POETRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22114, 18 November 1933, Page 4

POETRY

MR ALLEN’S SCHOLARLY MUSE " Cinna the Poet and Other Verses." By C. R. Allen. Henley-on-Thames (Oxon.): The Author’s Press. (3s 6d net.) No one can accuse Mr C. R. Allen of confining himself to either a single theme or a single metrical form. In “ Cinna the Poet and Other Verses” he has collected a number of poems so varied in their style and subject that one cannot but admire the author’s versatility. There are in this little volume two narrative poems, eleven lyrics, eight sonnets, and five fanciful pieces, while the themes which inspire him are even more diverse. Some of his versos, such as those on Newman, Aubrey Beardsley, Milton, and Chopin, deal skilfully with famous characters; others, like “ The Seagull ” and “Antiphon," are drawn from the poet’s observation of natural beauty. Some, like “ Cock-Crow ” and “ Bethseda,” are religious in theme; others again, such as “ The Lawn-Mower ” and “ The Little Birds of Knightsbrjdge,” are light and whimsical. The book opens with two narrative poems, “ Cinna the Poet ” and “ Father.” The first of these tells briefly the lifestory of the ill-fated Cinna, surrounded by the maddened rioters, who, thrusting aside his explanation that he is not Cinna the traitor but Cinna the poet, strike him mercilessly down. The whole story is vividly and sympathetically told. In the shorter poems and sonnets the thoughtful precision with which Mr Allen chooses his words and expressions is seen to advantage. The opening lines of “Melody” are simple but effective:— We who listen recognise Melody as one would greet A friend at noonday In the street. Fingers are described in another poem as Eyes of the heart that vacillate and fumble. Seeking perfection by some hidden gauge. Indeed, it is in these shorter pieces that the author is to be seen at his best; his delicate, scholarly Muse seems to revel iii the creation of such forms as the sonnet. Rarely, however, do we find a realistic element in his verse, and “The Seagull ” will therefore come as something of a surprise to his readers. The first verse envelops the bird in an atmosphere of poignant mystery;— Your distant cries, the ambient silence rending. Interpret unplumbed longing and unending, You restless ghost of some old qulnquereme. Then there is an abrupt transition, and we are given a picture of the seagull, “ acquisitive and raucous,” hovering over the garbage to be found within the harbour. The last five poems are for the most part whimsical in style. It is a vein in which the author excels, and “ The Little Birds of Knightsbridge ” and “ Renewal ” are filled with a light, delicate, almost fantastic charm. The concluding poem, entitled “ The Tinker,” makes humorous reference to the poet’s selfappointed task. He modestly disclaims all pretensions to greatness, and expresses his purpose quaintly in the lines:— Poets are born, but In our trade A Jobbing rhymster can be .made. And here my tinker's hat I'll stake You'll find no more than needful smudge Of solder on the pans I make. We can assure Mr Allen that his pots and pans are well worth the making. W. W. B.