"NOT UNDERSTOOD."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20841, 7 April 1931, Page 10

"NOT UNDERSTOOD."

THOMAS BRACKEN'S LINES. AUTHORSHIP QUESTIONED. The best-known poem of the New Zealand author Thomas Bracken, " Not Understood," has lately come in for a good deal of attention in tho columns of John o' London's Weekly. Some months ago a correspondent wrote to the editor, quoting one of the verses, and inquiring as to its authorship. In a subsequent issue another correspondent replied that the poem was anonymous, but was supposed to be tho work of a Canadian. Then a New Zealander in England wrote stating its real authorship. and when the next mail from New Zealand reached London it brought to tho Weekly a letter from an Aucklander claiming tho credit for Bracken, and mentioning some particulars of his career Later still, somebody sent to tho "Question and Answer" column of John o' London an inquiry for information about a poem, of which lie said that each verse ended with the words " If we only understood," or something similar. The resemblance to the production of the Olago poet is sufficiently near to suggest that it was his poem that, the inquirer had in mind. Still, the latest issue of John o' London to hand shows that there is a poem entitled " If Man Only Understood," by James Allen, in six verses, each ending with the line. " If they only understood." l'lie contributor who submits it, however, suggests that what the inquirer sought was " Not Understood." and he quotes the iirst verse, but attributes its authorship to D'Auvorgne Barnard, and says it occurs in a musical monologue published at Home. Nobody who knew Tom Bracken will doubt that " Not Understood" wasi his own handiwork. It appears in his volume of collected verse, " Musings in Maoriland," issued in 1800, and bad received press publicity long before that date—so long before that there is 110 room for any supposition that he took evon tho theme from tho Allen noem—lho probability seems to be quite the nlher way. As to the Barnard mono iogue. it is quite evident that that is an anthology from the works of other writers, and its compiler has recognised the merit of the work of the New Zealander and adapted it. " Not Understood" has been included in othor musical monologues that have been heard in tho Dominion.