The Bookfellow.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 161, 9 July 1910, Page 11

The Bookfellow.

- . ■ .. . ■ - . . : ■ ■ .-■;- Copyright.—'AU 3EUghta,ResfiDifiai. •,

.(Written for the " Auckland Star 1 * by A. G. Stephens.) ■ ' ''__'■'■ : '"— ~'' ■X' "■•■■• - ' •NZ.-VERSE WRHEERS-. iKEVISKHSa^ rV.—W. P. KEEVIS.. ' Mr.. W. P.; Beeves wrote only;a- sentK - mental' student's verses, but - he. ■wrote them sincerely. It ,is to Iris credit that" as lately as 1906, the compilers.of fhi* NIZ. Anthology found nothing better to begin their book than-his descriptaa* of his country and his countrymen.:-— Though young, they are heirs of the-agev ■■„ Though few, they are freemen and peersC Plain workers — yet sure of the wagesSlow Destiny pays Trith. the years. Though least they and latest their nation,, Yet this they have won without swords That "Woman with Man shall have station^ And Labour be lord. ■ It is a fair., statement, not without it»' : touch of humour unseen by the author.' The humorous aspect of "Colonial Con--plets", and "In Double Harness;' was duei to G. P. Williams. It is in the ''Doubles. Harness" 'booklet that "The White Convolvulus" is found—frail lines that ,- finely embody the spirit of .'the; eub>; ject:— , ~~; Goblet ethereal swaying clear,. Pale as fcfee stars on a midnight Thinner than . shells that in .ocean . Ue,j ■ Or pinion carven of ivory. Cup of aerial beauty made. Touched by no tarnish of earth It srrayed* And as it answered the air's light breathy An image waved In the stream beneath. '.. \ And in this fashion the- flower epok&ita. the poet:— . " - ■-: .. . .., -- ■ •■■ "I am a daughter of air and light, f Of bird and willow the playmate whiter ■ Fed on the fire of our god the sun, ■ Not by desire of a mortal won. '■ '. "Withering, dying at-mortal touch, . ! r I-fade away in the spoiler's clutch, "?■ Never in prison ■to droop my span, " ; In the heavy air of the house .of man. • "But -here I nod to the drowsy wind. In a tremulous hammock of tendrils Eyeing my friends on their. journey by* ; : The honey-sneker and. dragon-fly. ; "Watching. them ruffle the classy floor , -j Qf the long, gTeen,; arching corridor, Whose -whispering , willows dip'and rise. Cutting the stream as'the current flies. "In the dimi sweet water-world are seen ' Mazes of streaming, and shifting, green. And deeper, areaming beyond, a few ?■; Silvery clouds-in the bowl of blue. "And there I' gaze at the spectral" sky, '-..-.. The ghost of the; rocking-sphere gn high; Till touched by-twilight my flower Is furled, And my shadow steals from the wateo» world. ■"I'mast be free as the wildest thins. In. the leafy .tangle to curl and cling." " Free"-to laugh in the T beams of day, ; Free on -the blast to be borne away. "Not. waiting sadly to die' a-"cold, . My petals trampled in rotting mould, But wrapt -and iost .when my : life .is. past,, to the shining spaces of air at last" Mrl Beeves was himself, as Tegardsiaif ins- character, something not unlike a* ■• white ccmvolvulus in. strenuous Canter- . ■bury "of the 'eighties. In a poetical en- . - -. vironment, he might easily hs.y& become • a.-poet. As it was nectary to c get:on, M he became a; politician.'';'. still tincfcureii with poesy." Mr. Reeves has. shown that, when forced, into action, he can acquiC ;himself as well as -m.ost.people; but the .dreamer in him. sooni-converted .actioix into thought. If ; he has "not poeticalpassion, he has r literary imagination.; and it is quite conceivable that his age may;.. flower: into verses, whose - steady ; glow will surpass.the haphazard shining, of the verses of his youth.. 'Mr. Keeves has a distinct; talent for verbal description and a clear capacity for philospphic commentary. We. can see _ this . in- '"The Elvers of ■Damascus":— : Hushed Is the courtyard, dead the street The high walls gleam in dazzling iheat, Only a mnnnur-floats afar, • Around the/fragrant,* strange bazaar. And .flickering lights, through palm-leaTO* O'er ehrouded:"Moslem pacing by, . And.' slumbrous fountains bubble-on, And" drowsy hours slip one by one, . And Sleep's dusk pinions wavec ..,; , And , rivers of Damascus flow. • The shadow of grey cehturies, Over the still, white city lies; -.- Far, visionary ages brood ... -In grave, enfolding Quietude; ■ The listless, :wise, impassive East, - Smiles like 'spine old world-weary .priesfe Smiles at ambition, effort, strif . And all oar petty, fever'd life... A. haunting smile on face bent low, ■ Where rivera of Damascus flow. ■ Perhaps better still is.'TCheColonist =ia His antiphony in whicli an Englishman expresses another-, attitude towards New Zealand:— "Write not that yon content can Be, < Pent by that drear and shipless sea i Konnd lonely islands rolled: V Isles nigh as empty as their deep. Where men but. talk: of gold andSShee t - And think of sheep and gold. "A land witiiout a past; a race _• ': r Set in thernt of .commonnlase; ;,..:., . Where Demos overfed . Allo-n-s". no gulf,!.pennits no'heiglit. And grace and colour, music, Ushw '-.-—. " From sturdy, ecorn are fled. It is ah exaggeration, as we niafg aamifr But. mark that. Mr. -Reeves'* New Zealander does not deny the. charg* of "commonplace" ruled by "overfeQ Demos": he evades' it, and takes refuge in the-ecenery, the climate, and the progress- Mr. Eeeves is no longer -wholly; and entirely a New Zealander; indeed, he never was. His verses utter what is really an artistic criticism of New Zealand—a -warm acceptsLnce of her natural ~ beauty, a doubt ■•whether, afterall, her national ideals are the highest conceivable. This strife between patriot and poet, between the young, man in New, Zealand and the mature man in Cosmopolis—this representation of the dual character '"ac-author—may be seen altering current.of Mr. Eeeves's occasional verse through, many years. Yefe Hβ loyal attachment to tile land of his birth is plain; and if in that land he has often been, a man misunderstood, thie is the fault of people who do not understand, 'poetry. William Pember Reeves is a ■white convolvulus.

■•N3. -VERSE WUHEERS: EEvTSIOOSa^ rv.—w. p. reevis.. ■.■• Sfr.. : W. P. Beeves wrote only ■ mental- student , 6 verses, tut ac wrote them sincerely. It,is to Iris credit iHaai. as lately a 5,1906, the •compilers. ; .of NIZ. Anthology found nothing better to begin: their book than.-- his deseriptimfc of his country and Ins countrymen.:—Though young, they are heirs of the ages, few, they are freemen and peers. Plain workers — yet sure of the wagesSlow Destiny pays with, the years. •-.- Though least they and latest their nation,* Yet this they have won without swordV-4 That -Woman with Man shall have station^ And Labour be lord. '•.■■-;■ ".;• ■ It is a fair..- statement, not without it» touch, of humour unseen, by the author.' The tumorous aspect of "Colonial Couplets", and "In Double Harness;' was duei to G. P. Williams. It is in .the ''Doubles Harness" 'booklet that "The 'Wnita Convolvulus" is found —frail lines that finely embody the spirit of .■t he Bnb> ject:^— Goblet ethereal swaying clear,. Pale as fcfee stars on . a midnight raere^. ■ '.- than . shells that in ocean . lie* ■ Or pinion carven of ivory. Cup of aerial beauty made. Touched by no tarnish of earth It srrayetj. And as it answered the air's light breathy An. image waved in the stream beneath. '.. ■'. And in this fashion the- flower the poet:— "I am a daughter of air ana light, f Of bird and willow the playmate whiter ■ Fed on the fire of our god the sun, ■ . . j Not by desire of a mortal won. : : , '. . "Withering, dying at mortal touch, .'- I fade away in the spoiler's clutch, "?".• Never in prison to droop my span, "'■• i In the heavy air of the house .of man, • "But -here I nod to the drowsy wind. In a. tremulous hammock of tendrils Eyeing my friends on their journey by, : : The honey-sneker and dragon-fly. ; "Watching. them ruffle the classy floor , -j Qf the long, green,' arching corridor, Whose whispering , willows dip'and rise. Cutting the stream as the current flies. "In the dim sweet water-world are seen ' Mazes of streaming, and shifting, green. And deeper, dreaming beyond, a few ■• Silvery clou.ds In the bowl of blue. "And there I , gaze at the spectral" sky, The ghost of the; rocking-sphere gh high; Till touched by twilight my flower Is furled. And my shadow steals from the wates* ■ ; world/; .;; ' •. " _-■ ' •Tmrist be free as the wildest thins, ' In. the leafy/tangle to curl and cUnar " Pree'.to laugh in the T beams of day, ; Free on -the blast to.be borne away. "Not. waiting sadly to die' a-cold, . My petals trampled in rotting mould, But wrapt when. my. life .Is. paßt,r In. the shining spaces of air at last." . Mr!' Beeves .was himself, as Tegardaialf iis character, something not unlike a' white convolvulus in. Canterbury of the 'eighties. In a poetical ea- . vironnient, he inigllt easily have become « a. poet. As it was nectary to ''getrOii," he became a '. still tinctured with poesy-: Mr. Reeves has. shown .that, when forced into action, he :can acquifi himself as well as -most.people; but .the dreamer in. him soon.: concerted action, into thought. If ; he has not poeticalpassion, he has literary imagination.; and it is quite conceivable that his age may; . flower: into verses, whose, steady ; glow will surpass the haphazard shining, qf the verses of his youth.. Mi. Reeves has a distinct: talent for verbal description and a clear capacity for philosophic commentary. We. can see this . in- "The* Elvers of Damascus" :— ; : Hushed Is the courtyard, dead the street The Mgh walls gleam In dazzling iheat, Only a mnnnur- floats afar, • Around the'fragrant,^strange bazaar. And .flickering lights; through palm-lesse* O'er ehrouded: Moslem pacing hy, . And'slumbrous fountains bubble-on, .--.v , And" drowsy hours slip one by one, . And: Sleep's dusk pinions wavec-slawV- / And , riveis of Damascus flow. \ The shadow of grey centuries, Over the still, white city lies; Far, visionary ages brood ■■■-.■ - -.. -In grave, enlolduig Quietude; The listless, :wise, impassive East, Smiles like-some old world-weary .prtesl< Sniiles at ambition, effort, . And all our petty,..fever'd Ufe.,... A. haunting smile on face bent law, ' Where rivera of Damascus flow. ■ Perhaps better still is.'TChe Colonist in iHis antiphony in whicli an Englishman expresses another-, attitude .towards New Zealand: — . "Write not that you content can Be, ' Pent by that drear and shipless sea Konnd lonely Islands rolled: j Isles nigh as empty as their deep, . , Where men but- talk of gold and sheep.. - And think of sheep and gold. "A land witiiout a past; a race • Set In the : rut of , commonplace; •. ;■ . Where Demos overfed -. •• Allo-n-s". no gulf,! permits no"height, And grace and colour, music, light; ' From sturdy, ecorn are fled. ; It is ah exaggeration, as ;we ' mafg admifr But. mark that. Mr. -Reeves'* New Zealander does not deny the. charg* of "commonphtce" niled by "overfeQ Demos": lie evades' it, ajid takes refuge in the-ecenery, the climate, and the progress- Mr. Reeves is no longer -whollj; and entirely a New Zealander; indeed, he never was. His. .verses utter what is really an artistic criticism of New Zea.land^—a -warm acceptance of her; natural .. 'beauty, a doubt -whether, after all, her; national ideals are the highest conceivable. This strife between patriot and poet, between the young, man in New, Zealand and the mature man in Ccemopoiis—this representation of the dual character '"ac-author—may be seen altering current of Mr. Reeves's occasional verse through many years. Yefe hie loyal attachment to tile land of his birth is plain; and if in that land he has often been-a man misunderstood, thie.is the fault of people wHo do not understand: poetry. WiEam Pember Reeves is a.■white convolvulus. . ■