MODERN VERSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 6

MODERN VERSE.

We -must ' (writes ■ the."Man- ' ,Chester -Guardian") ■,the:'.' appearance V of "The;.Tlirushi"'' ; a. shilling monthly that •is; to- give' .to' thepoets who cannot publish: books ;and-perhaps also 'to somerof those, who,, can ; and• do. ' About half- tho .first.' number- is ■ taken up with verses by ; writers - known and - unknown, aid of-, the rest the principal; thing is an articlo!:on.. "Modern, Poetryl', by,.Mr.. P; 11.' Hueifer;. : "Of ; Victorian - poetry,".;says Hueifer, ? "I : , must - confess . to diking. . really' onlya : ■: fojr »poems • .of ■ ■ Browning's - •and; ai .very ..considerable ."number i. of, Christina Bossetti's," ;.apd. perhaps 'an-, other man'would'have kept-quiet about it. Yet though Mr^'Huetfer's" criticism is . not half as, good as his. novel-writing,. Jhe-does not makerhis. point-. quite interesting about modern verse.-. It is that as our life ,is a dance' of -midges we naturally .produce .in-our verso, and els.e'where "lin.'infinite -flicker of .small .Vitalities," of, ;"intimate shades, of personalities." . The interesting thiig is that Mr.f.Hueffer« accepts - this without wincing, ' ior he .likes the, delicate; varieties .better than thOibulkihg personality. We arei'not. very clea.r ; how., far .he believes .that ,the great"'receding .figures- are;' not' really great at all, but ."there may be amongst' ' us; half-a-dozen poets as- great- as .Tenhy-: ■son," who 'Mr. Hueifer happens .to:know,• was "a' : ratlior, disagreeable man.";' The jolly thing is'.'-that;' each'.of, us. has got some kind of .a.soul,',:and'a' noble ; claim', •ja ;made - for .- mere, ' individuals.'. -.'.•Mr. HuefEer -bolieves : that'--almost.- every.- man-, could; writo.; one good; poem., "Just- for bpee;": he says, . "cmotiori 'will produce in him sincerity and-a -gift'j of expressionlasting for a ; few minutes."' But'why only once, and why only for a. few,'.minutes?, ,Tlie. sequence is; perfectly .correct,'-.and, wo have ojily to tread-on: a man's corn .to prove this, but' his-'gift: of expression caiinofc.be exhausted, on a-single'occasion. If every nian : ;isi good r for'a poem,", tho editor) of • "The.: Thrush" - should:, be,' able ' to keep'-'things' : goihg if : only by' the aid of', tho, ;london : Directory. . Jhe first number- has.-a "nice variety: of pieces without' any - menace.' of .-the ■ colossal, monumental figure, that would bo an, em- : harassing* anachronism. .Whether, this or. v that : piece is good'or'bad does-not-matter ; very much , perhaps, and, whatever may ' be' tho: truth; about poetical inspiration,; these verse-writerscannot : rise to the' heights- of their' possibilities every 'trine. Yet tho average cultivated man " may,; find it worth while .to explore a. ; of modern literature .that continues to • produce . many' beautiful and individualthings,'' and "The • Thrush ' shouldgive , him the opportunity he requires.. ..