WOMEN'S VERSES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 9

WOMEN'S VERSES.

Lady Margaret Sackvillo, herself a distinguished contributor, has mitten Bii introduction to an anthology publish, ed by .Messrs. Herbert and Daniel—"A Book of Verso 'Written by Living Women," somo twenty or thirty of whom are represented. Though there are ono or two names missing which wo should have expected to fiind, tho collection is n good one; and yet there is hardly a famous nnmo here unless it bo that'of Mrs. Mcyncll, tho "recognised head" of tho women poets, and there is not a famous poem unless it bo her "rteiiouiinc'inent," which, wo may still remember, Kuskin praised. Felicia Heaians, Eliza Cook, and Mrs. Norton are yet morn famous than any of those who writa with so little encouragement to-day, though tho verse of these older poetesses, as wo suppose they should be called, would seem poor stuff beside that of Mrs. Moynell and Miss Robinson. Everything in this volume is res-

portable, and much is very good; Lady Margaret Sackvillo—if, as wo suppose, tho choico is hers —has had tho discretion to exclude tho laborious audacities which, though sho finds them characteristic of Frenchwomen rather than of Englishwomen, aro common to thoso who follow certain great things slavishly,' Tljerc is littlo hero that aims at being terrific and not a great deal, perhups, that is poignant, but thero is much that is sincere. Perhaps a casual perusal of such a book may leave tho impression that, with ono or two excoptious, tho sincerity dees not reveal anything very individual, but very much tho samo might bo said of an anthology of men's verse if somo hnlfdozcn wero excluded—say Mr. Bridges, Mr. Hardy, Mr. Kipling, Mr. ; Watson, Mr. Syinons, Mr. Sturgo Mooro; possibly vorsc-writ-ors, mora : than other bodies of artists, look at'things in tho saino way, or have, a common stock of symbols. But if thero is not'-'a Christina Rossotti today, neither is thero a Wordsworth or a Browning. Wo may console ourselves with our high standards or with tho personal note which, perhaps unjustly, wo have suggested is sometimes lacking in this volume. We find, nt least, refinement; theso women touch things tenderly and with beautiful discretions. Thoso who look back with regret to tho days of tho poetesses, whoso work Lady Margaret Sackvillo finds "sweet, gentle, timid, unconsciously insincere," may find some comfort oven in this latter, comparatively vigorous work; they may oven find it womniily and far removed from social and political agitations. Yet, though theso seem hardly to have disturbed tho current of woman's verse, wo suspect that theso women who writo so reassuringly aro very much tho samo as thoso who aro working for tho voto or oven breaking tho peace. Presently, perhaps, theso earnest social preoccupations will bo reflected in women's poetry, which may bo at onco tho worso and the- better for it.—"Manchester Guardian.", . '=:■