Rewi Alley’s Verse

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31984, 10 May 1969, Page 4

Rewi Alley’s Verse

Upsurge: Asia And The P»aflc. By Rewi Alley. Caxton. 73 pp. hM Uved ln the Far East for a long time, and has developed a profound Interest in tiie Asian peoples *nd a deep sympathy with their problems, be they educational, artistic, religious, economic or political. His verse has always tended to concentrate on *the last two aspects, and this volume is no exception. He clearly has plenty of knowledge of his subject matter, but tends to be rather ■ spuing in the amount of factual information he allows the reader of Us poems.

Sometimes his fervency carries him too fast Into abstraction, and what could be forceful debate melts into a vague and stubborn veto. As hymns for the converted, such work will be popular, but to those whose view of tiie world situation does not operate in terms of “imperialism,” “the establishment," “fascism,” or

i “sub-human morons" the repeated use of such diction will be virtually meaningless. That the volume is intended ' for a general audience is indi- ; cated in Gordon McArthur’s § reface: “They could not-do lese dirty things if their own 1 working people Were fully ’ conscious of what is going ■ on.” Unfortunately," “Up--1 surge” gives, at best, only a 1 very vague idea of “what is 1 going on." > ; 1 It is, however, a consider--1 able relief to encounter :a “ poet who has some strong’ 1 beliefs which dominate, his, 1 work.' Mr Alley’s attitude to literattire, aS stated in “How; 1 To/Mpve.” is strongly against aestheticism, but that poem is much more than simply functional—it is almost beauti-

ful This is because for dhte: Mr Alley really considers his ; audience, and tries to Stimu- ! Ist* it purposefully. However, many other verses which are heavily rhetorical in attitude break down and sometimes lose contact completely.