The New York herald., 1922-01-01

btduly llldl was IuOTG ISuhSldn lndn
Greek He was an extreme monarch
ist. The two poems Of his in the
anthology are very characteristic and
beautiful. He seemed TO be a stranger
in his own times.
Although women have not taken
such part in the poetry of Russia. as
for instance in France, Italy or Eng
land, yet already they have produced
work which is Of unique distinction.
Probably the most important of the
Russian women poets is Ana Akhma-
toVa, who was at one time identified
with the actualist group. represent
ing a reaction against symbolism. Her
work has the refined simplicity and
restrained passion Of an Alice Mey-
nell, she writes purely of personal
themes. Confession" is character
istic:
From my poor sins I am set free
In lilac dusk the taper smolders.
The dark stoies' rigid drapery
Conceals a massive head and shoul-
ders
'Talitha Kumi," is 1t he,
Once more? How fast my heart is
beating,
n NcuNli n manu- HlONte dDStIlly
The customary cross repeating.
Zia Shiahova, one Of the youngest
of the modern women poets, is noted
for her feminine charm of expression
and yet sometimes, as in her poems.
Transformation" written on the
revolution, she is marked by 4 notable
sincerity, freedom Of form and a pas
sim which ies 81 a ~ forfcffn of
poetry. Zinaida Hippius, the wife of
Dimitri Merezhkovsky, is marked by
eroticism and a bent toward meta
physics Yet her poetry has a color
and passion which is wholly admir-
able.
Konstantin Balmont, who is still
alive and whose reputation was
enormous a decade ago is best repre-
sented in the anthology by his mag
nificent Hymn to Fire" The trans
lation has caught some of its spirit of
blazing fury and passion.
But the best poem in this anthology
is Valery Brusov's Saint Sebastian"
1t is n triumph of translation and was
much commented on when it first ap-
peared in Poetry:
On slow and smoky fires thou burn'st
and art consumed.
Oh thou my soul;
on slow and smoky fires thou burnsr
and art consumed,
With hidden dole.
Thou droopest like Sebastian pierced
with pointed arrows
Harassed and spent;
Thou droopest like Sebastian pierced
with pointed arrows,
Thy flesh all rent.
Thy foes encircle thee and watch with
gleeful laughter
And bended bow;
Thy foes encircle thee and watch with
gleeful laughter
Thy torments slow.
The embers burn and gentle is the ar
rows singing
Meath the evening sky;
The embers burn and gentle Is the ar
rows stinging
When the end draws nigh.
Why hastens not thy dream unto thy
lips now pallid
with deadly drouth2
Why hastens not thy dream unto thy
lips now pallid
To kiss thy mouth?
The translations from the poems OF
Ivan Bupin are also full of felicity
Bunin's poetry is known for it's deli
cate melancholy. There is an exotic
grace in his classic clarity. He is a
master of verbal magic. Very fine are
the poem, "A Song and the SON
net "The God of Noon" The former
has the dramatic directness of a folk
song.
OF the ultra modern poets of the
revolution there is little to say. They
have thrown away all form and all
accepted methods Of expression. Their
poetry Is marked by novel verbiage
and Accentricities Of thought. Ore
shins poem, "Not by Hands Created
is n good example of this school:
My stone mouth
Is stretched with song
From East TO West.
Legs and hoofs
Kicked slSywards
one cannot close the book without
admirng the magnificent poem OF
Alexander Biloxi "The Scythians." in
which he praises the Tartar strain in
Russia. The translation is worthy Of
the poem. and by some critics the
poem is considered the greatest in
spired by the revolution.
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