New-York tribune., 1922-11-05

of "The Dial" to-day. It con-
tains r. s. Eliot's new long
poem, "THE WASTE LAND"
thing of bitterness and beauty.
which is a crystallization or synthesis
Of all the poems Mr.. Eliot has hitherto
written. It is, perhaps, the finest poem
OF this generation; at ali events it is
the most significant in that It gives
voice to the universal despair or resig-
nation arising from the spiritual and
economic consequences of the war, the
cross purposes of modern civilization,
the cul-de-sac into which both science
and philosophy seem to have got
themselves and the breakdown of all
great directive purposes which give
gest and joy to the business Of living.
II is an erudite despair: Mr.. Eliot
stems his poem from recent anthro-
poiogical study of primitive beliefs, as
embodied in the Grail legend and
other flaming quests which quickened-
men in other times; he quotes, or
misquotes, lines from the "Satyricon"
OF Petronius, Tristan und Isolde"
the sacred books of the Hindus, Dante.
Baudelaire, Verlaine, nursery rhymes,
the Old Testament and modern Jazz
songs. His method is highly elliptical,
based on the curious formula of Iris
tan Corbiere, wherein reverential and
blasphemous ideas are juxtaposed in
amazing antitheses, and there are min
gled all the shining verbal toys, impress
sions and catch lines of poet who has
read yoraeiously and who possesses an
unsuitable curiosity about life. 1t is
analysis and realism, psychology and
criticism, anguish, bitterness and
disillusion, with passages Of great
lyrical beauty. The final intellectual
Impression ! have of the poem is that
1T Is extremely clever tby which do
not mean to disparage it, on the con-
trary); the sardonic grin which suf-
fuses it is rictus which masks a
hurt romantic with sentiments plagued
by Grass reality; and it is faulty struc-
turally for the reason that, even with
the copious (mock and serious) notes
he supplies in elucidation, it is so
idiosyncratic a statement of ideas that
/, for one, cannot follow the narrative
with complete comprehension. The
poem, however, contains enough sheer
verbal loveliness, enough ecstasy,
enough psychological yerisimilitude,
and enough even of readily under
standable etching of modern life, to
justify Mr.. Eliot in his idosyncracies.
lie may, and think he does, even play
practical jokes on his readers; but
that is in character. with the curious.
variable mood of this fine poem.
In Maurice Francis Egan's "CONFES-
SIoNS OF A BOOK LOVER" to-day
came across this sentence: ain THE
Diary and Letters there are many bits
OF gossip about certain great persons,
notably about Talleyrand, who got rid
of his mitre as soon as he could, and
Nine. de Flahant." cannot
work up Albert Jay Nock's enthusiasm
over this book 1t is far too much
the confessions rather of book hater:
Mr.. Egan not only withholds his ad.
miration from most of the important
and significant books published during
the last twenty-five years; he defends
himself against them.
Lunched to-day with Henry Hull and
we talked of Anatole France. Jean de-
Bosschere and Amory Hare. He tells
me that the exquisitely illustrated
TALES FROM FLANDERS" by Bos-
schere. did not sell at all in this coun-
try, and that Dodd, Mead & Co.'s stock
Of the books was finally remaindered
at loss. That is another example Of
the gamble of publishing: publisher
risks his money in bringing out
beautiful book illustrated with richly
colored, expensive plates by one Of the
most interesting artists OF our time.
and no one buys 1t. Mr. Hull also told
me that Amory Hare, whose aTossed
Coins and @The Swept Hearth" con-
tanned. many fine lyrics, which gave me
much pleasure, is a woman who is
prominent in Phiiadelphia society.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER En-
began reading "EUCLID's OUT
LINE OF SEX" by Wilbur r. Bird
wood, this morning under the impress
sion that it was parody Of the method
Of the psychoanalysts. I read it half
way through without finding single
joke, much less any hint of parody.
wit, satire or humor. Some OF the lit
erary efforts of the psychoanalysts are
really funny; this book isn't s
Ny makeup day was switched from
Thursday until Friday, and after work
ing in the composing room all after
noon and most Of the evening called
up Charlotte Dean and took her to Alta
May Cateman's party. There we found
John StapietoR Cowley-B Brown, the
s.HA1. sa~-A~ 80 !. un~.n - Me- vss.ap a..