The New York herald., 1921-08-14

arrowhead. his thought was constantly
piercing the darkness and revealing
invisible treasure.
That those about him, even the
son who has compiled his plays,
touched him too closely in the flesh
to realize fully the stature of the
poet is not strange The outlines Of
the mountain peak are not fully re-
vealed to those at close physical range.
The Introductory words of Stephen
Phillips. Junior. sympathetic and
deeply touched as they are with feel
ing. show their limitation Of under
standing in these words: Although
he was not the greatest of poets, he
deserves a little niche. even a partially
secluded one, in the eternal framework
of Immortality"
Surely neither poets nor poetry
should be measured by their compass,
but rather by their intensity. And in
all the literature OF the poets / know
OF none that burns at such white heat
of ecstasy. True, the words are some
times FURNISHED and carved until they
have attained an almost cameolike
quality. but II is the result not of
mechanical elaboration but of a kind
Of brooding afterthought that must
needs work itself out in the most
subtle and delicate tracery. Nowhere.
] think, search where you will, can
you ind more concentrated pathos in
a given compass: nowhere, | believe.
in any poet more complete identifi-
cation of himself with the very es-
sence OF life. His singing is unlike
any other singing. He is SO essentially
himself that the very question of com
parison with other singers seems
strangely out or place. His song Is a
pure lyric cry. And IL you put your
ear to IL as to a delicate seashell
you win find that II gives back end
less undertones from his native sea.
You will f1nd yourself stirred as by
the very breath of Olympus with |
know not what intimate revelation Of
the pathos and triumph OF existence
especially OF the "tears that lie In
mortal things"
You get, too. that profound sense
Of spiritual release and expansion that
only a master can give. This think
is the ultimate test of great poetry.
In the eternal framework OF immor-
tality" stephen Phillips will indeed
have a niche. But 1t will not be a
small one. In the long winnowlngs Of
time, In the final siftings and assizes
that the years will bring, the utter
ances Of this inspired singer will come
into fun inheritance of immortality.
The future will reckon bountifully
with this man.
/ shall never forget with what feel
ing OF grief and personal loss / heard
Of the passing of this great soul,
although | had never been privileged
to see him. Nor can forget the
thrill that came, on first reading, with
the discovery OF him. No other poet
could add to or take away from his
lustre for he seemed an essentially
solitary voice. And / well remember
my JOY when, In conversation with
Clayton Hamilton after one Of his
lectures on the drama at Columbia Uni
versity. the critic said: "The poetry
OF Stephen Phillips is without parallel.
/ consider The Sin of David the
finest drama in verse TO be found in
the English language" On the whole
we are slow to appraise our creators
in music, in art and in poetry. We
like TO have them long while dead
before we speak out. II is a sad thing
for the artist that this IL so-but
the years, as IL in reparation. seem 70
guard all the more jealously his
fame
The collected plays comprise Ayl-