THE COLONIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11892, 29 December 1916, Page 7

THE COLONIAL.

A POET'S RECANTATION. In the current Christ-mas number of "Blue and White," the magazine of St Patrick's College, there is an item of very great interest. This is # ft "recantation" l>y Mrs Meynell, which is of not more interest to colonials as Mich than to students of _ iiteraturp everywhere. Mrs Meynell, it appears, selected "Blue and White" as tho moans for making hor 'retraction public. It is as follows: Ho who has never written a lino, " which dying ho would wish to blot," is an author greatly to bo envied. I, not waiting for the last recantations of death, luivo a whole essay I wish to blot. Living I ask pardon of tho colonies for certain pages, of which, I am happy to hope, not, many colonies may havo any knowledge. T. shall withdraw it from tho next edition of my book, and I shall never republish it. Tlie titlo of tho essay was, I thought then, rather a success: " Decivilisod." It was written because, at a colonial party :in London, there had been recitations. Tho verses wero in a tasto that annoyed mo (being tliou younger and more irritable). I thought there was in them a vain show of youth, novelty, roughness, promise undefined but insistent; whereas the poetry was aged, hereditary, enfeebled. Authors and. reciters a little dec-ivilised seemed to be pretending that they wero a littlo uncivilised. I whotted my pen against them. Somo little truth thcro may havo been in my criticism, but some misunderstanding also. And now that tho colonies havo sent us heroes of tlvo most idoal spirit, tho most magnanimous nature, fresh in enthusiasm and yet ripo in resolution and judgment, iwhait shall wo say of tho young men, apart from tho " poets"? What is a literary grievance in face of that army ? Yet even in the matter of literature lam answered and humiliated. The flncs-fi student of letters and tho man of tho widest and deepest reading I havo mot for many years was a young colonial, who had come over to fight for England; if to dio for her, a wonderful life will be cut at onethird of its duo of days. It seems to me, in my tardy penitence, that the colonial of to-day, educated, energetic, and devoted, is neither the uncivilised of the boast of pioneer poetry, nor the dec.ivilised of my hasty retort, but the civilised man himself. .