Poetry

GOOSEBERRY PUDDING
IN PARADISE
Season and Festival. By Herbert Palmer. 4Faber. 2s. 6d.) My Book of Verses.. By C, G. Fillmore. (Muller. es.) The Absent Christ. By R. H. Mrssurier. (New Visien. Is. 6d.) Night Watch Over England. By Edward Shanks. (Macmillan, 5s.) The Melvidi Sherif. By Su ley man Chelebi. 1.Murray, Is. 6d.)
Reviessed by ANDREW BOYLE
SEASON and Festival is a pre
cious and admirably-priced little volume that must be recommended, and one over which Palmer fans may reasonably gloat. Not a single poem in the collection fails short of the high standard of melodic merit promised in the early pages. The variety of subjects and treatment is fairly wide, but throughout the hallMark is that of an astonishingly simple beauty.
Accustomed as I should be to the author's fecund versatility, I earned at least a thrill per poem. Creations like " Deirde's Agony " and " Ecstacy " stand apart I or lengthier meditation, but even in the nursery, even for those for whom other dessert dishes take precedence, such sentiments as the following wet echo glee and approval:
" rsvg,Ina ard m m mi. I a sad, I Urn ad And the stars seem so near seen with
the eyes of a lad. . .
Forgive me my trespasses. Lord. and be nice.
Boil me gooseberry pudding in Paradise. . ."
Young and old, too. will revel together in haunting simplicity of many lines like those ot the " Spring Christmas Carol." And when we remember English Tradition with its recurring description of The Child's coming (" As dew in Aprille that falls on the grass:to quote one), point is added to the birth " in a manger on a May Day." Here is another extract from a " Prayer for Rain."
" 0 God, make it rain.
Loose the soft silver passion of the rain. .
Deck the bushes and the trees With the tassels of the rain Make the brooks pound to the sea -And the earth shine again."
Modestly stated to by "paraphrases." several very fine poems inspired by Francois Villon catch the eye along with a " ballade-ballad " upon this wild and brilliant Frenchman for whom he has an especial regard. Very positively this is a book for the keeping.
Y Book of Verses is an excellent assortment of standing favourites, half-forgotten lines, and school-day verses that carry a wistful tang of
yesteryear. The ohoice has been care ful. the resulting treasure is rich. I greatly fear-that all too many will have to forego the treasure on account of a small but cumbersome snag: the price. Five shillings is rather hefty going for an unpretentious book of this nature even in these days of sky-rocketting prices.
I NTRODUCED by Dame Sybil Thorn
dike, Mr. Messurier's collection of poems attempts to reflect a little of the inner meaning of the war in one or two deliberately vivid aspects. My own reaction was that the aspects were too simple and straightforward : it is all too much the fashion now to contrast big opposites for heightened effect, and to pile on the colours lavishly, so that sincerity (however real) is given a cheapened look, Moreover, it' it is good philosophy to reduce colossal events and motives and forces to their simplest meaning such compression may readily make trite poetry. .
A CERTAIN lightness of heart per vades the " bits and pies " which form Edward Shanks' newest burst into verses. The background is already darkened with war-clouds as he sees to; and the feelings at the author and the people he writes about faithfully recall feelings we can all remember sharply. We are told at the outset that " the author 01411S to a certain astonishment that he should itietin have enough poems to make even to slight a volume as this." I found it rather a surprising admission from a man with so facile a pen—for whom it is a short jump from the undoubted heights of " In Anne Domini 1812," to the pleasing satire of " A Member of the English Government Very Kindly Explains." The struggle between the journalist and the light-hearted bard is, of course, unending; but perhaps Mr. Shanks might nibble away bits of time for further communication with his Muse. We should regret his complete silence.
ASpart of the recently-instituted " Wisdom of the East " series, the Melvidi Sherif sets out to teach the West something of the vast, unmeetable and so often inscrutable East. It appears that Chelebi, who earlier in life was one of the royal chaplains to the Sultan soon to be overthrown and superseded by the mighty Tamerlane, composed this long Psalm-like work in exile. Both form and content—with, of course, appropriate qualifications— have a distinct Old Testament poetic flavour But perhaps the main interest lies in the immense popularity the poem has enjoyed for centuries among the people of Turkey and the lands of the Near East. The translation is free but good, retaining the original serve and enthusiasm of a Mohammedan priest for the Prophet and Allah, who had
strengthened the Prophet. Yet I take
leave to doubt if this work makes the ideal introduction to the lore and ideas of the Last. The casual reader may weather it: I question if he would gain encouragement to go on exploring.