Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 245, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1914 — SHALL WARS MEAN BIG POEMS [ARTICLE]

SHALL WARS MEAN BIG POEMS

Greatest Battle Hymns Have Not Bean Inspired by Titanic fttrugflles Like the Present One. The greatest poems have been written about little wars. The Iliad was written around a siege carried on by a handful of barbarian chieftains against a city of the second class. The battle of Chevy Chase was a border skirmish followings upon a cattle-steal-ing expedition. And Kipling’s imperial mnse is at her best when she sings of petty wars with colored tribesmen. Britain’s far-flung battle line was far flung against Dervish era and Afridis; it was seldom brotight into collision with field intrenchments and siege artillery. Little war, or else big wars in anticipation of retrospect, these are the rich soil for the poet. A great war in the actual, the fate of an empire truly at stake, may make poets out of the common crowd, but subdues the poet to the level of the common crowd. There is a solemn tone about- Kipling's latest verse which has its effect. Only it is not exhortation we wanted, but exultation; not an appeal, but a clarion call. When an entire nation is aflame the poet is apt to find his mission rather perfunctory. "■>