Evening star., 1925-09-15
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Is Tennyson's What Does Little
Birdie say" a namby- pamby, puerile
poem?
A Virginian writes me to that ef-
feet, following the recent publication
in this column Of tribute to the
great poet, in which the bird and
baby poem was quoted, as follows;
What does little birdie say
In her nest at peep OF day.
Let me fly says little birdie.
Mother. let me fly away.
fi fiFe The reft little Wing wines are stronger
So she rests little longer
Then she flies away.
What does little baby say.
BABY "er says. Gea Ii like p'it little birdie,
Let me rise and fly away.
Baby, sleep little longer,
Till the little limbs are stronger:
Baby. too. shall fly away.
This lullaby then was praised: ITO
my way of thinking simple, unaf-
fected bit such as that better shows
the genius of a great man and a poet
than some of his more severe, high
brow poems, for II takes a genius
and a gentleman to write about bird
and a baby. whereas almost any
bruiser may strike off something In
the grand manner"
Il was peculiarly interested in your
appreciation of Tennyson in yester-
days Star. Crossing the Bar ap-
peals strongly to a person OF my age,
and I have cherished 1t in my mind
ever since It's first appearance; 1T de-
serves a place among the immortal
English poems.
"'Sweet and Low is another Of my
favorites; | have sung the bass to 1t
in quartet many, many times. How
ever. I beg leave to disagree with
you when you say it should be sung
by a sweet soprano voice, for, in my
opinion, 1t should always be sung to
Barnby's exquisite setting and by a
mixed quartet, free from the vibrato
afectation. Even a male quartet can
not fully develop Barnby's inspiring
harmony; a sympathetic mixed quar-
tet can make 1T heavenly.
II must take issue with you" con-
tinues my correspondent, "as to the
poetic merits Of What Does Little
Birdie Say?' which strikes me as
puerile or namby- -pamby. In exten-
| uation of my heresy I will relate my
first impression OF the poem.
Some 60 years ago l was a youth
not given to the reading Of poetry.
ana. tnOuRn tnlS poem was widely
printed in the newspapers through
out the country, / had not read IL till
the editor of q country newspaper
quoted 1t in connection with a state
ment to the effect that Thackeray's
| Magazine paid Tennyson $1,000 for 1t.
This editor in a humorous strain
belittled the poem and expressed sur
prise that so large a sum had been
paid for 1t, and proceeded 10 say
Here's a poem of our own. just as
good, for which we would gladly take
a quarter:
what does little froggie say.
On the bank at peep of day:
Let me swim. says little froggie.
Bullfrog. let me swim away.
Froggie. wait little longer.
Till your little legs grow stronger;
Then he hoped onto chunk
And into the pond. kerplunk.
What does little pisgie say.
In his sty at peep of day:
Piggie says, like little froggie.
Let me go and root today.
PlRgie. wait little longer
Till your snout grows hard and stronger
II you stay little longer,
Piggie then may root away.
II am quoting this masterpiece
from memory, and perhaps inaccu-
| rately: however. you doubtless catch
the depth of feeling and lofty flights
| Of fancy it contains, and doubtless
you will not forgive the frivolity of
your correspondent in indulging in
| memories of the past at the expense
Of your valuable time.