The New York herald., 1921-07-31


a dynamic, revolutionary, lyri-
cal poet of the first order. The
author of the Psalms. the Book of
Revelation, Omar Khayyam, Victor
Hugo, Shelley, Whitman, Nietzsche,
Swinburne, Blake, Verhaeren. DAN
nunzio, Carducci are some of the vol
canic isles of the ages, red clarions be-
tween full blooded lips, mighty Luci-
fers who fire the domes of the classical
Halls of Fame.
Kostes Palamas must be enrolled
among the great dynamic lyricists.
He is the greatest figure in modern
Greece. He is a world poet He is
Greek, moreover; to the core. He is
patriotic in the sense that Victor Hugo
Is Frances greatest patriot, Walt
Whitman is Americas supreme an
nouncer and Gabrielle D'Annunzio the
glorifier of Italy.
The real glorifiers of their country
are poetic idealists. Their road is a
Via Dolorosa. They do not belong to
security leagues, defence societies or
salute the flag because they are afraid
not to do so. Their work is psychic,
spiritual. They work on the conscience.
They dig into the flesh of the people.
They electrify, consolidate, and lash.
They are dissenters, because dissent is
growth. The poetic tomtits swarm
everywhere. Rarely comes the eagle.
Kostes Palamas is an eagle.
He has fought his battle. In 1900
Kostes Palamas was the ruling spirit
among the Hairy Ones" of Athens.
He was then secretary of the Univer-
sity of Athens. He led the war against
the "purists and the monks" The
sword of Romanticism and Individual
ism was drawn again against classical
forms and ecclesiastical hegemony.
Kostes Palamas led the same revolt
in Greece that Heine led in Germany.
Hugo in France, Swinburne in Eng
land and Whitman in the United
States. Riots ensued. Eight were
killed and sixty wounded in the streets.
Kostes Palamas scrawled on the walls
Of Athens, THE poet is the greatest
patriot"
Europe takes it's Art seriously. Can
we conceive of such thing happen
ing here in the attempt to take "Jur-
gen" off the Index?
Since that time Kostes Palamas has
steadily mounted the heavens, the star
of his genius waxing with the years.
France has already acclaimed him.
Two years ago Mr.. Phoutrides gave
Kostes Palamas's Life Immovable" to
I the English speaking world. 1 then
had the privilege of hailing him as a
Il t,,.. ~
stasy is his life. He is a pagan-the
ancient dithyrambic soul of Greece re-
vivified. He has the frenzy Of Robins
marbles, the sublime vision of Shelley,
the flare OF Hugo. A "Praxiteles of
Shadow" he sometimes calls himself,
and again he says, BLOOD of my blood
the madman was" Prometheus is the
Adamic father of great poets.
"a Hundred Voices" the first part
OF the present volume, is a collection
OF short poems in lyrical blank verse.
Tkey record moods and observations.
Iafe and it's everyday questions have
Jattered at his nerves. Their note Is
I sad. but OF an immemorial beauty.
Thought-the Intellectual Beauty of
Shelley-is always his refuge.
o sins of weakness, sufferings of flesh,
O wasted youth. and wayward years or
manhood,
Dreams robed In white and thoughts of
bitter scorn.
Sweet mate, and orphan home, and cruel
life.
My hour Of death is near. Yet when
the hands
OF the black ogress, throttler Of the
world,
Press me with iron claws. I shall not
fear;
Written on me with burning letters. she
| VIII read II loved you WELL o Muse
of Thought"
The second part of the volume con-
tains poems from "The Hymns and
Songs of Wrath" This is the funda-
mental Kosres Palamas. In his poem
to Victor Hugo he quotes the great
Frenchman:
words and vulgar;
They ali are flowers for the precious bee
OF thought.
The Cross Of Christ is made to con-
verse with tranquil gods" and tc
weave crowns "of the wild olive tree
OF Attica and of the laurel
boughs of Hellas," thus mingling the
"cloud Of Calvary with tho white CLEAN
of Olympus" In THE Great Dream