Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-11-13
CARL .SANDBURG A FORCE .&
TO BE RECKONED WITH
But II Is Yet to Be Shown Whether He Has Justified the
Reputation of the Muses. and the Denial of the Graces
BY FELIX e. sCHELLING
by rCIlA u.
Professor OF English Literature I
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Professor Of English Literature I
T HAVE tried to read Carl Sandburg's
L new book, "Smokc and Steel" with
out predispositions and prejudiccy. Il
have tried to forget the laws and rules
OF the arts. l have put aside prosody
as inapplicable, rhetoric as supcrfuous,
grammar and the deft usagcs of cult
waited speech as impcrtincnt, and hope
that / have achieved an honest detach-
ment. Some of us are born rebels. We
are not content to walk In the steps Of
| other men we want our own ways, and
II is our right. Some of us find In ac-
cepted art, as in accepted science,
chains of the past; In the accepted
usages of men, chains of the present.
And We throw overheard likewise the
accepted explanations of much In life.
for example, and In religion, lest we
forge chains once more for the future.
The intellectual rebel, the rebel In art,
is n fascinating figure wherever we meet
him. Marlowe blaspheming. not high
heaven, as we used to be taught, but
the orthodoxy Of his age, which is not
ously shocking Mrs. Grundy; Walt
whitman, glorious breaker Of images,
plaster, bisque, bronze and marble
these are some of the refreshing rebels oil
literature.
TNHE rebel may be a Prometheus and
L bring down the fire of heaven for
the good Of men and not mcrel ly upon
his own devoted head or the rebel may
be only a naughty boy who won't wash
his face and go to school. Do not
jump at conclusions, dear reader have
not classified Mr.. Sandburg yet, and
| may not succeed when l try. once
knew small would be poetical rebel
who showed his insubordination in the
color of his socks and the gorgeousness
IF his neckties. He has posed now
and imposed-for a good many. years,
but / still call him q small rebel be-
cause, whatever may be the fact. he
caves with me an impression of insin-
Gritty, in which, If I wrong him, l am
earthly sorry. One feels of him, as
the congregation of Laurence Sterne
is said to have felt, in doubt as To
what he is likely to do next to surprise,
IL not to scandalize, in doubt except that
it will be unclerical; his wig whipped
off and thrown in your face or a pas
de seul In the pulpit.
OF ONE thing I am very certain as
~ to Mr.. Sandburg. He is very much
in earnest, and | like him for that.
Moreover, there is nothing weak or
mawkish about him. He is also not out
with a shotgun after his readers, His
pieces-I am not ready to call then,
poems yet--have, too, much the air Of
being overheard rather than heard, and
this is a great thing to be able to say.
even of a poet. Now, when a man Is
without pose, in earnest and manly, you
respect him, even although you may not
admire his manners. And in using this
word / am sadly aware that / am in
PRODUCING something trivial in the face
Of what Carlyle used to delight in call
ing the eternal Verities--the capitalized
Verities. Mr.. Sandburg is too virile to
be insincere he is SO virilc, indeed, that
at times he is brutal. He seems one of
those who, seeking for strength. find it
best typified in a blow between the
eyes; who. looking for truth, discover
it IN nakedness aware that it Is naked
ness who, searching for an escape from
affectation, find sincerity and integrity
only in the conduct and the language of
the slums and worse. For example,
speaking of the exquisite musical com l.
poser, Grieg, Mr.. Sandburg tells us
"Grieg being dead, we may speak of him
and his art. Grieg being dead, we can
talk about whether he was any good
or not. Grieg being with Ibsen,
Biorpson. Lief Ericsson and the rest
Grieg beinp dead does NOT care a helI's
boot what we saw, Morning. Spring,
Anitra's Dance. He dreams them at the
doors of new stars" This Is the
poem" complete except for measured
printing. The concluding thought,
ssntiment w VI Rmt wbv smash IL with
tSn inconoruoms hrnta,itv of n .hsi,'.
hoot"S ne Worwav wa ars tc,d NJ Tho
nn"ment nom "a mich disturbed over hi
90 American Sesecrat;on of this very
m,sic nf s.paer Gvnt" into rogtime Is
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