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SUNDAY MAGAZINE
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 1922
The Poets Who Are Coming Here
I. Padraic Colum
(By Lois Elisabetlh Whitcomob) ish Poetry." "The New ErPin Amer- The first mentioned of the five poets, tllece," (\ivniillan), appeared the
The American Association of Uni- ican Poetry" is a volume of criticism, Padraic Colum, is n Irish poet and same month
versity Women has arranged for a one of the most authoritative volumes dramatist. Although he is a true Another phase of the versatile Irish-
of its kind that has appeared. Irishman, born in Longford, Ireland, man's work is his legendary tales for
series of talks by noted American an 1881 he has apparently adopted ihitdre. Although these are swift,
Amy Loswell is also both a poean in18,hhsaprnty doedaa
poets to be given in Ann Arbor this amy Hers to rta wok are country as a second homeland- lucid and vivid enough to attract the
.a critic. Her two critical works are
spring. Such a program is a distinct "Six French Poet" and "'tendencies H' first came to the United States on younger audiience for which they are
innovation. It has already caught the in todern American Poetry," the first P-visit in 1914, nit h cm diml rcec- primarily designed, yet they possess a
interest of the students, faculty, and book to attempt a scientific study of'r by literary flk ri iii his rec- fundamotal poeti teaity and a sub-
w ognition by the magazines caused tle imaginative magic that captivates
townspeople who are at all concerned the new movement in American poe- hiim to prolong his visit indefinitely, mature readers as well.
with things literary, and promises to try. tier books of verse are familiar until now Americans claim him s one
approach the success which such a to all readers of modern poetry,' belonging to their own group of art For his subject matter he has drawn
"Sword Blades and Poppy Seed," "A . upon the great fund of Irish lore, and
venture deserves to attaiii. - Dome of Many-Coloured Glass," "Pic- ists. with his pen for a wand le has played
Those in charge have been particu- tures of the Floating World," and In Dublin lie was active in found- the magicicn, transforming the strange
larly fortumnate in their choice of "ton Grande's Castle." ing the Irish National Theater, and *,icient tales into clear and fascinating
speakers. A more representative and Miss Lowell's work has exerted a his interest in dramati work has stories completely his own. Even the
interesting group could hardly have great influence on that of young poets never flagged. Like Diinsan and iitlls have a fresh gay touch that at-
been selected. Padraic Colum, Carl in America. The high standard which 'Synge, Colum is a "find" of Yeats tracts. Among these are "The Boy
Sandburg, Louis Untermeyer, Amy she sets for her ovh work, the intel- whose ardor has so vigorously ad- Who Knew 'Vhat the Birds Said," "The
Lowell, and Vachel Lindsay are poets ligent criticism which she has made l vanced the Irish drama and Irish oy Apprenticed to an Enchanter,"
whose work has little in common save of the work of other poets, and her poetry. I"The Girl Who Sat by the Ashes," and
a general excellence. sturdy defense of the principles upon 'Padraic Colum was among the first "The Children of Odin."
Carl Sandburg has found the ua which vers libre is founded have given icontributors to the famous Abhey An imuaginative child would without
terial for his poetry in the corn fields the movement a strength and impetus, Theater at Dublin. Part of his talk doubt be raptly interested fin anyone's
and the factory life of the middle west. without which it might have been Wednesday afternoon will be concern reading of such stories, but the ,full
His three volumes, "Cornhuskers," eclipsed by conservative academic 'ing the work of the Irish Players, who measure of fascination comies only
"Chicago Poems," and "Smoke and criticism. recently charmed an Ann Arbor audi- awhen Padraic Colum himself tells
Steel," have won him national fame. It has been quoted as the opinion ence with their delightful presentation them. With his gentle, sure umanner
There is probably no poet living who of English literary .men that Roberti of Lennox Robinson's play, "The and his golden brogue, he can hold
surpasses him in the strength and Frost and Vachel Lindsay are the two White-Headed Boy."- Those who en- tiat most difficult of all audiences, an
vigor of his poetry. Sandburg'e is a most representative American poets, joyed listening to the rich musical audience of children, as if hoe too had
muse of tremendous energy, of defi- Frost typifying the basic New Eng- speech of the Irish Players will te been a "boy apprenticed to an en-
ance and revolt. land element of our civilization and equally pleased by Mr. Colums, for chanter " and had learned all his mas-
Louis Untermeyer, the New Yorker, Lindsay the essentially twentieth, in spite of his long residence in this fer's serets.
introduces himself as "Jeweler, De- century note of modern jazz. Although country hue still retains the "simgimog
signer, Mu.sbaud, Fac'tory Superinten- this is a judgment with wehich many hurugu " ii is notice Iand. Almthusgh the nami of I'auraic Colum
dent, Reviewer-sometimes a poet." American critics do not agree, it is Several volumes of his plays have is famiar to every one interested in
He is noted for the variety of his liter- true that Lindsay is psually thought been published in this country. In- moodern drama, and especially to those
ary work. "First Love," "Challenge," of as a poet of syncopated verse. His emluded among these are "The Fiddler's who are imterested hm Irish drama, yet
"These Times," were the earlier ex-. poetical works include "Congo," "Gen- House," "The Land," "Thomas Mis- he is even better known in this coun-
pressions of th poetic gift chat ca eru William Booth Enters Into kerry," and "The Desert." ty as a poet. His volume "Wild
to come to full flower in his recent lHeaven," "The Chinese Nightingale," In addition to his dramatic umi I mlih, ulished i 1907, is the only
volume "Te New Adam." His extra- "The Golden Book of Springfield," and poetic stl he aas eitir if tom rush roltection of his poems which has ap-
ordinary ability to wield parody a "'The Golden Whales of California." Review in iublin, and at present he peael as yet, but his verses are seen
the surest and most subtle of all criti- Although he is a writer of verse, hue is doing much of the literary criticism ,'ii m i si this' "Th e ''keial, "e Nation." and
cal weapons is shown in "--And Other has also written three volumes of which appears in The New iepubi the new southern imagazin', "The
Poets." Ile has also published a prose, "Adventures While Preaching Also he is the editor of "An Autho Double Dealer, " being among those
trauslation of "Iteinrich eine-325 the Gospel of Beauty," "The Art ofi logy of Irish Poetry," (Boni & ive- which have published tis work.
Poems," and has edited "Modern the Moving Picture," and "A Itandy right), which was published in Jasu
American Poetry" and "Modern Brit- )Guide for Beggars." ' ary of this year. "The Golden (Continued on Page 4)
The Little Theatre at YPsilanti
(fly Agnes holugquist) After the first year of organization and a furnace room. The green room ' the octing is done by the members.
me of the noost uique exmphlus ft' society purchased a small barn at is easily converted into a kitchen and Eaelf play is studied in detail before
O of the msT t e rvexampenis the seaofety Luasieds'aibrar and after v every regular performance a the presentation; posters, stage set-
of the "Lithhe Thoeatre mvemt" is~ the rear of the Ladies' Library and re- light lunch is served to both audience tings, costumes and scenery are de-
the theatre at Ypsilanti, Mtichigan. modeled it into a playhouse. The audi- and actors while the stage is convert- signed, and if the necessary furniture
Seven years ago fifteen persons of torium, which has a seating capacity ed into a reception room where the cannot he found in town it also is de-
thloaf place suet ho organize a matic of sixty, is twelve by eighteen feet plays just produced can be discussed, signed and made by the players. Only
si 'let r ti spemniz t en'at sth a small balcony constructed from one-act plays are given, two or three
society in order to spend their even- part of the haymow. A stage was built Although the playhouse, itself, is to a performance, the mechanics of
ings in reading plays and in serious which has a depth of twenty-five feet quite unique, the real significance of the theatre preventing the production
study of the drama. Now they have and a prosenium arch nine by fifteen the Ypsilanti Players is the fact that of anything more protentious. The
what is rlaimed to hue the allet feet. Then the interior was paint- they are self-supporting and working work of editing the mnuscripts and
theatre in thaed coutry a ' suast ed, and hung with old English tan- toward the ideal of a municipal the- 5 of directing the organization is han-
theatre in the country and one of the terns. While the exterior and inter- atre. Every member is subject to call dled by Daniel L. Quirk, '93, to whose
oldest of its kind to be found any- ior are Elizabethan in appearance, the for every part of play production, fros enthusiastic work is due the general
where. stage, itself., is as modern as the most scene shifting to acting the star role success of the organization.
advanced stage lighting devices can in some play. There is not only un- An interesting incident illustrating
The club, which is divided into ac- make it. The electrical equipment, usual ability among the members, but A itr nednefinridunt illustratin
tive and subscribing membership, was :which was installed at the expense of scene painters and furniture manufac- a defermoined effort en the prt of the
first started as a means for providing $2,004, has been pronounced by ex- turers have also been discove If best of their ability occurred this fall
entertainment for its members, and perts as unsurpassed within its limits the committee in charge of secting when the organization was preparing
by any stage in larger and more elab- the cast thimks that sona one outide we te 'On Vengeance eight" by
has developed to sich a degree that orate theatres. There is a basement of the member. will fill the part best, ae Do Ve c ih. by
it holds a place of national proui- under the entire building where there the person is invited to act in the All 'Bvi' and Cornelia Yescil. The
hence. are two dressing rooms, a green room, production. But for the most part all, (Continued on Page 4)
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