'Turning now to my verse—to myself the more individual part of my literary fruitage—I would say that, unlike some of the fiction, nothing interfered2 with the writer's freedom in respect of its form or content. Several of the poems—indeed many—were produced before novel-writing had been thought of as a pursuit; but few saw the light till all the novels had been published….
'The few volumes filled by the verse cover a producing period of some eighteen years first and last, while the seventeen or more volumes of novels represent correspondingly about four-and-twenty years. One is reminded by this disproportion in time and result how much more concise4 and quintessential expression becomes when given in rhythmic5 form than when shaped in the language of prose.'
Present Condition of English Poetry
Shall we, or shall we not, be serious? To be serious nowadays is to be ill-mannered, and what, murmurs6 the cynic, does it matter? We have our opinion; we know that there is a good deal of good poetry in the Georgian book, a little in Wheels.[13] We know that there is much bad poetry in the Georgian book, and less in Wheels. We know that there is one poem in Wheels beside the intense and sombre imagination of which even the good poetry of the Georgian book pales for a moment. We think we know more than this. What does it matter? Pick out the good things, and let the rest go.
[Footnote 13: Georgian Poetry, 1918-1919. Edited by E.M. (The
Poetry Bookshop.)
Wheels. Fourth Cycle. (Oxford: B.H. Blackwell.)]
And yet, somehow, this question of modern English poetry has become important for us, as important as the war, important in the same way as the war. We can even analogise. Georgian Poetry is like the Coalition7 Government; Wheels is like the Radical8 opposition9. Out of the one there issues an indefinable odour of complacent10 sanctity, an unctuous11 redolence of union sacrée; out of the other, some acidulation of perversity12. In the coalition poets we find the larger number of good men, and the larger number of bad ones; in the opposition poets we find no bad ones with the coalition badness, no good ones with the coalition goodness, but in a single case a touch of the apocalyptic13, intransigent, passionate14 honesty that is the mark of the martyr15 of art or life.
On both sides we have the corporate16 and the individual flavour; on both sides we have those individuals-by-courtesy whose flavour is almost wholly corporate; on both sides the corporate flavour is one that we find intensely disagreeable. In the coalition we find it noxious17, in the opposition no worse than irritating. No doubt this is because we recognise a tendency to take the coalition seriously, while the opposition is held to be ridiculous. But both the coalition and the opposition—we use both terms in their corporate sense—are unmistakably the product of the present age. In that sense they are truly representative and complementary each to the other; they are a fair sample of the goodness and badness of the literary epoch18 in which we live; they are still more remarkable19 as an index of the complete confusion of ?sthetic values that prevails to-day.
The corporate flavour of the coalition is a false simplicity20. Of the nineteen poets who compose it there are certain individuals whom we except absolutely from this condemnation21, Mr de la Mare22, Mr Davies, and Mr Lawrence; there are others who are more or less exempt23 from it, Mr Abercrombie, Mr Sassoon, Mrs Shove, and Mr Nichols; and among the rest there are varying degrees of saturation24. This false simplicity can be quite subtle. It is compounded of worship of trees and birds and contemporary poets in about equal proportions; it is sicklied over at times with a quite perceptible varnish25 of modernity, and at other times with what looks to be technical skill, but generally proves to be a fairly clumsy reminiscence of somebody else's technical skill. The negative qualities of this simplesse are, however, the most obvious; the poems imbued26 with it are devoid27 of any emotional significance whatever. If they have an idea it leaves you with the queer feeling that it is not an idea at all, that it has been defaced, worn smooth by the rippling28 of innumerable minds. Then, spread in a luminous29 haze30 over these compounded elements, is a fundamental right-mindedness; you feel, somehow, that they might have been very wicked, and yet they are very good. There is nothing disturbing about them; ils peuvent être mis dans toutes les mains; they are kind, generous, even noble. They sympathise with animate31 and inanimate nature. They have shining foreheads with big bumps of benevolence32, like Flora33 Casby's father, and one inclines to believe that their eyes must be frequently filmed with an honest tear, if only because their vision is blurred34. They are fond of lists of names which never suggest things; they are sparing of similes36. If they use them they are careful to see they are not too definite, for a definite simile35 makes havoc37 of their constructions, by applying to them a certain test of reality.
But it is impossible to be serious about them. The more stupid of them supply the matter for a good laugh; the more clever the stuff of a more recondite38 amazement39. What is one to do when Mr Monro apostrophises the force of Gravity in such words as these?—
'By leave of you man places stone on stone;
He scatters40 seed: you are at once the prop3
Among the long roots of his fragile crop
You manufacture for him, and insure
House, harvest, implement41, and furniture,
And hold them all secure.'
We are not surprised to learn further that
'I rest my body on your grass,
And let my brain repose42 in you.'
All that remains43 to be said is that Mr Monro is fond of dogs ('Can you smell the rose?' he says to Dog: 'ah, no!') and inclined to fish—both of which are Georgian inclinations44.
Then there is Mr Drinkwater with the enthusiasm of the just man for moonlit apples—'moon-washed apples of wonder'—and the righteous man's sense of robust45 rhythm in this chorus from 'Lincoln':—
'You who know the tenderness
Of old men at eve-tide,
Coming from the hedgerows,
Coming from the plough,
And the wandering caress46
Of winds upon the woodside,
When the crying yaffle goes
Underneath47 the bough48.'
Mr Drinkwater, though he cannot write good doggerel49, is a very good man.
In this poem he refers to the Sermon on the Mount as 'the words of light
From the mountain-way.'
Mr Squire50, who is an infinitely51 more able writer, would make an excellent subject for a critical investigation52 into false simplicity. He would repay a very close analysis, for he may deceive the elect in the same way as, we suppose, he deceives himself. His poem 'Rivers' seems to us a very curious example of the faux bon. Not only is the idea derivative53, but the rhythmical54 treatment also. Here is Mr de la Mare:—
'Sweet is the music of Arabia
In my heart, when out of dreams
I still in the thin clear murk of dawn
Descry55 her gliding56 streams;
Hear her strange lutes on the green banks
Ring loud with the grief and delight
Of the dim-silked, dark-haired musicians
In the brooding silence of night.
They haunt me—her lutes and her forests;
No beauty on earth I see
But shadowed with that dream recalls
Her loveliness to me:
Still eyes look coldly upon me,
Cold voices whisper and say—
"He is crazed with the spell of far Arabia,
They have stolen his wits away."'
And here is a verse from Mr Squire:—
'For whatever stream I stand by,
And whatever river I dream of,
There is something still in the back of my mind
From very far away;
There is something I saw and see not,
A country full of rivers
That stirs in my heart and speaks to me
More sure, more dear than they.
'And always I ask and wonder
(Though often I do not know it)
Why does this water not smell like water?…'
To leave the question of reminiscence aside, how the delicate vision of Mr de la Mare has been coarsened, how commonplace his exquisite57 technique has become in the hands of even a first-rate ability! It remains to be added that Mr Squire is an amateur of nature,—
'And skimming, fork-tailed in the evening air,
When man first was were not the martens there?'—
and a lover of dogs.
Mr Shanks, Mr W.J. Turner, and Mr Freeman belong to the same order. They have considerable technical accomplishment58 of the straightforward59 kind—and no emotional content. One can find examples of the disastrous60 simile in them all. They are all in their degree pseudo-na?ves. Mr Turner wonders in this way:—
'It is strange that a little mud
Should echo with sounds, syllables61, and letters,
Should rise up and call a mountain Popocatapetl,
And a green-leafed wood Oleander.'
Of course Mr Turner does not really wonder; those four lines are proof positive of that. But what matters is not so much the intrinsic value of the gift as the kindly62 thought which prompted the giver. Mr Shanks's speciality is beauty. He also is an amateur of nature. He bids us: 'Hear the loud night-jar spin his pleasant note.' Of course, Mr Shanks cannot have heard a real night-jar. His description is proof of that. But again, it was a kindly thought. Mr Freeman is, like Mr Squire, a more interesting case, deserving detailed63 analysis. For the moment we can only recommend a comparison of his first and second poems in this book with 'Sabrina Fair' and 'Love in a Valley' respectively.
It is only when we are confronted with the strange blend of technical skill and an emotional void that we begin to hunt for reminiscences. Reminiscences are no danger to the real poet. He is the splendid borrower who lends a new significance to that which he takes. He incorporates his borrowing in the new thing which he creates; it has its being there and there alone. One can see the process in the one fine poem in Wheels, Mr Wilfred Owen's 'Strange Meeting':—
'It seemed that out of the battle I escaped
Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped64
Through granites65 which Titanic66 wars had groined.
Yet also there encumbered67 sleepers68 groaned69,
Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred.
Then, as I probed them, one sprang up, and stared
With piteous recognition in fixed70 eyes,
Lifting distressful71 hands as if to bless.
And by his smile, I knew that sullen72 hall.
With a thousand fears that vision's face was grained;
Yet no blood reached there from the upper ground,
And no guns thumped73, or down the flues made moan.
"Strange, friend," I said, "Here is no cause to mourn."
"None," said the other, "save the undone74 years,
The hopelessness. Whatever hope is yours,
Was my life also…"'
The poem which begins with these lines is, we believe, the finest in these two books, both in intention and achievement. Yet no one can mistake its source. It comes, almost bodily, from the revised Induction75 to 'Hyperion.' The sombre imagination, the sombre rhythm is that of the dying Keats; the creative impulse is that of Keats.
'None can usurp76 this height, return'd that shade,
But those to whom the miseries77 of the world
Are misery78, and will not let them rest.'
That is true, word by word, and line by line, of Wilfred Owen's 'Strange Meeting.' It touches great poetry by more than the fringe; even in its technique there is the hand of the master to be. Those monosyllabic assonances are the discovery of genius. We are persuaded that this poem by a boy like his great forerunner79, who had the certainty of death in his heart, is the most magnificent expression of the emotional significance of the war that has yet been achieved by English poetry. By including it in his book, the editor of Wheels has done a great service to English letters.
Extravagant80 words, it may be thought. We appeal to the documents. Read Georgian Poetry and read 'Strange Meeting.' Compare Wilfred Owen's poem with the very finest things in the Georgian book—Mr Davies's 'Lovely Dames,' or Mr de la Mare's 'The Tryst,' or 'Fare Well,' or the twenty opening lines of Mr Abercrombie's disappointing poem. You will not find those beautiful poems less beautiful than they are; but you will find in 'Strange Meeting' an awe81, an immensity, an adequacy to that which has been most profound in the experience of a generation. You will, finally, have the standard that has been lost, and the losing of which makes the confusion of a book like Georgian Poetry possible, restored to you. You will remember three forgotten things—that poetry is rooted in emotion, and that it grows by the mastery of emotion, and that its significance finally depends upon the quality and comprehensiveness of the emotion. You will recognise that the tricks of the trade have never been and never will be discovered by which ability can conjure82 emptiness into meaning.
It seems hardly worth while to return to Wheels. Once the argument has been pitched on the plane of 'Strange Meeting,' the rest of the contents of the book become irrelevant83. But for the sake of symmetry we will characterise the corporate flavour of the opposition as false sophistication. There are the same contemporary reminiscences. Compare Mr Osbert Sitwell's English Gothic with Mr T.S. Eliot's Sweeney; and you will detect a simple mind persuading itself that it has to deal with the emotions of a complex one. The spectacle is almost as amusing as that of the similar process in the Georgian book. Nevertheless, in general, the affected84 sophistication here is, as we have said, merely irritating; while the affected simplicity of the coalition is positively86 noxious. Miss Edith Sitwell's deliberate painted toys are a great deal better than painted canvas trees and fields, masquerading as real ones. In the poems of Miss Iris87 Tree a perplexed88 emotion manages to make its way through a chaotic89 technique. She represents the solid impulse which lies behind the opposition in general. This impulse she describes, though she is very, very far from making poetry of it, in these not uninteresting verses:—
'But since we are mere85 children of this age,
And must in curious ways discover salvation90
I will not quit my muddled91 generation,
But ever plead for Beauty in this rage.
'Although I know that Nature's bounty92 yields
Unto simplicity a beautiful content,
Only when battle breaks me and my strength is spent
Will I give back my body to the fields.'
There is the opposition. Against the righteous man, the mauvais sujet. We sympathise with the mauvais sujet. If he is persistent93 and laborious94 enough, he may achieve poetry. But he must travel alone. In order to be loyal to your age you must make up your mind what your age is. To be muddled yourself is not loyalty95, but treachery, even to a muddled generation.
[DECEMBER, 1919.
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1
definitive
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| adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的 | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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prop
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| vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山 | |
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concise
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| adj.简洁的，简明的 | |
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rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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coalition
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| n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合 | |
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radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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unctuous
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| adj.油腔滑调的，大胆的 | |
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perversity
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| n.任性；刚愎自用 | |
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apocalyptic
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| adj.预示灾祸的，启示的 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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corporate
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| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
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noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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epoch
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| n.(新)时代；历元 | |
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19
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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20
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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exempt
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| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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saturation
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| n.饱和(状态)；浸透 | |
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varnish
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| n.清漆；v.上清漆；粉饰 | |
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imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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animate
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| v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的 | |
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benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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simile
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| n.直喻，明喻 | |
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similes
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| （使用like或as等词语的）明喻( simile的名词复数 ) | |
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havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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recondite
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| adj.深奥的，难解的 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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scatters
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| v.（使）散开， （使）分散，驱散( scatter的第三人称单数 )；撒 | |
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implement
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| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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inclinations
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| 倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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doggerel
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| n.拙劣的诗，打油诗 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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derivative
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| n.派(衍)生物；adj.非独创性的，模仿他人的 | |
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rhythmical
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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descry
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| v.远远看到；发现；责备 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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syllables
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| n.音节( syllable的名词复数 ) | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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granites
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| 花岗岩，花岗石( granite的名词复数 ) | |
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titanic
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| adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的 | |
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encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sleepers
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| n.卧铺（通常以复数形式出现）；卧车( sleeper的名词复数 )；轨枕；睡觉（呈某种状态）的人；小耳环 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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distressful
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| adj.苦难重重的，不幸的，使苦恼的 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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induction
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| n.感应，感应现象 | |
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usurp
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| vt.篡夺，霸占；vi.篡位 | |
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miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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forerunner
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| n.前身，先驱（者），预兆，祖先 | |
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extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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irrelevant
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| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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iris
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| n.虹膜，彩虹 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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muddled
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| adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子 | |
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bounty
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| n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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