POETRY AND PUBLIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 156, 3 July 1937, Page 1 (Supplement)

POETRY AND PUBLIC.

. NEW ZEALAND VERSE. i GRADUAL. RECOGNITION. (By UNA AL'LD.) New Zealand verse lias become 1 "news," first in receiving official recogs nition in the Xew Year honours through [ the bestowal of an 0.8. K. on Miss Kileen ! Duggan, and secondly through a special article of live ami n half pages devoted to it in an issue of "The Poetry Review" published ! in London. This should remiml us that ' we have amongst us writers who are [ trying to foster a spirit of Xew Zealand literature and a national consciousness, j It is time we realised the fact, even if only for the sake of our approaching one hundredth birthday, which surely ought to mark our intellectual coming of ; agej. As far as verse writers are concerned they have managed to exist up to the J present more on enthusiasm than ; financial reward, for the return they , receive for verse is probably a good (. deal less than they would get for , charring. Some argue, of course, that j at least charring is useful. The only 5 (and obvious) retort is that man doesn't f live by bread alone and. that being so, . poets shouldn't have to go furtively i through life, hanging their heads in 3 lowly fashion when the dark secret of 3 their hidden practices is revealed. Yet ~ in spite of it they plug away dog- » gedly at their versifying. Xow and - again they even manage to publish a : slim little volume of poems, which will , probably receive one or two criticisms s on the score that in some instances the t verse is imitative of the English school i because the poet has written of ? universal themes instead of interlardin" s every second stanza with cabbage trees r and other "local colour." * A National School. On this point, I cannot do better than . quote one of our best-known literary critics. Mr. C. A. Marris, who savs that possible reproach on the score of "lack of local colour can be "met with the argument advanced by Goethe (and others) that purely national poetry can seldom be great because it is lacking in universal appeal, human nature being much the same everywhere." Poetry after all isn't limited to Xew Zealand. Its foundations are international, and if a Xew Zealand poet responds to the stimulus of a rounded hill or a mountain 1; stream or a billowing cloud, why shouid ?• he be called "imitative" because his reaction was to these things rather than to a nianuku tree or a piece of greenstone? Better brimstone than greenstone under those circumstances, he thinks —and carries blithely on with liis song. In this respect, it is interesting to note that the article in "The Poetry Review" answers its own question: "Is Xew Zea-

land forming its own national school of verse?" by stating that in the Dominions there is "evidence of acquired characteristics that are developing under new and strange environment. One has only to glance at the differences in topographical, climatic, occupational conditions to realise that such vital differences must vitally affect modes of expression, l>otli in speech and in verse. The writer further believes that Xew Zealand verse must naturally be affected by Maori traditions and rhythms, although he realises that obviously the chances are that the Xew Zealand school of poetry "will remain nearest of kin to the English school." Well, I wonder. I don't really think we are affected to any appreciable extent by the Maori tradition. A glance through the issues of the only existing annual anthologies of Xew Zealand verse, "Best Poems of Xew Zealand." published each year since 1932 by "Art in Xew Zealand." under the editorship of Mr. Marris, 6eems to confirm this view. But does it matter very much, ar.yhow? The main thing is that the annual publication goes on, and though it brings no financial reward is the accolade for New Zekland verse writers, to whom it gives this rare and very welcome tangible encouragement. The anthologies have evoked much favourable comment from overseas critics as well as from the New Zealand Press, and the series has comc to occupy an exceptional place in out developing poetic literature. Its pages are filled with names such as those ol Eileen Duggan, Arnold Cork, J. C Beagleliole, A. Allen. Dora Hage meyer. Robin Hyde, Gloria Rawlinson .lessie Mackav. Xellie Macleod, lai Milner. Alan Mulgan. Arnold Wall, Elsi Bosworth. Douglas Stewart and othei writers who write not for monetary reward, but for the sake of verse itsei and pride-in the part they are playin; in the development of Xew Zealanc poetry. j Prom the Anthologies. Another medium, which unhappily i now only a wistful memory in thi ' minds of former subscribers, and wliic existed primarily to publish montlil; the work of Xew Zealand versifier (without payment except that of a priz< for the best poem submitted eacli issue ' was the "Xew Zealand Mcroi:ry." 1 I was a very fine little publication whicl j from humble beginnings rose to quit startling heights, judged by New Xoa , land standards, and brought into prin ; some of the work of our bes ,J writers. But poets, of course, are alway j poverty-stricken, and the "Mercury finally succumbed. However, some o its contributions won the honour of in elusion in the "Best Poems" anthologies Arnold Cork's "Sky Painting'' was one Here is the opening: Cumulus and Cirrus, Nimbus, Stratus . . Sea-sounding names in line of war an given 1 Unto the clouds! O galleons white o j h oh von ,' And dun rent hulls of heaven -with eanva t! shot and riven. i All driven, driven, driven. -' Upon the curled green comber of the hil

I I remember in the "Mercurytoo. a beautiful stanza of Douglas Stewart's: | We did not know In those clear stone-cool dewtimes j When the last light in swathes of pale- , green silt Softly enfolded all this lovely land And the prey cows with spicy scent of milk Drawled from the stream at tie brown ; , boy's command. That we were one with all delicatft birds And cautious hares, and slow milk-heavy I herds. Tf that doesn't paint the New Zealand scene without the blatant use of "local colour,'' I don't know what docs. j In some of the "Best, Poems" issues j there are poercs by • Eve ,I>anglev that burn with a touch of genius. Here are a few lines from her "Vision of Clouds"': j These captains spurring ivory-footed mares Through endless plains of darkest blue-bell bloom. This patriarch with silver ram's fleece flung About his noble loins, and this tall girl I Of pallid mask with thunderbuds among j The cold arrested movements of her curls. Tn these anthologies, too t there is usually something of exquisite simplicity by Dora Hagemeyer. Listen to this: Come, all ye little ones of earth and field ! Bring healing in your hands: Bring balm and oil to pour upon his soul, , So parched and desert dry. Come, let us plant his heart with little leaves. their green flowers spring up And make for him a forest ■ Where, some clear morning, ho shall wake ; and hear . The spirit singing. "Reflection." by Elsa Mary Bosworth. would l>e worthy of inclusion in onv ' overseas anthology, in mv opinion:— L I know not many thin^*. But one thi^z — _ Beauty enchanted and chill In the snowladen. motionless branches f Of a tree on a frozen hill. ■ lee of pool for a mirror. 1 Where Beauty may gaze and gaze, Waarying of Winter. Pondering green-blue days. O. I know not many things, S But this thing. ? Seeretly. as I go. r Remembere,!. remote refiocrinn Of Beauty ensheathed in snow. s Amongst the younger writers there is i> Oloria Rawlinson's fine "Invocation": — ' Eat of my bread. Wind. ' Hungry Wind. eat. 1 Snow. pile upon me. e Warm your while feet. I have a Min in my hear:. I have a lire in my breast, t Rest on me. tired Sea. . Tired Sea. rest. Warm your small fingers. Bain. s You are so cold. " Lean on :ne. lean on me, f Time, you are old. One could go on. quoting from reccnt '• anthologies, but perhaps these few ex- '• tracts will give some idea of the good work our New Zealand poets are doinp. ■ in many cases without financial reword '' at all. Still, now that their work has t been royally honoured through Miss Duggan. they have at least received 9 some moral encouragement. In any case. they will go on writing; they can do 1. no other.