TOPICS OF THE DAY

Press, Volume L, Issue 14975, 23 May 1914, Page 10

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Inspiration in Poetry. Are\poets inspired or merely constructive geniuses? The "Hibbert Journal" has an article by Professor Macneill Dixon, of Glasgow, discussing this often discussed point. Imagination to Wordsworth was only "Reason in its most exalted mood;" and Bergson insists that "poetic imagination is but a fuller view of reality." But far the greatest number of poets themselves are amongst the believers in direct inspiration. Herrick ascribed bis verso productiveness to a "brave spirit" in whose absenco he could not write—' " 'Tis not every day that I Fitted am to prophecy; .. Kay, but when the spirit fills The fantastic panicles Full of fire, then I write As the Goddess doth indite.'" Shelley firmly believed in "inspired moments." Milton's muse makes her nightly visitation, ! "Arid dictates to mc, slumbering, -or inspires Eaey my unpremeditated verse." Scott testifies that the writing of verses seems to depend upon something separato from the volition of the author. "I sometimes think my fingers set up for themselves, independent of my head." Robert Louis Stevenson had his band of independent Brownes, and the more he thought of them tho more inclined was ho to press upon the world his question, "Who are tho Little People?" Even the prose writer has felt his inspiration as a thing apart. "I wonder," says Thackeray, "do other novelwriters experience this fatalism? They must go a certain way, in spite of themselves. I hav'o been surprised at tho observations made by some of my characters. If seems as if an occult power was moving the pen." And George Eliot believed that in her best writing th'ero was a "not-hersolf" which took possession of her, while her own personality became "merely tho instrument through which this spirit was acting."' The musical genius has a liko experience. "Whence and how I know not," wrote Mozart, "all tho invention and construction go on in mc as in a fine, strong dream," and genius, to him, was tho law of subjection to unsoen influences. "You will never do anything if you have to think how you are to do it." Heino went so far as to hear whirring wings about his head when tho right mood had arrived for composition I And a curious item is that evil spirits are dispersed by music, ko tho good spirit of poetry draws near when attracted by rhythmic sounds. Much of Wordsworth's best work was composed to tho murmur of a running brook. Coleridge could have written for ever if ho had beon "perfectly free from vexation and in the 'ad libitum' hearing of good music." Again, in the caso of Burns, versos rose into Jus mind to tho accompaniment cf old and remembered airs, "and took their perfect shape, as when Ilion to Apollo's lyre, 'like a mist rose into towers.' "

jt Circular House. The proposal was made recently by Sir Francis Fox, in giving evidence on the subject of tho ventilation of tho House of Commons before the Committee of the House, that th© Chamber should be reconstructed so as to bo round instead of square, the benchessto bo arranged in semicircular tiers, as in. the French Chamber of Deputies, the Houses of Parliament in Stockholm, Berne, Budapest, and in the Capitol at Washington. It was pointed out in support of the proposal that euch an alteration would both improve the acoustio properties of the building, and provide moro accommodation for visitors and tho Press reporting staffs. At the present timo representatives of foreign newspapers who wish to attend a debate in tho House have great difficulty in obtaining a seat in the Press gallery, whilo

, it is only by a system known w ,,- ]j an . . garooing/' that even well-known [ don dailies can get their mcs s ia(<} the ; gallery for a few hours a <lay£.bthers [ being unable to obtaiu scats at a \\ i Many voices, however, haro bee n in protest against tho proposal, First • and foremost, there is the obstacle of ' "tradition,"' which many hold will prove insuperable. A gentleman who has ' seen most of tho Continental debating ' chambers, gave a "Standard ,, represent . tative some moro logical arguin cn t s in favour of retaining the prcseut arrangement of the Hou?e. Britisli politicians, ho says, aro psychologically un- '. fitted to debat-o in a semi-circular cham- ■ birr. "The Englishman is by nature , slow to speak. He docs not think [ readily when standing on his feet, and . he abhors making himself conspicuous " ; Tho Celtic and Latin races, oa the contrary, aro demonstrative, and more encouraged than embarrassed by an audience. Under the present system the British member who wishes to address tho chair., simply rises in his place to do so. In the Continental method of debate in semi-circular chambers tho member must walk down one of tho gangways, iako his place in tho rostrum, and thenco address the House. This proceeding, it is claimed, would bo moro than natural English modesty would bo equal to. Another point is that the "round" system would spoil "question time." As it is, the Government and Opposition members sit facing each other, aud can volley in their questions like a good exchange of broadsides. But in a semi-cir-cular House, presuming tho Government still occupied the front bench, all the bulk of tho members would bo able to sco of them would be tho backs of their heads, a condition of things which, it is suggested, would take all the life out of "question time." On tho whole it seems probable that a consensus of opinion will bo in favour of retaining the present shapo of the Chamber, in spito of all its imperfections. Frontier Tragedies. On the whole, the enlistment of North-West Frontier tribesmen under tho British flag, and their employment to keop tho peace in tho hill-country within British territory, answers admirably, but now and then a price has to be paid, and lately ifc has boon exceptionally heavy. Three months ago Captain Butler, of the Guides, who was acting in command of the Southern Waziristan Militia, was shot by one of his own men at an entertainment given in honour of one of the native officers. The man's explanation -was that on hearing tho eound of. native drums he suddenly had an impulse to kill a British officer. Six weeks ago an orderly attached to Major Dodd, Commandant of the corps, suddenly ran amok and killed his master and two other Britisli officers. Major Dodd, the English papers tell us, was one of the most brilliant men on the frontier, and his death is a very severe loss to the Service. Ho was only 42, but had a splendid record of successful work in that turbulont borderland. Hβ had

I served in Waziristan for ten years, and was devoted to the wild tribes under

his charge, and they reciprocated the feeling. It is said that no officer in that part of India had ever gained such .influence, and there is no doubt that had he lived the highest posts on the frontier would have been open to him. "Onco at Simla I asked a high, official what was tho most dangerous post that a man could hold* in India (.says a writer in the "Daily Telegraph.") He answered at once, 'Dodd's . . . You know him?' I eaid I did ,and I am thankful to-day that I knew Dodd." The Southern Waziristan Militia has been singularly unfortunate. The first commandant (Col. Harman) was murdered at mess by an orderly. Captain Butler, second in command to Major 2>odd, - Captain Brown, who took .his place, and Major Dodd himself, met a similar end. <t>ut there was. apparently nothing in the crimes to make one uneasy as to British prestige. Major Dodd was beloved by his murderer's fellow-tribesmen. They were part of the risk which officers have to take. It is tho best officers who run such risks, because the best are sent to these posts.