Show I t c sm en II The poetry of or the November r issue of The University Pen compares more or less favorably with the verse usually found in the average undergraduate undergraduate under under- graduate publication To it by calling It poetry in the highest sense would be an injustice to that fine art and to dismiss it as as merely commonplace commonplace commonplace common common- place verse would be equally unfair to the authors Rhyme accurate meters meters meters met met- ers epithets and suggestive suggestive suggestive tive diction are important considerations considerations in poetry of a high order and must be given due attention on the theother theother theother other hand however technically perfect perfect perfect per per- a bit of oC verse may be it Is not poetry in its proper sense unless it appeals to the deeper sensibilities and intuition Merely to stimulate and to excite is not sufficient it must grip it must provoke an emotional response re re- spouse spouse- in the r reader ader it must exalt the soul It should lift one to a sense of the universal in human nature and in inthe inthe inthe the universe Large and significant experience deep insight a sense of values in the concrete manifestations of life and the ability so to Use ones one's material as to provoke corresponding emotional responses in the reader are the things which distinguish the real poet from the maker of somewhat commonplace verse It is not unfair to say that undergraduate folk of need are not quite of those whose insight experience and study enable them to have a fund of significant m material material ma ma- which they can so mold and fashion that the finished product is a high order of poetry Most of such products are however commendable verse Miss Williams in The Potters Potter's Song had the difficult task of handling handling handling handl handl- ing a bit of primitive religious life life life- that of the Hopi Indian of southern Utah The Hopi potter as he molds his clay sings his curious religious chant his description of the natural phenomena about him and the address address address ad ad- dress to the serpents in in the last two stanzas are characteristic of his attitude attitude attitude atti atti- tude and frame of mind The rhythm of the groups of lines the effective and like chant-like repetition of the ideas it it should be noted that each stanza is built up of three such rhythmical refrains so characteristic of primitive poetry poetry and and the religious emotion brought to a climax in the last three lines characterize this bit of work as above the average product of this type Mr McGarry's When the Shadows Gather is somewhat conventional conventional conventional con con- in its theme and in its tech tech- The authors author's Irish mysticism appears in the evanescent and fanci- fanci ul atmosphere His diction melody and metrical diets give a certain quiet musical effect On the other hand the poem is wanting in the larger values values it it is not effectively climactic in its emotional acceleration acceleration acceleration tion and it is not exa exalting Ung This is not Mr McGarry's best verse he has written other material which merits more commendation Moreover stanza diversion is a matter of delicate technique technique technique tech tech- and here much has been lost by improper printing the poem should have been put into line four-line stanzas rather than into eight Mr Rees' Rees The Seasons is likewise a conventional theme In his use of suggestive suggestive suggestive sug sug- descriptive adjectives and of or refrain effects Mr Rees shows some skill In this poem as in the case of When the Shadows Gather there is wanting that which provokes proper emotional response There is a certain certaIn certain tain coldness and a certain artificiality artificial artificial- ity of workmanship about it that prompts one to term it an exercise in terse erse rather than poetry The poem Hope is also wanting In the larger power to provoke emotional response and to exalt Its most commendable element Is one or two poetic epithets such as bloody rust rust sobbing wind and rain etc The contributors of these bit of verse merit encouragement encouragement encouragement encourage encourage- ment to the end that they seek so to handle their material that they will provoke response by appealing to those things which are universal and fundamental in human existence The prose of or this number of The University Pen does not rank so high as It should The mastery of an effective tive prose style and a knowledge of technique of structure ar are quite as difficult a matter in prose as in poetry The chief characteristics characteristics- one might consistently say defects defects ot of the prose are a general lack of effective effective effective tive careless sentence organization and the use of diction whose good standing is seriously to be questioned such such words as humans illy etc etc not to mention the many violation violation violation vio vio- lation of good idiom Horaces Horace's idea that good style is the appropriateness appropriate ness and fitness of the phrasing to the idea expressed never has had more consideration In prose style than it has today Just as the epic the lyric and the tho drama each has its corresponding corresponding cor cor- responding form technique and sub- sub matter so does each prose form have its corresponding artistic An essay should have the structure structure structure ture and subject matter of that form the short story one of the tile most technical technical technical tech tech- types should observe the requirements requirements requirements re re- re- re of that type and prose narrative should have more than its mere details and its episodes to recommend recommend recommend rec rec- it the it-the the narrative details and incidents should be used as materials to a given end and purpose The material material ma ma- in itself is often of little consequence consequence consequence conse conse- quence but the use to which that material material material ma ma- is put and the effective technical technical technical tech tech- handling of It Is a p. t very different matter Herein lies the difference between between between be be- tween an effective writer of prose and andone andone andone one who merely writes one will take commonplace material and by proper handling to a given end will bring forth a worthy product the other may have the finest kind of material but if he does not know how to use his material effectively the result isso is isso isso so much commonplace narrative or oror oror oror or description as the case may be Obviously It would be unfair to ask that the average undergraduate bit of prose shall be a literary masterpiece but it is not unfair to ask the considerable considerable considerable consid consid- erable knowledge of structure technique technique technique tech tech- and use be manifest Echoes from the War Var Zone is a feature of this issue of The Pen It is isa isa isa a commendable thing and should be encouraged Probably the material in inthis inthis inthis this feature is In itself not so interesting interesting interesting inter inter- esting since anyone who has an acquaintance acquaintance acquaintance ac ac- ac- ac with current periodical literature literature literature lit lit- is familiar with similar subject subject subject sub sub- matter it is interesting however from the point of view that the contributors contributors con con- are men of the U who have reported hand first-hand observations While most of the articles are general narratives The Arrival of the Wounded most effectively uses its material to a given end and A Spy's Degree would Degree would not A Spy's Passport Pass Passport Passport port be a more suggestive title title title-is is most ambitious and has abundant elements elements elements ele ele- ele- ele ments for a fine Jine short story Homeward Homeward Homeward Home ward Bound is a good example of commonplace narrative the material is not so used as to emphasize a significant significant significant sig sig- sig- sig and fundamental idea or ob ob- obI ob- I Mr Hobsons Hobson's Self and Selfishness is an example of the Ule essay essay essay es es- es- es say form in which analysis logic and ideas play playa a part His ideas are clear and the article is unified and coher coher- ent Probably his use of sense for or intelligence conceive of for co conceive conceive con folks for folk illy lIly for forill forill forill ill etc etc is still more emphasized emphasized sized by the fact that he has also violated violated violated vio vio- an aspect of- of unity of point of or view by changing from the formal third person of the first three paragraphs paragraphs paragraphs para para- graphs to the use of me men your we etc in the later paragraphs In Inthe Inthe Inthe the attempts at short story story New New Thought The Rivet and A Spy's D Degree one Degree one notes a lack of pt technique technIque technique tech tech- and structure The Rivet has luite as good material for a good Short story as does A Spy's Degree while both are interesting one has the feeling that the most ha has not been een made of or the possibilities in them With proper handling these two theses might be developed into effective short stories New Thought on Oli the Ule contrary contrary contrary con con- is a bit of commonplace bit of ot narrative and savors of the sentimental sentimental sentimental senti senti- mental moreover the resorting to the use of capital letters in Him Girl Man Student etc may maybe be characterized as the work of or a novice Of Ot all aU the prose in this issue Fly is Continued on Page 3 A CRITICISM U PEN Continued from Page 2 2 the best example of the use of narrative narrative narra narra- tive and descriptive details to a given end end characterization is the chief con con- cern This piece does not exist for forthe forthe forthe the sake of the incidents alone but Because o of oe its insight into and analysis analysis an an- of a bit of animal character It Itis Itis Itis is suggestive and interesting it shows power of analysis and observation Its seeming carelessness and inaccuracy of diction are noticeable The contributors contributors con con- to the prose section should I be encouraged to the end that they study technique technique how how to get the most out of a given bit of material It is quite as much how effectively a thing is done as what is done PROF B. B ROLAND LEWIS |