The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05
The Urgent Muse

King COLE. By John Masefeld. With
drawings in black and white by Judith
Masefield. The Macmillan Company.
THE TRAGEDY OF NAN. BY John
Masefield. New illustrated edition.
The Macmillan Company.
NETS TO CATCH THE WIND. By
Elinor Wylie. Harcourt. Brace & Co.
WE. THE MUSK CHASERS. By LOU
refine A5er. Chicago: Ralph Fletcher
Seymour.
THROUGH A GLASS. BY Fanny de
Groot Hastings. William Edwin
Ridge.
THE BEGGAR'S VISION. BY Brookes
Moore. Illustrated by Tracy Porter
Rudd. With an introduction by Will
lam Stanley Braithwaite. Boston
The Cornhill Publishing Company.
THE MELODY OF CHILDHOOD. THE
MELODY OF LOVE. THE MIL
ODY OF LIFE. BY Lydia Avery
Coonley Ward James T. White Co.
~ ONE thirty poems compose MT.
- Squire's new volume. They
~ vary in length from seven or
eight lines to the $40 almost perfect
lines of 1.-THE Moon" easily the most
polished piece, spiritually and me-
Chemically, which he has offered for
public inspection. "The Rugger
Match" Ca football epic) is MARIA
tive poem of almost as many lines as
"The Moon" in which Ito speak dis
courteously as of an imitator) lac
mixes a little Browning with his
Masefield. OF course the poem is
quite "off his own bat" but what
with galley slaves and fox hunts and
horse races the prolific author oil
"The Everlasting Mercy (and SO
much, besidesD has seemed OF late
to set a fashion of narrative verse.
But AR. Squire's muse is less Volt
BILE. and if his poetry has its own
distinction. so had that of Mr.. Mase-
field: so had Lander. with no harm
done to Browning. But nothing is
less profitable than TO make cross
references to a whole pack OF poets
each of whom had his own instincts;
Apollo. Master of the Hunt, knew
that their teeth were all white.
Mr.. Sources gifts are seen to bet
ter advantage, more graciously, more
fortunately-as one who comes TO
contribute something-in his poetry
than in much of his prose. Any NOR
dant idea which may exist occasion
ally in his verse is so enveloped in
the Astounding honey of his dicton
that one may enjoy his piquancy the
more for the very suavity of its yehl-
Gle. His "line''-to use the draftsman'S
lingo-is unquestioningly sure and
of delicate restraint. fully capa-
BILE of sudden expansion il need be.
There is no space here to dwell upon
the luscious ripeness of 1.-THE Moon"
or the swift, high flight In THE
Birds" or to pay more than passing
tribute to a masters quality. DOUBT
less even Mr.. Squire, accomplishments
he is, will live to do even better
things; but meantime we may enjoy
such sparks as the opening oil
Harlequin:
Moonlight. woodland, wells of green,
Caves of empty dark between:
Wells of green from rounded arms
Grooming. that the moonlight charms.
Tranced the trees, grass beneath
Silent
Like q ste;flthy breath.
Mask and wand and silver skin,
Sudden enters Harlequin.
John Masefield's king Cole IS
riming. Ginning fantasy of human
life in Encouragement turned into
gladness by the touch of love ana
human fellowship. A travelling circus
is mired in the rain, and the show
man is at his wits end, when gentle
old stranger comes with a wooden
flute and a voice of cheer. King Cole
himself, who survives in England to
help decent people out of Their
troubles. Under his magic the King
and the Princess and all the city per-
sonages flock TO the green striped
tent and the Snowman gets bag of
gold and his son comes home from
the wars in time to crown his happl-
ness. Mr.. Masefield's daughter has
illustrated the poem with pen draw
ings.
In the same moment one may wei
come n new illustrated edition OF
"The Tragedy of Man." In the orig
inal note by the author, written in
1911, Mr.. Masefield said: Com
monplace people dislike tragedy be-
nj