The London Mercury, Vol. I, Nos. 1-6, November 1919 to April 1920Various
General
The London Mercury, Vol. I, Nos. 1-6, November 1919 to April 1920
Various
English literature -- Periodicals; London (England) -- Periodicals
The lecture here printed was delivered before Rugby School on the
occasion of the unveiling of a memorial there to Rupert Brooke.
Mr. de la Mare, as he recalls, was chosen to go to America as Mrs.
Brooke's representative to receive the first presentation of the
Howland Memorial Prize, the posthumous award of which to Brooke was an
act of international courtesy and generosity, too little noticed in
this country at the time. It was fitting that Mr. de la Mare should
be again associated with the dead poet; and in this short paper he
outlines his character and his achievement with as much affection as
discernment. Brooke, he is insistent to make plain, was a happy man,
a vigorous, healthy creature, who found the world teeming with food
for his multifarious appetites. It is with this fact in mind that
all his poems, not omitting those which are "disquieting to read at
meals," must be judged. He desired truth at all costs; and "if, unlike
Methuselah, he did not live long enough to see life whole, he at least
confronted it with a remarkably steady and disconcerting stare." "The
theme of his poetry," says Mr. de la Mare, "is the life of the mind,
the senses, the feelings, life here and now, however impatient he may
be with life's limitations. Its longing is for a state of consciousness
wherein this kind of life shall be possible without exhaustion,
disillusionment, or reaction." This essay is short, but it is full both
of wise judgments and beautiful sayings. It conveys a sense not only of
the value of Brooke's poetry but also of the charm of his personality.
More, much more, will be written about him; and we shall have his
character carefully examined and defined, both by those who knew him
and those who did not. But this brief study, at once an exposition and
a ceremonial and moving eulogy, will retain its place in the literature
collecting around his name.
SOME SOLDIER POETS. By T. STURGE MOORE. Grant Richards. 7_s._ 6_d._ net.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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