New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-24

" q came. through the perusal
~ Of that excellent anthology,
''Les Poetes d'auj ourdhui," compiled
Bever and Leautaud. Mr.. Valery had
not vet, in those days, published book
of verses like Ralph Hodgson, whom he
in nowise resembles, he was known
and respected as a poet FOR the few
verses which appeared at long inter
walls In the periodicals Of the avant-
garde during the 'nineties. Despite a
brilliant commencement, Mr.. Valery
elected to withdraw from the literary
world and to mediate in solitude
upon the higher problems OF phil
osophy aud mathematics. We may sup
pose that during this period his Gull
subsequent return to the writing of
poetry--a predictable event in the case
of poet born-gives evidence of long
bordering Of the function and form of
poetry.
Two years or so ago appeared the
wondrous and musical poem STA jeune
Parque" in the Nouvelle Revue Fran
caise. Since then we have had lie
Cimetiere Marin," "Ebauche dun Ser
pent" and other poems in divers peri
odicals These, with the exception of
LAG JtunS argue WulcA WINS Bepa-
rately published, are now collected and
brought out by the N. r. T. under Il
title recalling the Latins; "Charmes,
on poemes."
! Mr.. Valery is, in q cheapened phrase,
| the poets poet. He is the Pindar of
his time, practising sacred vocation
and carrying In his CULVER arrows
which do not reach the vulgar. His
material is not raw emotion, but his
emotional quality is fusion Of in
tellect and music, the first so rare and
| the latter SO thrilling as TO have won
for him in two years the unanimous
homage Of his peers. I do not believe
| that any one disputes his right to be
named "the perfect poet" He has been
called obscure, and obscurity las was
| remarked by the author of LA vie en-
| Aeur") is not without attraction for
immature minds. But the danger that
Mr.. Valery might become the idol of
chapel is vitiated by his natural ret
lcence and his voluntary preoccupa-
| ton with things of the spirit. His
very obscurity, however, is not so dark
as may be supposed by those who,
that ne frequented Mallarme's Tues
days. His affinity with the great poet
Of 'L'apres-midi dun faune" is clear,
but his own poetic diction is clearer.
The reader who lends to "Le Cimetiere
Marin" the thoughtful attention which
it deserves will not be mystified by its
last lines, nor will he need to read
| twice for comprehension these lines
from "L'Abeille":
Quene, ct 81 fne ct 81 nnortelle,.
Que soft ia pointe, blonde abeilIe,
Je mai. ma tendre corbeille,
Jete qu'un songe de dentele.
For the "corbeille" and the "songe de
dentelle" are Immediately made intelli-
gible in the Sollowing line,
'P!Que du sein la gourde belle
The art of this poet thus proceeds by
suggestion, by innuendo, by meta
| phorical unfolding wherein we divine
Image and sense.
The perfection of Mr.. valery's yersi-
iication is, as / have indicated, unanl-
mously conceded, ana this decision my
poor competence can do nothing to
trouble. Nevertheless, am not easy
about the separation, in the first two
lines quoted, of "quelle" from que"
am even less happy reading, in
''Hydre absolute, tyre de ia chair bleue,
the word absolute" which seems poor
French and carries an ugly "p" sound.
Likewise, in
"Dorrneuse. anas dore d'omores ct d'aban-
dons,'
tllc dnld5 bLA lhcS tiiC as niiiAVop o@ 80
congruous a word in its beautifully
musical context as "tas" might be.
If this appear mere quibbiing, it is
chiefly because the limits of my space
do not permit me to examine "Charmes"
(the most important volume of French
lyrical poetry in this century, as thor
cughly and as appreciatively as !
should like. One cannot quote line
or two only from such poems az these.
IL should like to reprint entire
"L'Ebauche dun Serpent" take space
for few only of its beauties:
Je vais, je viens, je glisse, plonge,
Je disparais dams un occur pur!
Fut-il iamais de sein ST dur
Qu'on ny puisse logger un songeg
Eve, jadis, je la surpris,
Parmi SEES premieres pens6es,
La levre entr'ouverte aux esprits
Out naissaient des roses berceea.
Petals present CONNIE une odeuP,
H1v,v,,a ffaravan dstsna f6a1