Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-09-10
MEET DIFFICULTIES PASSING JUDGMENT ON BOOKS
Rnnks Hish n. n Poet.

Hanks IIiHh M n Poet.
Lutte AND FURROW, by Olive
Tilford Dargan. Charles Scribncr's
Sons. New York.
Nothing is moro notable in present
American literature than the poeti,,
contributions Of women-both In frc.
verse and In the more conventional
forms. They have brough, IL frosh-
ness into our literature that IL. per
haps, wanting in our prose OF the
half dozen or more notable women
poets, Olive Tilford Dargan is high
in rank. From the first she has
shown unusual power. and her latest
, contribution is an advance on her
former work.
Mrs. Dargan Is a Kcntuckian by
birth aud North Carolinian hy. Hdop-
ton. Her home is at Almond, " G..
aud In this beautiful mountain coun.
try she has found an inspiring en-
rironment. In leli che published her
FIRST hook, "Semiramis and Other
| Plays. volume that was warmly
welcomed and that brought the au-
thor recognition in literary circles.
II Was felt that poet Of great
promise had appeared.
Mrs. parGau has recently sent forth
| her NTH volume, Lutte and Furrow. ="
which takes i1s name from the frst
poem. the keynote to the book. First
there comes the call OF poesy. of tho
| iute; and then, in quaint mountain
speech. interminHled with rich lines.
the homciy summons Of the riow
in the turrow. one throbs with the
appeal Of the lutte. but reioices in the
triumphant psean OF the pillow:
The pen. lot nations have it-we.u
pIow awhile for God.
And again:
Like muslc comes tho summons, the
challenge from tho wcald--
The tread immortal measure who
make "A mellow hold:"
Tho theme Of the furrow runs
through the book. lii" mountain folk.
whom Mrs. DarIan knows 80 well
ar" pictured In lines Of beauty that
| touch the heart with the understand
ine "i homcly lives bravcly lived. TN.
author has - gift for narrative rare
ia modern poetry, coupled with rrca:
| lNilcal power. The reader feels this
N rcad!n. "Evvl"'s Mother" which
voices tho fa;a!is;ic belief that 1t
VIII work out; in "RcIraTet!," a be
! horah singing that there will be no
more children. and in other poems
| inst VlhrSl" with emotion.
Francesca" with its inconsolable
| lament over tho death Of Beauty. is
an el.Cy OF rare charm. !, is. per
haps. the mos, unique OF Mrs. bar
ean's poems. Tho concluding stanza
wondcrfu!ly expresses the poignancy
OF mortal loneliness:
Hut she was Beauty: planets swing.
And ages toll. that one like her
| May make dust sing.
And !, VINO held her hand. mus. go
Alone and know.
Mrs. DarEan is as much at home
in tn. realm of tender fancy as In
describing the mountain folk among
whom she lives. There are bits that
make on. fair catch ones breath.
Take this:
And here on moss like heather.
AS fra-ran, and as deep.
Safe IN the tender weather,
The baby angels sleep.
They curl and tumble near me,
Like little laughing flames;
They nudge and do not fear me,
And whisper me their names.
Here and there is an exquisite
thought. as the following:
The mountains lie in curves so tender
want to lay my arms about them
As God does.
In this volume of good things. al
most every page has its appeal. but
perhaps the poem called "A song
has the rarest beauty:
The bird upon the ocean waste
With straining wing.
Fails not. for in her breast
She bears an unbuilt nest.
4 Dough of spring.
And ! who travel toward west
That has no sun.
Faint not, for in my breast
Thy love is SIN my rest
And harbor won.
! Mris. Dargar'7 power OF description
| is also compelling. Mountain scenery
has seldom been more realistically
presented than in II Take a Walk"
The note OF mysticism is in The Sea
Asks" In fact. in Lutte and Fur
row" Mrs. Dargan touches her in.
s,rument TO almost all the forms Of
song. and In all she excels. The
volume Will take high place In con-
temporary American verse.