Welsh Journals

Reviews. Secrets. By W. H. Davies. London: Jonathan Cape Ltd. Pp. 48. 3s. 6d. At Dawn: Poems, Profane and Religious. By Evan Morgan. London: Kegan Paul. Pp. 104, with portrait. 6s. "Call me a Nature poet, nothing more," writes Mr Davies on the last page of his latest volume; nevertheless, despite his own words, he is more, he is a poet expressing a universal ecstasy, needing na extenuating adjective. At this date it is useless to repeat praise, however deserved, of his lyrical qual- ities and his experienced and full-bodied simplicity, or to comment upon the changing moods-wistful, merry, sombre, but always liOvely-which make this book as fresh and variable and delightful as an April day. "The power was given at birth to me To stare at a rainbow, bird or tree, Longer than any man alive; And from these trances, when they're gone, My songs of joy come, one by one." If all these poems do not attain the fine standard of his best work, there are at least a high proportion of "happy tunes of careless ease" which rank but little below it. Many of these penny songs-there are forty in the boolk, well printed, and suitably decorated and bound into the bargain !-are pure drops of crystal beauty in which fresh loveliness will be discerned at every reading. The following is quoted not necessarily as a specimen of Mr Davies at his best, but more as an example of his use of similes so simple and natural that only upon re- flection do they reveal the power of perfect truth:- "Pleasure is not the one I love; Her laughter in the marketplace Makes every fool her echo there; And from her finger-tips she throws Wild kisses in the open air. "Give me that little miser, Joy, Who hoards at home her quiet charms; And offers with her two soft lips A warmer kiss than any thrown By Pleasure, from her finger-tips." Of the second volume, "At Dawn," little need he said. Mr Morgan has no consistent vision, and bis re-actions and observations are too commonplace to be particularly interesting. Original perception is rare, the vivid image rarer; the "profane" pieces are orthodox in theme, treatment, and phrase, the "religious" confuse prayer with poetry. An hour or two after a careful re-reading of the book not one keen impression remains in the mind, only a con- fused memory of conventional conceptions and phrases. Mr Davies at his worst never speaks in any tones but his own; Mr Morgan might approach more nearly to poetry were he less anxious to. re "poetic," As the first work of a young man "At Dawn" might be accepted as a warrant of past and future endeavour; as the third or fourth of one whose first was issued eierht years ago it is distinctlv a disappointment, if not indeed a tomb- stone. The ten lines quoted above contain more of genuine beauty and inspiration than all the hundred pages of Mr. Morgan's volume. We regret that the author of the Social Diary, has been unavoidably prevented this month from compiling it.-EDITOR. G.H.W. Correspondence. To THE Editor OF THE "WELSH OUTLOOK." Dear Sir, — notice in the pages of your spirited magazine an article by A. T. Simon, "The Lack of Welsh Genius." In the course of his remarks (on p. 159), the writer has the following words :Modern- ism and the findings of the higher criticism, though not openly accepted, are received with far more tolerance in the Roman Catholic and Anglican communions, or in the English Congregational body- at any rate by not inconsiderable sections of these bodies. In England you will find men who will calmly deny the Immaculate Conception, the Resurrection of the Body, the miraculous element, or will asseverate that the truth or falsity of these doctrines is of no importance-that Christianity still remains-and who yet consider themselves churchmen." This writer's unfortunate inclusion of "Roman Catholic" in the above extract shows, if not a lack of genius, certainly a lack of elementary knowledge of the Roman Catholic Church. A modernist would no more be "tolerated" as a member of the Catholic Church than anyone who calmly denied the Immaculate Con- ception (which is not the same thing as the Virgin- Birth), the Resurrection of the Body, the miraculous element, or who "asseverated" that the truth or falsity of these doctrines is of no importance, nor would he remain a Roman Catholic under those circumstances. Statements such as the above make a member of the Roman Catholic "communion" wonder where on earth the writer got his ideas of the Roman Catholic "com- munion" from.-Yours faithfully, (REV.) O. Lofthouse. St. Mary's College, Aberystwyth. WELSH TEACHERS AND THE LANGUAGE. To THE EDITOR OF THE "WELSH OUTLOOK." Sir,-I am directed to forward the following reso- lutions, unanimously passed by the Cardiganshire Association of the National Union of Teachers:- 1. "That this meeting of the Cardiganshire Asso- ciation of the National Union of Teachers cordially approves of the action of the National Union of Welsh Societies in petitioning the local education authorities of Wales to make a knowledge of Welsh (or alterna- tively a readiness to learn the language within a reasonable period) a condition in all future appoint- ments in elementary schools." 2. "That this meeting regrets the unfriendly atti- tude recently adopted by the Executive of the Welsh Federation of Head Teachers in this matter, but cannot regard such an attitude as in any way representative of the opinion generally held by the teachers of Wales; and that we therefore urge the Executive, as a respon- sible body, to give the matter their further careful consideration." 3. "That steps be taken to invite the attention of other Welsh Associations of the National Union of Teachers to this important matter, and to urge them to pass resolutions similar in principle, if not in detail, to resolution No. 1. above." In support of the resolutions, it was pointed out that: -(a) Among those who have rendered the best service to Welsh education were insptctors and teachers of English nationality who had learnt the vernacular; (b) in other civilised countries it is customary to stipulate that the teacher should know the language of his pupils; (c) the interests of the child should be the first consideration.-Yours etc., JAMES Davies, Hon. Secretary, Rhydypennau C. School, Llandre, S.O.