Show Lyrical Beauty Found in Poems by Sheila Smith Kaye-Smith Poems Poems Plays Plays Depict Depict Life Lif a and d Emotions Emotions- of of the English People Saints in Sussex by Sheila Kaye Smith is a rev reverent everent rent and beautiful beautiful beautiful beau beau- book d with simple re religIous religious re- re feeling and deep love for forthe forthe forthe the fields the flowers and the pepIe people pen peo pIe of ot Sussex The poems lovely and Jj lyrical in their form tell of the saints and holy da days s 's of Sussex of St St Andrew St St St. Philip and St St. James St St. Peter and St St. Paul St St. Mary Magdalene St St St. Matthew Ascension Ascension As As- cension day dilY Pentecost Corpus Christi Christ the Conception B B. V V. M and Lady Day in Harvest In each poem is its individual theme but more moie than that in each poem is the very ery earth of Sussex the smell of time tIle loam itself the wind bearing the the- fragrance of the tIme fields the brooding stillness of twilight twilight twi twilight twi- twi light when the time light In the tIme cottage window welcomes the ploughman home the joys and sorrows of ot a people whose es lives are are one with the life of the soil and the sea seasons ons The Time pla plays s 's luve for their themes the Nativity and the Crucifixion and AscensIon Acension Following the Biblical story very faithfully the tIme author re retells retells re- re tells tens time tile tale with the time scene in Sussex Sussex Sussex Sus Sus- sex in modern times Sometimes Sometimes' her characters speak the words of St St. Luke almost word word for foi word with a slight change here and there into their own idiom As the he story tory unfolds s we be become ome conscious of her gently ironic purpose pur pur- pose for the Christ in Sussex is not crucified by religious fanatics or true believers any more moreth than n was Jesus of Nazareth He is crucified by Pontius Pilate mayor o of Rye Ry who means him n no harm but fears for his p political fut future re and and by Archdeacon C Caiaphas and nd Canon Annas who live In terror of a rev revo revolution lution lotion which might upset the power rower of th the church And so she tells the tale tale- with a great deal of Irony but still more of b beauty auty and dramatic power By deep insight she has made her characters true to the Bible and still true to Sussex EP E E. I P P. Dutton Company New Kew York |