THE NEED FOR OPTIMISTS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11955, 6 August 1904, Page 6

THE NEED FOR OPTIMISTS.

/Jthough. critics may, with more than, a little truth, complain of the lack of high, quality in .New Zealand poetry, there can to no doubt «« to the quantity produced, and if it were possible to compute the output of verse"pe> head of population in different countries, New Zealand would 'w by no means last* Mr D. M. Boss, of Hamilton, is the latest contributor to our etesdily-growing literature, of verse. We have referred to Mr Ross'e work elsewhere, but hi* book emphasises a need which ha» been apparent forgrome time in connection with New Zealand poetry—the ne«d of acme optimistic singers, who will "greet the tjnseen with a cheer." Why » there so inuch peseuniatio poetry produced in this young and cheerful country, why i* the minor key so much in favour? Wβ ehould be a vigorous and healthy community, and we shoald produce poeta of optimism, and not of pewimiem tanged occ*eionally with neurosis. We do not mean, in saying this, that there ie nothing to admire in Mr Bo»'» work, lor there » distinct ability in it. But pessimistic poetry, unless finely done, unless ''majestic in its sadness at the doubtful doom, of human kind, 1, ie apt to degenerate into a wail, and we are afraid that there is more than a. little of the wail in New Zealand Terse. It ia impossible to banish sin and sorrow from any community, bet we would think that in the wider horixon and the larger air of a young country, where social problem* do'riofc'oppress the imagination so much as in the Old World, a spirit of optimism and * conviction that " all* right ." with the world " woold have entered into eome of our young poete. Unfortunately just at present the New Zealand poet seems more "occupied In' imagining hhneelf the centre of a rather depressing, and, we Bpust, say, somewhat ' conventional love episode, than in proclaming the magic of natgr* and the jojr of life. It is not necessary that one ehould wholly awbeerib* to the creed thai life ie one tang sweet song, but it i«-desirable that we ehoott 1 at least occasionally, hear the expression of h militant , hopefulneae which -wovld point dearly to • goal. There are plenty of examples, if ow poet* will'only tarn to them. - There ie/for' inetaw*, Hftnky," an invalid all his life, who yet thanked "Whatever Gode.mey he, for ray ■aoon"querable soul." There u Stevesem, yk» epent his life in combatting coaem»|jsi«i and preaching the creed.of'viiale <heai#al*' aeM, and greatest of all, Robert BroWßinff, ■with Mβ "epleodid mueeslarity,*' who, ia his own words, "waa ener a fighter," end who "never doubted 'cloade womld break." If oar young authoni woald etady these men—4hey need not slavishly imitate thcea —instead of following tke eerbid ntoods txpieseed by cerUit Australian writers, our infant literaiiure would take on a Bore bracing and vigoroai tone.