bolshevsm. Bub-
bes. he says. imply soap; soap means
soE,. box in the background; and a bubble
is spherical tlmy envelope of liquid in
closing gas or heated air, which, when un-
duly distended, fractures and is irretriev-
ably dispersed. Condensation, he adds, is
necessarily fatal to any bubble: If the air
within the envelope .condenses, the weight
of the liquid breaks the supporting film and
the end of that bubble is immediate. Rarely
have the grandeur and serenity of this ditty
been surpassed in contemporary folk song,
which may be met upon almost every human
lip.
THE first line of the chorus juts boldly
- into the tneme. 1 lie duOuyliOus NoCdi~
ist asserts with refreshing candor that his
entire career is spent in blowing bubbles.
This statement is made without any reserve.
Nv the use of the word forever. he imAhe
diateIy shuts out all other occupations,
whether active or sedentary. from his atten-
ton This concentration, so rare in modern
life. is enough to rvet the attention from
the start. This preliminary note of def
mite and possibly cynical decisiveness is re-
CURED to again later, becoming the unifying
motif of the whole composition
rNHE rapid development of the authors
| theme does not permit us to remain in
| doubt as to the character-of these bubbles.
| The blower hastily explains that the
! blowces (the bubbles) are of an enchanting
| beauty They are (as he describes them
| with quaint inversion) Pretty bubbles
| bright and fair. ~ There is a note OF appear
| in this apparent artessness that emphasizes
| the nastoral and lyric tone of the ballad.
| Swiftly the author carries us to realm Of
| powerful imagination. These bubbles. after
| he has blown them, ascend to an elevated
| region Of bIithe fantasy. up in the sky,
| they fly so high" he says. The heart of
| the reader Tor hearerl follows after them,
| exharated. This is one of the most stir
| ring portions of the narrative. and leads one
| on unSuspectingly to the hrst cilmax.
| The high flying bubbles do not maintain
their altitude. Suddenly, with almost crush
ing power. note of unrelieved sadness is
| introduced into the plot. The unfortunate
bubbles fade and die. That, of itself. would
be a sufficient tragedy to engross the sympa-
thy of the public. But the downfall of
human ambition is made complete by the
admirably terse and bitter parallel drawn
by the author. Like my dreams, he says
they fade and die" Not only are the
bubbles shattered, but his own dreams and
sweet illusions are withered and defunct.
The melody. rising to mourning note of
piercing grief, reaches its tonic summit of
despair,
WITH superb art and brusque economy of
w means the author brings us back to the
refrain. He realizes that human endurance
cannot long support this peak load OF sor +.
row. He drops back to the familiar and
haunting theme, and asserts again that he
is forever blowing bubbles. This statement
is now viyidly enhanced by our knowledge OF
the sad fate in store for these bubbles. The
mood of resignation, so valuable from the
philosophic standpoint. is thus induced In
spite of the fact that these bubbles are
doomed TO destruction, he continues TO in :
fate them. Is this cynicism, or Is y praise