Open Colum.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 199, 7 September 1894, Page 2

Open Colum.

[o>rr<wpawi4mu» u imttuj ** *•* >ocU, *i u nr <ia nut kald onrtUntt rrifKiuiUi far dtr ojnniant nf * rorrttpuumtUnU. )

fOETRY, SONG, MUSIC AND DANCE

[to tbb bditob.] These four emu sememe are so intimately related as to be inseparable. Of the first «wo it seems impossible te eay which is or has boon first in origin. Independent of the omer* the loot two a company each other, keeping time . but as in chanting, lilting or sweet lnllahy words and meaning* of deeds are indicated and repeated, we must assume that poetry. n< matter how simple, stands first m origin. From records of the remote past all four have been known and appreciated, and at the present time in all lands of opposite extreme* of temperature, ignorant aud refined alike have great love and #ncourage all of theee chief natural means and talents fer pleasure and mstnxstion. so much so as to warrant th* quotation, “ He that love* not poetry, music, dance aud song, there must be something wrong. At the last social ef the Club the perfor m meet were goad all round, but the chief sun we-, to encourage reciting in enamcier of Burns' national poems, for which prir.ee were g.ven. With this sun and view. I heartily agree, but we must go further j Man mere reciting to encourage poets te come forward and compete against those of old in what great good they did m snowing up tyrannical abuse# of power and axtortion by all manner of impostures and color of cloaks at risk ef life and all t:iey had. To poetry we owe our liberty of body and conscience, eecaoee in no otner way could abuses be shown up then, nor ean this be done now. The time is not pas: for the poet's nsef uluses or even necessity, and for these reasons 1 would suggest to ths committee of the Club to offer one prize for ike beet production in poetry of ilia past or present begin uing, say, from Burnt death, or in England from Shakespeare in auch a way as can be recited or sung, to have the * fleet of draw-ag the colony togetner in mutual defence of oar homes as of old. Theadvisableness. nay necessity, it neither improbable nor impossible. Tne effect of national wrong s«t to mu«ue and song are weli-knowa .a all lands, from He mar down to Shakespeare and Goethe. Foots uave not only described tne past, out the times in which they lived, and more i x>ked far into the future and told what hey saw. In their works they were keen observers of exceptional talents, m fact students of nature in its various and ever varying forms, seeking for laws in tne lawless. The present seems very favorable to the prednction of poetry. Ths past and present state of Caina and Japan, tneir relations to each other political and religious, the Chinese poeitioa re Buseia. and both re European and other melons ; generally, the unsettled conditions every- | whore between capital and laber. tae rumors of wars or revolutions, sssatems lions, teni to solve the great problaoas. tne probable result of tn.s war. taould j China be victor, to ourselves, and ths not unlikely war of in consequence. As a member of the Club I advise snotae*’ i prize to be given for such s poem, and •awards this our Government might well i be asked to as«:et as s national benefit and need. Around the camp fires in me early Coldfield days, and every great rush after, recitation, song, music end dance were indulged m very often till long pert midnight. and each did what he was best able to amuse or insiruet. There were eur evening meetings and concerts at which the human chryst*ls cams forth, seme of tneir owe free will, others after a deal of persuasion. Many could 1 name who owe taeir great successes after to their first appearance on the camp fire stag*. Our actors and audience#, being composed of strangers to *och other in manner and speech and from many lands, sometimes caused great mirth, but in song and recui tag by those who understand, the excitement t>c,am* so .nienae as not safe to •peek of them except m praise, and each c<s:med tneir own poet* as far above all others. This than seemed strange to ms. I have since learn: is.* mu*; be so. a* best understood were born great. Poet* seen* to her# appeared when needed like a beautiful star dimlv seen at first, but becoming brighter ms nearer their journeys end. leaving mankind ths better by their light so ably and kindly diffused. In conclusion 1 hereby, m justice to the Club, aeeert that 1 have not seen say of that drunken behaviour which 1 wa» told no Bums Club could resit;; nay. more. 1 have *«en lue tables loaded in ail manner of sheer, but no; one abuse as a result. Each and sll were perfect masters of i lemtelves. and so mote it ever be. amen. Now. aa poetry to understand and appro ciats must mean intellectual superiority, so here the members and managers of tae Club are a credit to ihemtelve*. and no donbt as a club will be a great benefit iu the future.—l am. Ac.. G. H. Kbmpvk