Evening star., 1925-11-24

diced In favor Of the poetess, one is
tempted to say:
Words. words. words-I know not
what they mean"
X y X
We have a lot about MINI, lava,
trestles, campaniles, pylons, "buxom
quarries," parasangs, cantilver bars,
and other things not often found in
poems.
Whereas in THE Janitor's Bo-- "
such words were judiciously spread
thin, in Lava Lane" they appeared
on every page. until 1t was no wonder
child ever wrote like this"
Perhaps no one else ever wrote like
it, either-that may be a merit, in.
deed! Certainly originality is to be
sought, but hardly at the expense OF
sense.
Many there are who feel that, once
thing is hard to understand, 1t must
be good; but the feeling Is growing
in this day of general education, that
the worthwhile writing says what II
wants to say and leaves no doubt In
the readers mind.
Obscurtty no longer passes for pro
fundity. In THE Janitor's Boy
there was never any doubt at all what
readers. Every line was clear, set of
with strange words, now and then
like cleaning lanterns.
The new volume Is so filled with
lanterns that it takes on the appear.
ance of a garden party, in which the
hostess is quite lost.
Somehow the essence of poetry
the glamour of it's missing from
these pages. The thing that we who
praised the former book feared has
come upon US.
Instead of letting the poet expand
normally, though 1t might take her 10
years to write another book, she was
pushed into print at once.
1t would have been better for her
reputation If nine.tenths of what is
printed in Lava Lane had been de.
stroyed, for instead of ranking as fine
verse 1t takes the place occupied by
most work OF child genuises-inter.
esting curiosities. And, in the event
that this work should be proved TO
be hoax, 1t would not even be that.
The best poem in the new volume is
the following:
THE EDICT.
Write, said the editor unto the saint.
Something to iazzle and dazzle and please,
something OF kneeling and beautiful knees
You write the story and I'll write the head.
Margin to margin the copy we II spread
Never blue pencil fussing a sheet
we II make a story TO sling at the street.
Load II with red headed peppers and thyme,
Toncb h9t s 10 ooIr GihGtnre an innocent rhyme
only IN telling. oh. be not afraid
Sing OF a Jezebel fung from a tower.
sing OF Lesbia looting flower.
sing of a SaUpho and detail each thrau
Finally Phryne who walked on them all
Make Il as coarse as a cobblestone fight.
Make II as sweet as an old mans delight .
Put in the pallor and strawberry stain
SO they viii read it--and read it again.
The line about Something Of kneel.
ing and beautiful knees" demonstrates
an uncanny grasp of a certain Jour.
nalistic situation.
THE Liars " The First Reforner, y
Sunday Morning" and THE Dis
coverer are other poems in this slight
volume that will be read-and for.
gotten. whereas many in THE Jan.
ttor's Boy" will be found in antholo.
gies hundred years hence
The writer Of this column believes
that Lava Lane" is in itself the most
telling blow against the theory that
grown men and women, not a child
wrote 1t and The Janitor's Boy"
After all, poetry must stand on its
own legs. Who cares who wrote It?
In itself, and for itself, true poetry
has an existence apart from it's ere.
ators. AS Browning likened his love
to a star, so those who love poetry
may compare it to immortal, cleaning
light whose author is unknown.