Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1923-11-02
LIzETTE REEsE's NEW BOOK
A Poet Well known in This Vicinity
Brings Out Her Sixth Volume
of Verse

of Verse
wild Cherry" Lizette Woodwork
Recess book just from the press, has
been received at The Patriot Office.
This distinguished writer's occasional
visits in the community have made for
her wide circle Of friends here, TO
whom a new volume Of her lyrics Is
an event. By them some Of the pieces
Ia the new volume will be remember
ed as read from manuscript last sum-
mer. II is like meeting again valued
acquaintance to see them here. Here
Is Puritan Lady. Wages. The Roman
Road, Emily. Old Letters, Changeless.
and two score more Of new titles;
always, in each and every one Of them
something Of that mixture Of reti-
cence and abandon. something Of that
combination Of whimsicality and stole
grandeur. something Of that search
ing penetration and airy, laughin
touch that is all Lizette Reese.
PAY me my wages. Grief.
Pay, and be done with ne.
| gave you ears to hear;
| gave you eyes to see
And this apostrophe to the March
wind,
Blow blow, and tear Orion down:
Topple his great hounds out the sky"
Such vigor and amazing boldness
leaps and swirls in opposition to the
quiet GOODNESS of the poets habitual
restrained and disciplined lines. They
are like lightning flashes or sudden
mighty winds across serene land
seape.
1t is not given to many poets of the
true tradition to be honored alike by
the faithful and by the infidel modern
ist in verse. This. however, has hap
pened to Miss Reese, and that in
spite of the fact that superficial
reader might find her technique al
most prim and tense in its formality.
Last months Vanity Fair enrolled
her in its Hall Of Fame" Further
more, H. l.. Mencken, editor Of the
Smart Set, famous land, by some
estimates, infamous) critic, essayist,
journalist, ieonoclast, has always been
Miss Recess keen appreeiator and
champion. To those who know her.
either personally or through her writ
ings there is something distinctly in
e0ngruous in assOciating her with
Vanity Fair and Smart Set. those
organs of modernity. of Maryland
heritage, she belongs TO the Old
South, withdrawing. naughty, author
itative, distinguished in its lean days
IS i'm its aifluenee II she has 10 any
degree bridged the great gulf between
the established and the reactionary
IN poetry, 1t is not b. following aftee
strange idols Tor stranger idlers) but
by certain universally in hei
thought and expression. Her verSa
may have the perfection of n star.
but il Is as essential as bread an
butter
In seeking a general characterize.
ton of Miss Reese As q point of de-
parture for "a glance at the new book
II seems to the purpose To name the
titles of her books covering a period
of many wears. Her last four volum-
Is are called a Handful of Lavens
der a Branch of May" ''Spiee=
wood" and Wild Cherry" The roots
Of her genius are firmly embedded in
high n the light and air by a stur3i-
ness that is as beautiful as 1t is rare.
The lowlness and roadsidcness of
these titles is like cloak concealine
magnilicence for one who must walk
through crowded streets But 20 one
who knows by-paths and woodlands.
here is no cloak. II you have ever
walked through dark swamps IN
March LIGHTED by the shining glory
Of spicewood. you will know, as does
the poet. that no greater splendof
hides behind any quiet word.
In the limited space Of weekly
newspaper dedicated to many uses,
no adequate quotation from this book
can he made. Il IL better. perhaps,
in the interest Of giving eomprehen-
sive glimpse of it, to snatch line
here and there to hint at its scope.
and SAVIOR its beauty.
The title poem comes first in the
book