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CHAPTER IV
Some Poets of To-day
Our day is a time when more good verse is being written than ever before, much of it in our own country. The yearly output in English alone is enormous, and much of it is so strong, so original, that club women should certainly familiarize themselves with it.
To study the subject intelligently there may be a preliminary course on modern poetry and its criticism, using these books, in part or whole: "Studies in Poetry and Criticism," by Arthur Symons (Bell), "An Introduction to Poetry," by R. M. Alden (Henry Holt & Co.), "The Enjoyment of Poetry," by Max Eastman (Scribner), and "Lectures on Poetry," by A. C. Bradley (Macmillan).
As the modern poets are studied, have plenty of illustrative readings from the works of each one. Selections will be found in "Poets of the Younger Generation," by William Archer (John Lane Co.), and two volumes edited by Jessie Belle Rittenhouse, "The Younger American Poets" (Little, Brown & Co.) and "The Little Book of Modern Verse" (Houghton Mifflin). Also "The Lyric Year," edited by Ferdinand Earle (Mitchell Kennerley), will be found helpful. There are three magazines which constantly present the best new work of our poets, Poet Lore, Poetry, and The Poetry Journal.
It is of course extremely difficult to classify the writings of poets, because few devote themselves to one style of verse alone. The writer of dramatic poetry will sometimes write lyrics, and the author of philosophical verse will write poems about nature. But for this study the principal work of each poet has been selected, with references to what else has been done by him.
I – INTRODUCTORY
Before beginning with the regular program for the year clubs should devote one or two meetings, as has been suggested, to the study of poetry as a whole. Then there should follow two more on the history of poetry, showing that all early national expression takes this form; illustrate with readings from the Vedic Hymns (translated in Warner's "Library of the World's Best Literature"), and the "Song of Miriam" from the Hebrew, in the Bible. Have papers on the great epics, also, with readings from the "Iliad," the "Odyssey," the "Æneid," the "Nibelungenlied," the "Divine Comedy," the Arthurian cycle and "Paradise Lost."
Turning then to the poetry of to-day, notice that its spirit is something quite new. It is individual. It aims at truth and realism. In much of it there is a great moral purpose – the passion for justice.
The form of modern poetry is also largely new. Rhymed monologues, long narratives, and especially dramatic poems are frequent. Read to illustrate this, "The New Poetry," by James Oppenheim, in Volume 22 of Poet Lore.
Following this, take up in several meetings the topic of dramatic poetry.
II – DRAMATIC POETRY
An early meeting should study the comparison of poetry and prose in plays, and the question, Is poetry acceptable on the stage? What are its limitations? There should also be a paper on the versified plays of to-day as contrasted with those of two centuries ago. Following these may be a study of several dramatic poets of to-day.
Percy Mackaye has some strong work: "Fenris the Wolf," "Jeanne d'Arc," "The Canterbury Pilgrims," and "The Scarecrow" are all worth reading. Present selections from each. Stephen Phillips, an Englishman, has some splendid, vital dramas. His best is "Paolo and Francesca," but both "Herod" and "Ulysses" are to be studied. Read from all three. His experience as an actor has made his plays especially suited to the stage.
Richard Hovey has chosen the Arthurian cycle as his inspiration, and presents the mediæval spirit with unusual faithfulness; he keeps nearer to Mallory than Tennyson did. Read "The Quest of Merlin," and "The Marriage of Guenever."
Among women poets Sara King Wiley has two dramatic poems of note, "Alcestis," and "The Coming of Philibert." Josephine Preston Peabody (Mrs. Marks) took the Shakespearean prize for "The Piper," which was performed at Stratford. Lately she has written another drama, "The Singing Man," full of beauty. Read from this, and also from her short poems.
III – POEMS WITH CLASSICAL AND ROMANTIC THEMES
Among the poets of the last generation Keats, Shelley, Browning and Swinburne chose classical themes, and Byron and Tennyson took romantic. Have a paper pointing out this fact. Read from their poems and compare them with those of the poets of the younger set who took the same themes.
Laurence Binyon, an Englishman like Phillips, has written "Persephone" and "Porphyrin" with the classic theme, and "Tintagel" with the romantic. Rhys Carpenter, one of the youngest American writers, has "The Tragedy of Etarre," founded on the Arthurian legend. Helen Coale Crewe has written "Ægean Echoes," and Martha J. Kidder "Æonian Echoes," both full of beauty and promise. Read from these.
A concluding paper might inquire, What is it in these two themes which has always attracted the poets?
IV – POEMS OF PROTEST
Under this title may be found the work of many of the young poets of to-day. They show sympathy with the workingman, revolt against tyranny and tenderness for suffering. They champion labor and demand the betterment of conditions. This is the "new note," as it is called, and is of immense importance. Clubs should put special study upon it, following it out in the different poems.
John Masefield, of England, one of the most conspicuous writers of our time, voices the protest strongly. His style is often that of the monologue or narrative, and while sometimes it is merely rhymed prose, at other times it is vigorous, picturesque and vivid. Read "The Widow of Bye Street," and "The Everlasting Mercy." Note also his "Daffodil Fields," which is quite different from these and full of peculiar beauty.
Wilfred Wilson Gibson is another poet with a passion for justice. His dramatic monologues are terse, simple, direct. Read from "Daily Bread," and "Fires."
A third poet, Robert Haven Schauffler, takes also the poor for his subject. His "Scum o' the Earth" is a touching picture. Charles Edward Russell in his "Songs of Democracy" strikes the same note; read his "Essex Street." Edwin Markham, though not among the younger poets, had much the same theme in his earlier "Man with the Hoe," which may be recalled.
William Watson, after writing for years finished, contemplative verse, suddenly, in direct contrast to his other work, wrote "The Year of Shame," amazing England with his demand for justice to Armenia and Greece. Read "How Weary Are Our Hearts." Close this part of the study with brief readings from John Galsworthy's "Moods, Songs and Doggerels," which present, again, sympathy for the oppressed.
V – PHILOSOPHICAL AND MYSTICAL POEMS
Among the many who write this serious and uplifting form of verse may be named George Santayana, who, in his sonnets, and "The Hermit of Carmel," studies the philosophy of life. He has no eye for nature, as most poets have, but always takes up the abstract theme.
Alice Meynell, an Englishwoman, has several volumes of finished verse with the mark of literary distinction. The devout spirit is noticeable in her work. Read "In Early Spring," and "Regrets."
Anna Hempstead Branch, author of many beautiful short poems and several brief dramas, is strongest in "Nimrod," a long philosophical poem. In this, as in her other writing, the sense of the mystical is marked.
"Soldiers of the Light," by Helen Gray Cone, is remarkable for its artistic, subtle yet uplifting feeling. Louise Imogen Guiney, who has been writing for many years, has some recent verse that is of even more than its usual spirituality; read "The White Sail," and "Tryste Noel." Read also from the poems of Rosamund Marriott Watson, Edwin Arlington Robinson, and Agnes Lee, as well as the lovely verse of Alice Brown.
VI – LYRICS AND POEMS OF NATURE
This is one of the divisions which covers an immense field. Among the many writers who might be chosen for study is Alfred Noyes, the young Englishman who is so often compared with Tennyson. He writes spontaneous, optimistic verse. He loves sunshine and green fields and children; he is sometimes dramatic, sometimes playful, but always graceful. "The Barrel Organ" and "Forty Singing Seamen" are among his finest lyrics, but "The Flower of Old Japan" is also noteworthy. Study the other work of Noyes, especially his drama, "Drake."
John Vance Cheney has many lovely lyrics, as have William Vaughan Moody, Bliss Carman, Clinton Scollard, Lizette Reese, Edith Thomas, and a long list of others. Read several of each from the books of Miss Rittenhouse.
Madison Cawein writes of nature always with the same touch of freshness. He idealizes everyday things, fields, grass, and flowers; he has what has been called "the romantic love of out-of-doors." Sometimes he strikes a more vigorous tone, as in his "Prayer for Old Age." Read this, and "The Wild Iris."
Arthur Upson has a style peculiar for its dreamy beauty and exquisite finish. His "Octaves in an Oxford Garden" shows him at his best. "Westwind Songs" is also full of delicacy and grace. His last work, a drama called "The City," has these same qualities.
Charles G. D. Roberts has, among many other things, a collection of verse called "The Book of the Native," with descriptive poems of Canadian forests. His "Afoot" and "The Recessional" are especially charming.
Richard Burton's "Dumb in June" and his later "Quest of Summer" are both full of poetic insight and beautiful expression. These, with his "Lyrics of Brotherhood," are all well worth study. See "Poems," by C. G. D. Roberts (The Page Company), and "Pipes of Pan," by Bliss Carman (The Page Company).
VII – DIALECT AND HUMOROUS POETRY
Kipling made a place for himself when he wrote "Barrack-Room Ballads"; the reproduction of the cockney dialect has never been so well done and their humor is inimitable. Read several. In America to-day we have a poet who also does pioneer work – Thomas A. Daly. In his "Madrigali" and "Canzoni" he has used the Italian-American dialect of the streets with a result that is amusing as well as charming.
Gertrude Litchfield, too, has found something new in the dialect spoken by the French Canadians in the northern New England towns. She has written quaintly humorous verses about children. Read "Les Enfants," "De Circus," and "The Spirit of Christmas."
Robert H. Carr has a little volume called "Cow Boy Lyrics," which perpetuate the fast-passing men of the plains. After reading from these, contrast the verses of James Whitcomb Riley with them. Note also among writers of humorous verse Carolyn Wells, Oliver Herford and Gelett Burgess.
VIII – CELTIC POETRY
Ireland has always been the home of romance, and recently it has had a strikingly interesting revival of poetry. William Butler Yeats, originally an artist, has a mystical element in his verse which gives it a sort of unearthly quality. His leading narrative poem is "The Wanderings of Oisin." "Baile and Ailinn" is a lover's tale. "The Fiddler of Dooney" is a simple country story. His work has been called "dream drenched." Make a special study of his play, "Land of the Heart's Desire."
George W. Russell writes verse with much of the same wistful nature as that of Yeats. "Homeward Songs by the Way," and "The Divine Vision" are two of his volumes.
Study also the work of Lady Gregory. Though best known as a playwright she has written interesting verse.
One paper may compare the Celtic verse of to-day with that of the writers of mystical verse in England and America, especially that of Louise Imogen Guiney, and discuss their difference.
IX – POETICAL PLAYS
There are many little plays written to-day in the form of verse, all lovely, poetic in feeling and style, and many of them of great charm. Among others are "The Rose of the Wind," and "The Shoes That Danced," by Anna Hempstead Branch; "The Butterfly," and "Two in Arcadia" by Lucine Finch; four plays called "The Shadow Garden," by Madison Cawein; and "El Dorado," by Ridgely Torrance.
In addition to the study of all these modern poets, clubs should look up the work of Rabindranath Tagore, the Hindu poet who recently took the Nobel prize for literature; his latest poems (translated) are, "The Crescent Moon" and "The Gardener."
Robert Bridges, the present poet-laureate, also deserves especial mention.
CHAPTER V
The World's Islands
There is no subject for clubs more interesting than that of Islands, and none broader in scope; each island or group suggests the study of geology, botany, language, customs, religions, and, above all, history and literature. The encyclopedias, books of travel and current magazines, especially the National Geographic Magazine, will furnish abundant material for papers.
I – GRECIAN ISLANDS
The islands which cluster about the coast of Greece are the most important in history. Some are famous for their art treasures, others have been the birthplace of great poets, others still are associated with legendary heroes and gods. The literature, art, and history of the two groups of the Ægean and Ionian Islands offer study for many months.
Among the many which might be suggested, these should be given special attention: Ægina, famous for its sculptures; Delos, the Holy Isle, birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, with the Temple of Apollo; Lesbos, the birthplace of Sappho; Corfu, for its varied history; Ceos, the home of two great poets; Samos with its Temple of Hera, and Ithaca, the home of Ulysses. Add to this list Melos, Patmos, Rhodes, Lemnos, and Naxos, each remarkable for something.
In preparing programs have brief readings on each island, either from history or English poetry, or translations from the Greek. Longfellow's "Poems of Places" has poems on many of the islands; the "Odyssey" gives many stories, notably that of Nausicaa, which is laid at Corfu; Samuel J. Barrows has a charming book, "Isles and Shrines of Greece" (Little). Translations of some of Sappho's poems are easily found.
The islands of Crete and Cyprus should have a special meeting to themselves, with emphasis laid on archæological discoveries. Their history is closely connected with that of Greece, though to-day they are both under other than Greek rule.
II – MEDITERRANEAN ISLANDS
Three great islands lie close to Italy and are connected with its history. The first is Corsica. It has a stirring story, especially of the time when it belonged to Genoa, when the great Genoese Towers, still standing, were built to protect it against the Saracens. The fact that Napoleon was a Corsican should be mentioned. Some account of the vendetta should not be omitted and illustrations from Prosper Mérimée's "Colomba" may be read aloud.
Sardinia, lying close to Corsica, is sometimes significantly called the "Backward Island." One point for its study is the feudal system, which continued there until the middle of the nineteenth century, and another the brigandage for which it has been known for ages. See "The Forgotten Isles," by Vuillier, translated by Frederic Breton (Appleton).
The history of Sicily is worth some months of study, for it opens the story of the wars of Rome with Carthage. Consider the varied experience of the city of Syracuse, the prosperity and political importance of Sicily in the Middle Ages, the coming of Victor Emmanuel and Garibaldi, in later years. Last, note the impoverished condition of the country to-day. Read from Sicily, in the Story of the Nations series (Putnam), and some translations from Thucydides and Theocritus.
Malta, a possession of Great Britain, is of interest especially in connection with the Knights of Saint John. Minorca may be looked up also for a special paper. See "Sicily, the Garden of the Mediterranean," by W. S. Monroe (The Page Company).
III – THE ISLANDS NEAR SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND
The wild, mountainous islands of Scotland are peopled with fishing folk whose language is still mostly Gaelic and whose customs are singularly primitive. Read "A Daughter of Fife," by Amelia E. Barr, to show their strong character. The Hebrides, lower down on the west coast, are wonderfully picturesque. Read William Black's "A Princess of Thule." Mull is remarkable for its beauty and for its Gaelic population and traditions. Iona, a tiny island with a most important early Christian history, has a ruined cathedral and graveyard containing many striking and very ancient Celtic crosses. Staffa, near by, has a famous basaltic formation and cave.
Most of England's islands are not grouped but stand singly. The Isle of Man, off the west coast, is a somewhat wild place. Read Hall Caine's "The Deemster," to learn of its people. The Isle of Wight, on the south, is a garden spot. Note the famous places and people connected with them and show pictures of Osborne House and Tennyson's home. The Scilly Islands have a romantic past, partly legendary; see Besant's "Armorel of Lyonesse." The Channel Islands, a group, are foreign, quaint, wild, and beautiful. Their history is fascinating and they have been the home of political refugees almost to the present day. Read "The Channel Islands," by J. E. Morris (Macmillan Co.), and "Toilers of the Sea," by Victor Hugo.
IV – ISLANDS NEAR AFRICA
Off the west coast of Africa are a few well-known islands. Toward the north lies Madeira, long famous for its wine; to-day it is being developed into a highly successful market garden, supplying England with fruits and vegetables. Its picturesque population and the old city of Funchal are charming. See "The Story of Madeira," by D. Dimmit (The Methodist Book Concern).
Just below this lie the volcanic islands known as the Canaries, which are thought to be the Fortunate Isles of antiquity. Strangely enough, they seem to have dropped out of history for a time, and were rediscovered in the fourteenth century. To-day they belong to Spain. Show a picture of the Peak of Teneriffe.
The Cape Verde Islands deserve a passing glance, largely because Darwin, in his "Volcanic Islands," makes them interesting. Just below these lies St. Helena, the prison of Napoleon, which should have a separate paper. Read from the "Life of Napoleon," by Sir Walter Scott.
On the opposite coast lies Madagascar, mentioned long ago by Ptolemy. It remained a wild, uncivilized place until a century ago, when it came into touch with trade; since that time it has had a dramatic story. See "Madagascar and Its People," by James Sibree, and "Thirty Years in Madagascar," by T. T. Matthews (Doran).
Near by lies Mauritius, the Île de France, settled long ago by good French families and well known in modern history. The story of "Paul and Virginia," by Saint Pierre, is laid here, and also that of "My Little Girl," by Besant and Rice. Read both of these.
V – OCEANICA
The islands of the Pacific are so numerous, so important, and so immensely interesting that clubs can well afford to spend months in studying them. The best plan is to take the map and divide the islands into groups.
Take first the lovely Sandwich or Hawaiian Islands, twelve in all. One paper should treat of their natural features, especially the famous volcanoes. Another may take up the early history, speaking of the fact that the people voluntarily abandoned idolatry as absurd and were without religion for years, when they asked that help along this line should be sent to them. The story of the coming of the first missionaries and their work is remarkable. A third paper may be on the visit of the native king and queen to England, a fourth may deal with the leper colony at Molokai, and a fifth may describe the establishment of the republic, and, later, its annexation to the United States.
Following westward on the map, the Caroline Islands and the Ladrones should be studied; Guam, of the latter group, is now a possession of the United States.
Several meetings should be given to the Philippine Islands, which come next. Papers may be written on some of these topics, among many that might be suggested: description of the islands; the early history; the condition under Spain; the uprising of 1896; the physician, poet and reformer Rizal; the people to-day, their habits and customs; the establishment of a United States Commission and the work of the various bureaus, especially that of education. A discussion may follow: Should the Philippines be made self-governing? Read "The Philippine Islands," by F. W. Atkinson (Ginn).
VI – BORNEO, SUMATRA, JAVA AND OTHERS
Contrasted with these islands lie another group of three – Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. The first two have wonderful fauna and flora, hundreds of varieties of native woods and great natural resources, yet are in a singularly backward condition. Read "Seventeen Years Among the Sea Dyaks of Borneo," by E. H. Gomes (Lippincott). See also many recent magazine articles. Java, lying close to this, is wholly different. It belongs to Holland and is the important colony of the Dutch. Its early history is interesting and the remains of its primitive civilization are being unearthed. Read from "Java, Sumatra, and Other Islands," by A. Cabaton (Scribner). Have one entire meeting given to the beautiful island of Ceylon, before turning south.
New Guinea is near Australia and closely resembles it in striking physical peculiarities. It is but slightly settled, and the Dutch and English divide its ownership; the latter have found it rich in resources and are making it commercially profitable.
Several small groups of islands to the east may be studied next. The Fiji Islands were long known as the home of cannibals, and their turning toward civilization makes an interesting study.
The Friendly Islands, or Tonga group, lie farther south and east; they were inhabited by a wild and cruel people, now changed into a fairly civilized and educated little nation, with churches and schools; many of the people speak English.
The Society Islands are still farther west. The scenery here is magnificent, with coral formations and atolls, tropical foliage, and great waterfalls; this is called the Garden of the Pacific. The New Hebrides have a special interest from the work of John G. Paton. Read his life by his son (Doran). Close to these last groups lies Samoa, beloved of Stevenson. Clubs should read of it from his books. See "In the South Seas," and his Letters.
VII – TASMANIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Of the three islands near the southern end of Australia, Tasmania, close to the larger country, is as large as Scotland. It was for years one of England's penal colonies, but to-day it stands for everything that is advanced and enlightened; its school system is remarkable and its commerce highly developed. It is practically the home of a part of the English people. Just beyond it lie the two islands that form New Zealand, which, from the point of view of sociology, is one of the world's places of mark. Read "New Zealand at Home," by B. A. Loughnan (Newnes, London), and "New Zealand in Evolution," by G. H. Scholefield (Scribner); also magazine articles.
VIII – JAPANESE ISLANDS
Japan, one of the foremost powers of the world to-day, is confined geographically to four principal islands, with hundreds of smaller ones grouped around these. At least four meetings should be given to its study. The first may have a program on the physical features of Japan, its resources, its people; a description of the peasants, their homes and work; the cities, their houses, temples, and shops, with pictures of interest.
The second may present the early history of Japan; its feudal system, its religions, its varied government, down to the opening of the country in 1853. The third and fourth may study the development of the country under foreign ideas; the growth of the army and navy, the establishment of schools, the court life, the extension of commerce, the press, the new standards of government.
These should be followed by papers or talks on the late wars with China and Russia and their effects. Other meetings should be on Japanese architecture and art and on the different phases of the subject: The Japanese in America. Read from "Japan," by Lafcadio Hearn (Macmillan Co.), "Japanese Life in Town and Country," by George William Knox (Putnam), and "The Lady of the Decoration," and "The Lady and Sada San," by Frances Little (Century Company).
IX – WEST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO
In studying the West Indies it is necessary to use a map at each meeting to keep clearly in mind the location of islands: the Bahamas, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, and the Caribbean or Leeward and Windward Islands. A brief study of Columbus should introduce the whole series. Follow with the story of the Spanish possession, and then take the coming of the English and the Dutch, their colonies, growth of power, and the wars which ensued.
This will bring in the romantic stories of the buccaneers; read of the extraordinary careers of Captain Henry Morgan, the notorious Blackbeard, and Captain Kidd, and have chapters from novels treating of that time, such as Charles Kingsley's "Westward Ho!" and "To Have and To Hold," by Mary Johnston.
Give the story of each important island: Jamaica, Santa Cruz, the two little republics of Haiti and Santo Domingo, Barbados, and Martinique, the last the birthplace of the Empress Josephine. The topic of slavery should have one paper. Read from the life of William Wilberforce.
Take next Cuba and Porto Rico. Study the war between Spain and the United States, and follow with the conditions to-day. Read from "The West Indies," in the Story of the Nations series (Putnam); "The English in the West Indies," by J. A. Froude (Longmans); and "On the Spanish Main," by John Masefield (Macmillan).
X – BERMUDA AND THE AZORES
North of the West Indies lies a group of islands famous for their beauty – the Bermudas. Here Shakespeare placed the scene of "The Tempest." The English own the islands and maintain a military station there. Read from "The Tempest." Follow with a paper on the Azores, in mid-Atlantic.
Circling the North American Continent, clubs will find several separate islands full of interest. Little Staten Island, in New York Harbor, and Long Island are closely connected with our history. Cape Breton Island, on the northern coast of Nova Scotia, holds the old stronghold of Louisburg, and the beauty of the Bras d'Or Lakes is worthy of note. Read "Baddeck and that Sort of Thing," by Charles Dudley Warner (Houghton Mifflin Co.). Newfoundland, rugged and lonely, lies beyond. In spite of its great fisheries on the Banks, its people are poor. Read of the work of Grenfell among them. The Arctic islands farther north present little to study, if we except Iceland, well to the northeast. This is truly a wonderful little place, and clubs should give it one meeting. Its relation to literature is important. Read the little classic, "An Iceland Fisherman," by Pierre Loti (McClurg), and "Bound About the North Pole," by W. J. Gordon (Dutton).
Crossing to the west coast of British Columbia one meeting might be given to the Alaskan Island of Saint Lawrence and others of the Aleutian group; then, coming down the coast, Queen Charlotte's Island and Vancouver should be noted briefly. On the west coast of South America is the little island of Juan Fernandez, on which the sailor Alexander Selkirk spent five years alone, whose story suggested to Defoe his "Robinson Crusoe."
Just around Cape Horn lies the strange, wild land of Tierra del Fuego, of which little is known. Darwin, however, wrote of it in his "Voyage of a Naturalist," and scientists find in it much of interest.
