Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-01-06
The Gazette's Book Shelf
HINDER THE TREE
A. r. D.

NAV York n. B. ". Huebsch, lnc.)
WTnder the Tree" by Ellzapetn
Nasox Roberts, is a sequence OF
poems in which the poet employs 1he
images of child mind and the ian.
ouage of childhood, but which IS NOT
q child's garden of verse. Miss koo-
Crts reveals a fresh and penetrating
vision of simple beauty and OF 1rahk
ioy in the scenes of joyous chlid-
"Under the Tree" reflects the gar
don Of a child's soul in verses when
convey, with a haunting suggestion
of a poignant recollection, the ef-
fort of the compact, graphic phrases
If children. But while this young
poet achieves a quality of seeming
naturalism, even a certain homeu-
ness. which none of the other poets
of her restless generation. would per-
INIT themselves, she sounds true ~
re. note. sometimes shrill as little
ones can be, but sweet and beautiful
ly clear. ,..,.,,.
NOT written for children or for grown
ups, but is addressed to human minus mas
of all ages. Those who are seeking
the unusual rather than the uncon-
ventional in modern poetry will pro,
nounce Elizabeth MADDOX Roberts
work a find
This sequence of poems was writ
ten while Miss Roberts was STU
dent at the University of Chicago
Included in this group were the poems
that won the Fisk Prize in 1871.
There is none of the iramaturity OF
= budding talent in these verses.
This is work that has pscuiarly
expert quality in that the author
seems to be able to calculate her ell
fects with precision and economy
Miss Roberts naturalism is not d
substitution for selection She selects
almost meticulously those terms In
which she has painted her eXtraor-
Ginary likenesSes of a real American
childhood. in singing tones that are
both subtle and sweet.
We suspect that the world OF MISS
Roberts childhood was very much
like Resale Aubyn's World OF Men IN
This Freedom" The very essence OF
the superior male and his female
satellites is in her apparently sim
pie verses:
Our brother Clarence goes to school.
He has q slate and a blue school-bag.
He has a book and copy-book
And a scholars companion and a
little slate rag.
Hc knows a boy named Joe B. Kirk.
And he learns about a cat cat,
And how to play one-two-sky-blue,
And how to make a football out OF a
hat.
We climb up on the fence and gate
And watch until he's small and DIM.
Far up the street, and he looks back
To see if we keep on watching HIM.
The reader is warned against TAX
ing this young poets verses at their
face value alone and Judging them
only by a certain naive grace of
form. Her poems are simple but so is
the OuintesSeuce of sophiStication
Miss Roberts verses would be out OF
place in the ultra-modern school of
poets who bear joyful witnesses to
the immaculate conception of the
inaudible Bird but just the same her
: ineeuuousneSS is far removed from
unSophiSticat;on.
The same artlessnesS is apparent
lin her Autumn" and yet
Dick and viii and Charles and |
Were playing it was election day,
And | was running for President,
And Dick was a band that was going
to play.
And Charles and VIII were a stree
parade,
: But Clarence came and said that he
Was going to run for President,
And I could run for school trustee.
( He made some flags for Charles an,
Will t-t
Z And badge to go on Dickie's coat
He stood some cornstaiks by IN
fence
And had them for men that vote,
Then he climbed on box and mad