throughout. "Burnin' Off" is a delightful specimen of dialect verse
which conveys a graphic image. We have never witnessed such an
agricultural function as Mr. Pearson describes, but can gain from his
clever lines a vivid idea of its weird impressiveness. "How I Met Elbert
Hubbard" is narrated in commendably easy prose, which same may be said
of the sketch or editorial entitled "Broke Loose Again". Mr. Pearson is
assuredly a competent exponent of amateur journalism's lighter and less
formal side.
THE PIPER for May is as pleasing and meritorious as the first number,
both in its verse and its prose. "The Modern Muse", exhibiting Mr.
Kleiner in a somewhat humorous mood, is very forceful in its satire on
the altered ideals of the poetical fraternity, but is marred by the
noticeably imperfect rhyming of "garret" and "carrot", it is barely
possible that according to the prevailing New York pronunciation this
rhyme is not so forced as it appears, but we are of New England, and
accustomed to hearing the sounds more classically differentiated. The
defect is trivial at most, and mentioned here only because Mr. Kleiner
professes such a rigid adherence to the law of perfect rhyming. "The
Books I Used to Read" is the most delightful appreciation of juvenile
literature that has appeared in amateur journalism within our memory.
There are few of us in whom this poem will fail to arouse glad
reminiscences. "Spring" is a pleasing poem on a subject which though not
exactly new, is nevertheless susceptible to an infinite variety of
treatment. The four stanzas are highly creditable, both sentimentally
and metrically. Apart from the poetry, criticism seems the dominant
element in The Piper, and it would be difficult indeed to find a more
lucid and discerning series of reviews. Mr. Kleiner's unvarying advocacy
of correct metre and perfect rhyming is refreshing to encounter in this
age of laxity and license. Perhaps he is a little stern in his
condemnation of the "allowable" rhymes of other days, especially in view
of his recent "garret-carrot" attempt, yet we admit that there is much
to be said in favor of his attitude.
THE PLAINSMAN for February contains a gruesome moral tale by Ricardo
Santiago, entitled "The Bell of Huesca". It is proper to remark here,
that an important sentence was omitted at the top of page 3. The passage
should read "'Sire, thy bell has no clapper!' 'Thy head shall be the
clapper'; said the king, and he sent him to the block" etc. Whatever may
be said of the aptness of the allegory, it is evident that Mr. Santiago
possesses the foundations of a pure and forcible prose style, and a
commendable sense of unity in narration and development of climax. This
story is undoubtedly worthy of its distinction as winner in The
Plainsman's post-card contest.
THE SPECTATOR for June-July, 1914, though somewhat trite in title, is
the first number of a magazine notable for its quality. Walter John Held
is without doubt one of the most enterprising youths who have ever
joined the ranks of the association, though his views on paid
subscriptions and advertisements show his still imperfect acquisition of
the true amateur spirit. Mr. Held mistakes commercial progress for
artistic development, believing that the aim of every amateur in his
ascent toward professional authorship is to write remunerative matter.
He therefore considers a publisher's advancement to be best shown in
ability to extract an odd penny now and then from a few subscribers who
really subscribe only out of courtesy. We wish that Mr. Held might come
to consider amateur journalism in its higher aspects; as a medium for
improvement in literature and taste; an aid to the cultivation of the
art for its own sake in the manner of gentlemen, not of cheap tradesmen.
The selection of commercial prosperity as a goal will ruin any true
literary progress, and dull the artistic aspiration of the student as
soon as his mercenary instincts shall have been satisfied. Besides,
there is really no sound business principle in the so-called "sale" of
little papers. No youth could ever found or sustain a real magazine of
substantial price and more than nominal circulation. The various
ten-cents-a-year journals which some "amateurs" try to edit are no
logical steps toward actually professional publishing. The latter comes
only after literary skill has been attained, and literary skill must at
first be developed without regard for immediate monetary profit.
But the merit of Mr. Held's work is none the less unusual. "The Frank
Friend" gives evidence of considerable critical ability, despite the
touch of arrogance, apologized for in a latter issue, shown in imperfect
appreciation of Mr. Edward H. Cole's phenomenally pure English. Mr.
Held, in his enthusiasm for "local color", forgets that all the
English-speaking world is heir to one glorious language which should be
the same from Cape Colony to California or New York to New Zealand.
The only poem in this issue is Olive G. Owen's "How Prayest Thou?", a
piece of true sentiment and artistic beauty. The only fault is metrical;
the use of the word "trial" as a monosyllable. This tendency to slur
over words appears to be Miss Owen's one poetical vice, as exemplified
in the imperfect rendering of "jewel", "realness", and "cruelness"
elsewhere.
THE SPECTATOR for August-September is marred by a resurrection of the
ever odious topic of Consolidation, but is otherwise of remarkable
merit. Elbert Hubbard, a professional advertiser and writer of
considerable popularity in certain circles, relates in an interesting
way the history of his most widely known literary effort. Mr. Hubbard's
prose style is direct and pointed, though rather abrupt and barren. "The
Midnight Extra", by Dora M. Hepner, is a humorous short story of unusual
merit, leading from a well created atmosphere of terror to a clever and
unexpected anticlimax.
THE SPECTATOR for October-November contains much matter of very
substantial worth. "Creation", by Edward R. Taylor, Dean of the
University of California, is a beautiful bit of poetical sentiment and
harmonious metre, while "Half-past-twelve", by Miss von der Heide, is
likewise of great merit, both in thought and in structure. We have
lately been told that many apparent metrical defects which we have noted
are really no more than typographical errors, wherefore we will here
content ourselves by expressing the belief that the third line of the
second stanza of "Half-past-twelve" was originally written thus:
"Across the dark their shrilling laughter floats".
This rendering would do away with two seeming errors in the printed
copy. Olive G. Owen's "Battle-Prayer" is powerful in its appeal and
faultless in its construction. Of marked interest is "Divine
Self-Tower", a brief essay by Takeshi Kanno, the Japanese philosopher.
These words, in a tongue foreign to the writer, contain material for
more than a moment's thought.
"The Frank Friend" is in this number as interesting a critic as before.
The passage of four months has tempered his undue severity; indeed, we
fear that he has in certain cases veered a little too far toward the
other extreme. The most ambitious review is that of "Pig-pen Pete", by
Elbert Hubbard, which gives Mr. Held an opportunity to display his
powers to great advantage. Of the two editorials, that entitled "Life"
is the more notable. Though its philosophy must necessarily be rather
artificial, considering Mr. Held's age, it is none the less a very
artistic and generally creditable piece of composition. The cover of The
Spectator would be less Hearst-like if the fulsome announcements were
eliminated.
TOLEDO AMATEUR for April greets us in altered form, as a two-column
paper. Having given over the previous issue to the credentials of new
members, Mr. Porter very justly claims a goodly space for himself this
month, commenting ably on the affairs and activities of the
associations.
"Camp Columbia", by James J. Hennessey, gives an interesting outline of
the American army routine in Cuba during the years 1907 and 1908.
"Observations of an Outsider", by Mrs. Porter, mother of the editor,
sheds light on amateur journalism from a hitherto unusual angle. We note
with pleasure that Toledo Amateur remains immune from the destructive
bacillus of deformed spelling.
THE WOODBEE for April contains "The Cycle Eternal", a lucid
philosophical article by Samuel James Schilling, wherein is described
the dispersal and new combinations of the organic cells that compose the
body of mankind. By the perpetual reincorporation or reincarnation of
these cells in all other forms of matter, man is shown to be immortal,
and in the closest degree akin to every natural object surrounding him.
His outward form is merely one transient phase of a ceaseless
rearrangement of atoms; he is simply one aspect of infinite and eternal
Nature. Save for a few slight traces of rhetorical awkwardness, Mr.
Schilling's expository style is remarkable for its force and clearness;
the arrangement of the essay into Prologue, Body, and Epilogue is
especially favorable to comprehensiveness.
While Mr. Schilling deals with mankind in the abstract, Miss Mabel
McKee, in "A Gift from the City", presents a concrete example of the
workings of the human heart. Her subject and treatment are not
startlingly original, but such themes lose very little when repeated in
pure English and attractive style. The story is distinctly pleasing, and
artistically developed throughout.
A notable feature of the April Woodbee is Miss Hepner's fervent and
unstudied tribute to Mr. Leo Fritter, candidate for the United's
Presidency. Though the editorial is bestrewn with slang and distinctly
familiar in construction, it produces upon the reader an impression of
absolute sincerity and intensity of feeling which more elaborate
rhetoric might fail so forcibly to convey. Great as is the tribute,
however, we feel that Mr. Fritter is worthy of it, and must congratulate
him on having such support. Our own efforts for his election, appearing
in The Conservative, seem slight in comparison. The only verse in this
number is "My Shrine", by Harriet E. Daily. Though containing an attempt
to rhyme the words "time" and "shrine", this ethereal little poem of
spring is of great attractiveness.
ZEPPELIN for March, a publication emanating from the pen of Mr. O. S.
Hackett of Canton, Pennsylvania, is scarcely as formidable and menacing
as its name, being distinctly friendly and fraternal in its general
tone. Mr. Hackett's prose has obviously not received its final
polishing, but it is so filled with aspiration, ambition, and enthusiasm
for the cause of amateur journalism, that it evidently requires only
such development as is obtainable from a closer study of grammar and
rhetoric, and a wider perusal of classic English literature. In one
matter Mr. Hackett seems to harbor a wrong impression. The name
"credential", in the language of the amateurs, is not applied to all
literary productions, but only to those which are submitted by the new
recruits as evidence of their educational fitness for membership in the
association they seek to enter.
Joseph R. Schaffman's poem, "Think of Times Yet Coming", shows the same
innate sense of rhyme and metre that has distinguished his earlier work.
Only the conclusion lacks perfect ease and naturalness. Mr. Schaffman
has so far confined his Muse to optimistic opinions and moral maxims; we
hope that in the near future he will vary his efforts and attempt to
reflect more of his general reading in his poetry. The field is large
for one so happily favored with the gift of song.
H. P. LOVECRAFT,
Chairman.
THE UNITED AMATEUR
Official Organ of the United Amateur Press Association
VOLUME XV ELROY, WIS., SEPTEMBER, 1915 NUMBER 2
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC CRITICISM
_The Alabamian_ for Spring is a magazine unique amongst the publications
of the United. Devoted wholly to poetry, it contains some of the finest
short verses to appear this season, whilst even the crudest part of its
contents possesses some undoubted merit. The opening poem, a delightful
and ornate nature sonnet entitled "The Brook," professes to be a
translation from the Spanish, a claim borne out by the use of the word
"jasmine" in a place where the metre throws the accent anomalously on
the last syllable, as in the corresponding Spanish word "jazmin." The
sentiment of the whole is exquisite, and every image exhibits striking
beauty. It is to be regretted that both author and translator are
suffered to remain unrevealed. "A Poet's Songs," by Miss Owen, is a
powerful and well-written tribute to her fellow-bards both ancient and
modern. In Coralie Austin's "Tribute to Our President," dedicated to
Miss Hepner, we may discern the native talent of the true poet, slightly
obscured by the crudities of youth. The opening line appears to lack a
syllable, though this may be due only to the printer's omission of the
article before the word "laurel." In stanza 1, line 2, the trisyllabic
word "violets" appears as a dissyllable. This contraction is a rather
natural one, and must not be criticised too sternly. Indeed, there is
here a sort of middle zone betwixt error and allowableness, wherein no
decisive precepts may be laid down. Words like "radiant," "difference,"
and so forth, are nearly always slurred into dissyllables, and we were
ourselves guilty of an even greater liberalism when we wrote that line
in "Quinsnicket Park" which reads:
"The bending boughs a _diamond_ wealth amass."
But in Miss Austin's second stanza occur two errors of graver nature.
"For only her alone" is a lamentably tautological line which requires
the omission either of "only" or "alone," and the substitution of some
word to carry on the flow of metre. The attempted rhyming of "alone" and
"home" is obviously incorrect. The dissimilar consonantal sounds render
agreement impossible. This "m-n" rhyme, as we may call it, is becoming
alarmingly frequent in careless modern verse, and must ever be avoided
with utmost diligence. In the third stanza we discover a marked error in
maintenance of number. We are told that the "years go" and that at "its
end" we will lay trophies, etc. This mistake may be obviated with ease,
by changing "years go" to "year goes." Miss Austin's poetic talent is
great, but shows the want of precise cultivation. "Mother o' Mine," by
Miss von der Heide, is a beautiful piece of anapaestic verse whose metre
and sentiment alike attract the reader. "Parsifal," by Miss Owen, shows
satisfactory depth of thought, but is rather modern in metre. From the
conformation of the last line of the first stanza, we are led to believe
that the word "viol" is contracted to a monosyllable, or, to make a
rather reprehensible pun, that "vi-ol" has here a "vile" pronunciation.
"Frailties of Life," by Editor Baxley, shows a remarkable system of
extended rhyming, coupled with a noticeable lack of metrical harmony.
Mr. Baxley's technique is such that we believe his improvement would be
best effected by a repeated perusal of the older poets, whose classical
exactitude of form would teach him rhythm by rote, so to speak. Let him
cultivate his ear for metre, even though forced to acquire it through
nonsensical jingles. We believe that many a child has obtained from his
"Mother Goose" a love of correct rhythm which has later helped him in
serious poetical efforts. "Paid Back," a short, powerful poem by Miss
von der Heide, concludes an excellent and praiseworthy issue.
_Aurora_ for April is a delightful individual leaflet by Mrs. Ida C.
Haughton, exclusively devoted to poetical matters. The first poem,
"Aurora," is truly exquisite as a verbal picture of the summer dawn,
though rather rough-hewn metrically. Most open to criticism of all the
features of this piece, is the dissimilarity of the separate stanzas. In
a stanzaic poem the method of rhyming should be identical in every
stanza, yet Mrs. Haughton has here wavered between couplets and
alternate rhymes. In the opening stanza we behold first a quatrain, then
a quadruple rhyme. In the second we find couplets only. In the third a
quatrain is followed by an arrangement in which two rhyming lines
enclose a couplet, while in the final stanza the couplet again reigns
supreme. The metre also lacks uniformity, veering from iambic to
anapaestic form. These defects are, of course, merely technical, not
affecting the beautiful thought and imagery of the poem; yet the
sentiment would seem even more pleasing were it adorned with the garb of
metrical regularity. "On the Banks of Old Wegee" is a sentimental poem
of considerable merit, which suffers, however, from the same faults that
affect "Aurora." Most of these defects might have been obviated when the
stanzas were composed, by a careful counting of syllables in each line
and a constant consultation of some one, definite plan of rhyming. We
must here remark an error made in the typewritten copy of the original
manuscript, and reproduced in the finished magazine, for which, of
course, neither the poetical art of the author nor the technique of the
printer is to blame. In the second stanza, lines 6 and 7 were originally
written:
"How oft I've essayed to be
A fisherman bold, but my luck never told."
"Anent the Writing of Poetry" is a short prose essay, in which many
valuable truths are enunciated. Mrs. Haughton has evidently taken up the
poetic art with due seriousness, and considering the marked talent shown
in the first issue of her paper, we may justly expect to behold a
wonderfully rapid development in the near future.
_The Badger_ for June fulfills the promise of January, and shows us that
the present year has given the United a new and serious periodical of
satisfying quality. In the "Introductory," Mr. George Schilling
discusses in lively fashion the latest topics of the day, thereby
atoning for our own tedious "Finale." "Ready Made," by Samuel J.
Schilling, is a thoughtful presentation of a lamentable fact. The evil
which he portrays is one that has rendered the masses of America almost
wholly subservient to the vulgar press; to be led astray into every sort
of radicalism through low tricks of sensationalism. Our own poetical
attempt, entitled "Quinsnicket Park," contains 112 lines, and spoils
three and a half otherwise excellent pages. It is probable that but few
have had the fortitude to read it through, or even to begin it, hence we
will pass over its defects in merciful silence. "What May I Own?" by
A. W. Ashby, is an able sociological essay which displays considerable
familiarity with the outward aspects of economic conditions. Mr. Ashby,
condemning the present system practiced in the coal and iron industries,
declares that on moral grounds he had rather be a brewer or purveyor of
liquor than a coal magnate or an ironmaster. In this statement,
evidently born of hasty fervour, Mr. Ashby forgets the basic character
of the two types of industry which he contrasts. Beneath the liquor
traffic lies a foundation accursed by decency and reason. The entire
industry is designed to pander to a false craving whose gratification
lowers man in the scale of mental and physical evolution. The distiller
and vendor of rum is elementally the supreme foe of the human race, and
the most powerful, dangerous and treacherous factor in the defiance of
progress and the betrayal of mankind. His trade can never be improved or
purified, being itself a crime against Nature. On the other hand, the
coal and iron industries are, in their fundamental forms, desirable and
necessary adjuncts to an expanding civilization. Their present evils are
wholly alien to their essential principles, being connected only with
the uneasy industrialism of this age. These faults are not confined to
coal-mining and iron-working, but are merely those possessed in common
with all great industries. Joseph E. Shufelt's article on the European
war is an amazing outburst of socialism in its worst form. The idea that
this shocking carnage is the result of a deliberate plot of the ruling
classes of all the belligerents to destroy their labouring element is
wonderfully ludicrous in its extravagance. We are led to infer that
those best of friends, der Kaiser and his cousins George and Nicholas,
are merely pretending hostility in order to rid themselves of a
troublesome peasantry! We do not know what Mr. Shufelt has been reading
lately, but we hope that time may modify his ideas to such a degree that
he will turn his dignified style and pure English to some object worthy
of their employment.
_Dowdell's Bearcat_ for July marks the beginning of an unprecedented era
of improvement in the quality of that periodical. Having settled down to
the conventional 5◊7 size, it has now acquired a cover and an abundance
of pages which the editor informs us will never be lessened. The
influence of _The Olympian_ is perceptible in the _Bearcat_, and for his
taste in the selection of so worthy a model Mr. Dowdell is to be
commended. "When the Tape Broke" is the first article of the editorial
column, and well describes an example of collapsed activity which the
United should avoid. "A Runaway Horse," by Mrs. Ida C. Haughton, is a
brief and vivid sketch of a fatal accident. "Tragedy," an exquisite poem
by Emilie C. Holladay, deserves very favourable notice for the delicate
pathos of its sentiment, and perfect adaptation of the measure to the
subject. We may discern a few traces of immaturity in the handling of
the metre and in the presence of "allowable" rhymes. As elsewhere
stated, we personally approve and employ the old-fashioned "allowable"
rhyming sounds, but the best modern taste, as exemplified in the United
by its Laureate, Rheinhart Kleiner, demands absolute perfection in this
regard. As to the metre, we respectfully offer the following amended
second stanza as an example. It is absolutely uniform with the original
first stanza, which, of course, furnishes the model.
The summer rains
And autumn winds
The snowdrop find yet standing;
A petal gone,
And all alone,
Her tender roots expanding.
The remarkable poetical talent exhibited by Miss Holladay deserves a
cultivation that shall invest her productions with a technique of the
highest order. "The Dignity of Journalism," by ourselves, may be taken
by the reader as a sort of supplement to this Department. We there
enumerate in the abstract some of the precepts which we shall here apply
to individual writers. There are several misprints, which we hope will
not be taken as evidences of our bad spelling, and at the conclusion the
word "even" is omitted from the phrase which should read: "the
necessity, or _even_ the expediency." "June Journals" is an excellent
set of short reviews which display very favourably the critical ability
of Mr. Dowdell. The concluding notes on "Amateur Affairs" are brief, but
very interesting. The general excellence of _Dowdell's Bearcat_ excuses
the instances of imperfect proof-reading, which fault we are sure will
soon be eliminated.
_The Blarney Stone_ for March-April contains "Thoughts," a meritorious
poem by Chester P. Munroe. The tone of the piece is that of sentimental
and almost melancholy reverie, hence the metre is not quite uniform; but
a commendable absence of rough breaks lends a delightful flow to the
lines. We hope to behold further efforts from Mr. Munroe's pen. "The
Amateur's Creed," by Mrs. Renshaw, is written in the style of this
author's previous and now well-known poem, "A Symphony," and should do
much toward lifting the United upward to the highest literary ideals.
_The Blarney Stone_ for May-June has cast off all undue seriousness, and
teems with light and attractive matter concerning the recent Rocky Mount
convention. Some of the displays of wit and cleverness are very striking
and entertaining indeed, while no page departs so far from merit that it
may be justly adjudged as dull.