FOUR VOLUMES OF AUSTRALASIAN VERSL

Otago Witness, Issue 2855, 2 December 1908, Page 77

FOUR VOLUMES OF AUSTRALASIAN VERSL

"Poems." By J. Giles, M.R.C.S., L.S.A. Whitcombe and Tombs (ss). " Musings in Maoriland." By James Sillaks. Wairarapa Daily Times: Mast«rton (2s 6d). "Sea and Sky." By J. Le Gay^Bkbbeton. T. C. Lothian: Melbourne (3s 6d.) "Fire o' the Flame," being the fourth number of ' The Heart of the Rose." T-. C. Lothian : Melbourne (Is). None can- deny that the spirit of poetry is' to be found in the free lands, and if any be inclined to doubt it w« could point to these four little volumes, which have just left the publishers' hands to come into ours. Here we find what may well be described as the gleanings of a half-cen-tury, for the first of Mr Giles's poems takes us back to the death of Prince Albert in 1862, and some of Mr Sillars's are probably as old, though they carry no date; while Mr Le Gay Brereton and the various authors of the "Fire o* the Flame" breathe the atmosphere of the most modern movement of the twentieth century; Between the two extremes we have Hie pleasant reminiscences of the Masterton poet, who lias spent most of his life in New Zealand, and appeals in homely language to the homely reader, sometimes breaking into "braw Scots," as in "A New Year's Greeting," and again touching the note of patriotism which thrilled through the country when the contingents sailed for South Africa, or the news of the relief of Mafeking lifted a load from many British hearts. Mr Sdllars preaches a hopeful, optimistic doctrine. Witness, the verses entitled " Nature's Justice," in which he reminds us that There's always a joy for a sorrow, There's ever 'a song for » sigh, — There's a^smile for a frown, And an up for a down In this world — if to find it you try. Where cruelty is there conies kindneaa— The world's not as bad as they say: There's a good for an,, ill Just to balance the bill — And *fter our labour comes play. Which may not be fine poetry, but is certainly good common sense. The same cheerful and encouraging sentiment assures us that No mortal man Was «ver born since, the world began Who lived a life, of joy alone. To whom weie sorrows all unknown: Or he whose life was spent in grief But knew some joy, however brief. and in this comforting observation of the mingled joy and sorrow of the common cup he finds the assurance " that all's for the best in this best of all possible worlds." This gentleman varies has olla podrida with some legends of Glasgow and its neighbourhood, and numerous political semi-humorous skits, which the always acceptable at election times. But we like him best when he sings "A Song for the Unsuccessful " or assures us that " Life is Worth Living." Mr Giles strikes a deeper note, as becomes the S.M. of a city like Auckland. He has been through deep waters, as his fine poem " Somnium Vagum " abundantly proves, and he knows that he who has once see the Goddess of Wisdom can never " hope to find . . freedom from her haunting spell," but that he must search arid search through " the spirit's inner temple " and " the chambers of the brain " for answers to questions the solutions to which only the strong heart can bear. Here we have the deep truth, from which ©o many would-be questioners •hrink : I know I die without Tbee: but th« might Of Thy keen word, — hath it not power to ehake And shatter utterly my soul's delight? and in hi 6 outlook, on the world he sees nothing but "greed and hate and ignorance, and pines for the better times, •when Man might deal some wrong a downright blow. And give deliverance to the nations vexed, m\d implores the Goddess of Wisdom to .-■how him what it all means, the reasons, s»nd the way of escape. She can only point " through the slow years to the evolving plan," and bid him Draw then from stately vistas of tb« past High inspiration for the present strife: jFor surely now the wor!_d proeeedetb. fust '£o larger issues and to fuller ]ife. But evolution yields cold comfort to the burning heart of the poet anxious to reform the world, and in the end *he transfers his allegiance from the Goddess of Wisdom to the Goddess Humanity and her child Promise, who through the " long, long years " seek to get Jfore of men's love, that w» may rise thereby To strange perfection, undisclosed as yet. For surely it must come that men shall know Themselves and me — ah! slow, slow hearts! «ad I. Renewed with p'iising tides of love, shall grow j More strong and lovely as the ages fly. And this my child, whose name is Promise, shows, I With brightening eyes, Hope's heavenly I path and gate. j MoTe beautiful my bud of beauty grows As the years pass, y-et keeps his "baby state. And the poet questions her c concerning ' the mysteries of sin and evil, and the monstrous growths of fear and ignorance, and • inquires : t Can things that have been not be? Canst thou draw Into thy veins pure ichor? Art thou built Flawless end stainless? What supernal law Can thus annul, yet could not hinder, guilt ? And she, confident in the sublime conviction of the restitution of all things, ' assures him that though j ■ Death doth die, the Life remains. I This poem is so much the finest as well As tbf longest of Mr Giles's published

| work, and conveys so strong and healthy ■ a conviction "of man's high goal," so clear a " vision of the pilgrim soul," combined with the certainty that vision is of necessity hidden " until earth's shows no more deceive," before which time ' Nor god nor demigod can wrest j Us prematurely from thy breast, that we are reluctant to leave it, and do I not fail to note that the deep heart of the questioning philosopher, like that of the simple singer of the people, finds its { only comfort in the assurance that all men " live in the eternal life," and that so living none can really suffer loss. An- ! other fine poem much on the same lines is 1 that entitled " Spiritus Scantus," in which the author points out much that is beautiful in the Christian Soctrine of the Trinity, declaring, however, that — Not for God nor heaven may we forego Our duty of analysis, keen-edged, 1 To test whatever dogmas are alleged ' Divinely given. I Here, too, we are urged to lift our brethTen by " love and light," and find revealed , in ourselves and them "a better, higher I self . . . and know it one with Thee." This little volume contains many other fine verses on local and other subjects, a few good sonnets, of which we prefer "On Reading 'A Record of Ellen Watson,' " "On Reading 'An African Farm," " Milton " and " Shelley,"' some touching In Memorian verses, especially those dedicated to tht memory of "A. M. S., Obit. 23rd August, 1896," and some beautiful thoughts appropriate to the "Golden Wedding of 18th January, 1908," breathing the spirit of imtnortaJ love which ia able to '' transmute our germ of mutual love to higher " I And ripen it to larger love Of souls around, beneath, above^ To Onene"ss brought. Till round us flows the Life Supreme, Unstirred by strife, unvexed by dream, Unchanged by Time. Though the questions of life and its philosophy are the same in all ages, the methods of the expression of the 7 query I and its attempted solution vary with every I generation, almost with every decade. As } Mr G. K. Chesterton has recently shown ' in his " Orthodoxj'," each one thinks that his doubts are safred and peculiar to himself, just as pach lover thinks that no one ever so loved before. It is a common 1 error, and just because it is so common we may be sure that it is absolutely j natural. Nature repeats herself in many^ ways, but all the repetitions have one general purpose — eelf-evolution. So it is that the younger poets repeat in substance, j though in more passionate terms, the universal cry voiced by Ajax, "light, more , light." ' J | Mr Le Gay BTereton, in his delightfully got-up volume, " Sea and Sky," speaks of — Finding the utmost pleasure . That love can force from pain, ' and of the " fierce quest " which in its ignorance seeks to live " for life's own cake," but still acknowledge the value of ■ The ache of unending need, Lest we should have peace and forget, j and worships at "the shrine of the god who, for the sake of the One. still moulds the many apart," and thus claims — like St. Francis-^kinsbip with "The Silver Gulf." O sister warm wind-nestling bird, we two Are there like flying flakes against the blue. 1 Mr Brereton is a true poet. Not only has he something to say, but he says it in the most melodious manner possible ; he has fin-s thoughts and the eift of expression. He is an artist, and the rhythm of his lines when read aloud is a keen pleasure to the sensitive eaT. His sonnets, that particularly difficult method of expression, ' though few in number, are fine, and we would draw special attention to the one dedicated to the memory of "F. L," bej ginning — ' Because he dwelt among us these few years, •Even in the hour of grief let us be glad. ' and ending : Death! to what high emprise dost call him now? With sterner sacrifice shell he be blest Than heart and brain of mortal birth may share? Or shall he gather power in Sabbath rest? Or hast thou greener laurel for his brow ! Than this, our wondrous world of dreams, I can bear? i The love-poems, under the title of " The Shoreless Sea," are full of delicate passion, ," a depth beyond the flight of dream," which yet contains the thrill of fear — I Cling to me, love, and dare not let me go : ! Kiss me as though it were our time to die, and finds its fullest expression in the Epithalamiuin : Out of the ever-unfolding heart of -the Rose • of flame, Born of the scent and the colour of infinite life you canie, And I who was waiting, waiting, heard music splash from the height, And stood amazed as the flesh-pink flush dawned eastward over the night. • • < • • Never again am I lonely, nevei we twain I may part. For you came to me. who waited, put of the Rose's heart. W« mix and are one for ever, spirit and flesh combine, Molten and moulded by lov c till naught ' of our Being is mine or thine. The dainty poems under the heading " Oithona " touch on the anticipation of the coming of the dream-child of the wedded lovers, and eventually rejoices even in The rumpled dress That folds so kindly round our little maid. That even the robes wherein she is arrayed Partake her loveliness. But before that happy consummation there is a poem called " Waiting," which will surely appeal to the heart of every wouldbe parent, while in "Incarnation" the " little queen of dreams/ Takes on her human form, is here in mortal sight. , In his " Foreword and Afterward " Mr i Brereton claims the prerogative of the poet ' to teach as well sus to dream: — ■

For though my feet have bled, ! This way I had to tread: And though I wearied, stumbled sank and fell, For me at least the way To the Mountains of the Day Was through the gloom where Fear and ! ' Horror dwell. And by the help you gave I have left a track to save The pilgrim in the Gorge of Lack of Cheer, Through, lie. Track of Leafless Trees, And the Lana oi L^tle E&ge To the Paradise that stretches- round us here". The fourth book on our list is not wholly i a collection of poems — though the so-called prose is little more than unrhymed poetry — and is the work of several authors. It is introduced by a splendid ringing sonnet from the pen of Miss B. E. Baughan, the talented author of " Shingle Short," enI titled " Out on the Open Road," and ! breathes the strong optimistic conviction : Creature of circumstance, creature of self, ever creature of God, • » "What have I to fear? This is followed by a " Hymn to ! Krishna," by Louis Esson ; "A Cycle of I Delight," by Shalott ; a powerfully realistic poem, " Through the River," showing the suffering of the " outcast sinner," who | has- lived and suffered, fallen and risen j again, by E. C. Other pieces of varying merit follow, among which we may speci- j ally mention " Love's Pageantry," as " Seen in a vision of the night by Winifred Odd," and " Recorded by J. Le* Gay Brereton " ; "Fantasy," by Spencer Gray, and "Selene " by Altair. ,This little brochure is daintily gut, up by Mr Lot-jjian, and is eTinched on its paper cover by Walt Whitman's "Song of the Answerer." It is the fourth number of the series, entitled " The Heart of the Rose," and we imagine that j it is intended for, as it would make, an . ideal little Christmas gift. ' I — l