The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-05-06
new ENGLISH CRISIS
ALL LITERARY;
]! POET LAUREATESH|P
Writers and Book Folks Rent
Into Groups for KipIing
and Other EligibIes

London, May 6.-(NEA)-The aver.
age EngliShman, worrying about his
job, the high cost of living and the
super-high taxes, does not know that
another crisis has hit the country, but
all the literary circles are buzzine
about whether England shall have a
poet laureate and. if so, who shall
wear the laurel crown.
Wherever two critics or three
rhymsters get together it is the sole
topic of conversation. They are
wondering whether the Socialist Pre-
mier, Ramsay Macdonald, will leave
the post untitled, as a mere piece OF
fancy business ~bequeathed to modern
times from intensely monarchical days
Or if he decides to fill the post,
whether it will 60 to one of the old
line poets or to some chap with
radical tendencies whose lines hap
pened to please MacDonald's Scotch
ears. It's been a long time since the
literary world has been so excited.
Ben Jonson Held First Job
All the pother has been created by
the sudden death of the incumbent
of the laureateship, DR.. Robert
Bridges, at the ripe age of IS. The
real, honest-to-goodness job was first
formally constituted in England by
James I who named Ben Jonson,
friend and rival Of Shakespeare. Ben
got 100 marks, or about 1886, for the
post. Under Charles the First this
was increased to $500 per year and a
choice tierce Of Canary wine. Pre-
sumably the wine was intended as
something to inspire the poet. Many
years later, instead Of the wine, an
other $l35 per year was added to the
perquisites.
Some of the greatest poets of Eng
land have been poets laureate, among
them being John Dryden, Robert
Southey, William Wordsworth and
Lord Tennyson. After the latter died,
a poetaster named Alfred Austin was
named. And after he died, DR..
Bridges was appointed. Bridges was
known to all students of English
verse, but he was never q poet of the
masses and, unlike Tennyson. he did
not turn out verses on the birthdays
and marriages and deaths that took
place in the royal family. He refused
to make his muse perform to order.
And there was much criticism OF this
by some, because the poet laureate
is officially rated as a member Of the
Kings household. There Is, there
fore, at present quite a school Of
Englishmen who ire opposed to the
continuation Of the job.
Many Rival Claims
On the other hand, those who want
England to hold fast to its famous old
traditions are strong for another poet
laureate and are busy canvassing the
rival claims of Rudyard Kipling, Sir
Henry Newbolt, Sir William Watson,
Alfred Moves, John Masefield and
Lawrence Binyon.
Kipling is, of course, perhaps the
most widely read poet in the world.
His boosters think he would be the
ideal poet laureate. II he would take
the job. He has sung Of Tommy At
kins--the British soldier. He has
sung of British sailors. He has
thrummed banjo tunes about all parts
of the British empire. His solemn
"Recessional" has become a classic.
When the late poet laureate was 81
lent, Kipling often gave voice about
great British events.
Sir Henry Newbolt is best known
by his ballads about British sailor
men. Sir william Watson is the au-
thor of some bitter, biting epigrams
in verse. Alfred Moves is well known
in the United States, where he spent
many years both as professor and
reader of poetry. One Of his own best
known works is q modern epic poem
about Drake, one Of England's famous
sea heroes. Masefield in some Of his
major works made himself unofficial
poet laureate of the common sailors
on ordinary mercantile vessels. F.
Binyon is more for q very select
few, although, at that, In q war poem
called For the Fallen" he struck a
note that touched Englishmen to the
quick:
"They shall not grow old, as we ,
that are left grow old.
"Age shall not weary them, nor
the years condemn.
AT the going down Of the sun
and in the morning
I'VE will remember them"