Evening star., 1933-08-25

Declaring that the world longs for
poetry because of the excitement 1t
brings, but accepts substitutes for lack
of great verse, John Masefield, Eng
lish poet laureate, arouses interest
among Americans Some believe that
a really great poet would attract Is
much attention as those who shine in
the pages Of literature. Others observe
that speed and action. in themselves.
appeal to the Imagination OF intelligent
people. .,
thinks the New York Sun. seek q
few rythmic lines that will describe q
situation, or predicament, or an
emotion or q longing better than the
thoughts OF the thinker. That is why
nearly everybody who owns a pocket
memorandum book carries In 1t two or
three dog -eared clippings OF highly
perishable verse. That Is whv readers
seek to- identify poems from tags car-
ried in their minds over many a year.
Were an ancient Welsh bard to come
to life before q Broadway crowd and
sing them q stirring song OF border
warfare excitement and poetry would
be found together for moment. Most
Of the time. however. poetry has to live
q sOberer life a. the handmaiden Of
enlightenment, with . special S1ft for
throwing Q clear and pleasant light
over places otherwise dimly seen"
Let the makers Of verse take cour-
age and carry oni" advises the Provi-
dence Journal. with the thought that
"it may be that the world needs the
poets to bring it into harmony with the
universe, as we'll as the economists to
find 1t work and wages" That journal
offers the explanation: mo wonder that
the poets feel themselves left out. But
it is not they who have wrought the
separation For q hundred years the
world has been more and more seeking
soul satisfaction from externalS, trying
to quench its hunger with the husks Of
life The poet lodges no complaint
against those who seek or provide bodily
necessities. He Is himself too often
denied them. Hk own rich nature
Graves much beyond this, the enE1chtng
superflutttes Of life. But he looks upon
many things upon which the labor of
the world has lately been spent e mere
gewgaws and jimcracks-thing3 that are
neither beautiful nor essentially useful.
He Is not surprised that the world IL
SICK It's alldring apples have too often
proved to be those Of Sodom, filling its
mouth with ashes"
Re- ognizjng Masefield's contention
that speed Is the modern mans sub
stitute for the excitement Of poetry"
the Lincoln State Journal declares:
THE thrill, the kick that people once
got from the chant Of bard. skald and
minstrel they now seek In the automo-
bile and the flying machine. Instead
Of the poets line, one might say, 1t -
the streamline. Yet It = an odd dag
nosis to come from poet Of action Like
NassfleA. concludes . writer IN the
New York Times. The -, which he
loves % much and Of which he has sung
20 masnificently, u nothing II not the
theater Of mans action, Of his zsst for
adventure, of his restlesmess. It Is per.
haps An aimless modern world that
dashes up and down In motor cars and
planes, caring for nothing but excite
ment. But the heroes who fought
around Troy and the vikings who
plowed the OCEAN were. most Of them.
on the lookout for excitement. Yes
where would the poets b. II there were
no heroes and auxiliary maidens for
them to sing about?"
*H&
For cur part" proclaims the Hart
ford Times, I've are satisfied that it is
SO, until some poet with the fire Of
Kiphng, and With the same genius,
comes un00 the acme" A to the foCta