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TheCongoandOtherPoems1TheCongoandOtherPoemsByVachelLindsayTheCongoandOtherPoems2Introduction.ByHarrietMonroeWhen`Poetry,AMagazineofVerse',wasfirstpublishedinChicagointheautumnof1912,anIllinoispoet,VachelLindsay,was,quiteappropriately,oneofitsfirstdiscoveries.ItmaybenotquitewithoutsignificancethattheissueofJanuary,1913,whichledoffwith`GeneralWilliamBoothEntersintoHeaven',immediatelyfollowedthenumberinwhichthegreatpoetofBengal,RabindraNathTagore,wasfirstpresentedtotheAmericanpublic,andthatthesetwoantipodalpoetssoonappearedinpersonamongtheearliestvisitorstotheeditor.ForthecomingtogetherofEastandWestmayprovetobethegreateventoftheapproachingera,andifthepoetryofthenowfamousBengalilaureategarnerstherichestwisdomandhighestspiritualityofhisancientrace,soonemayventuretobelievethattheyoungIllinoistroubadourbringsfromLincoln'scityanauthenticstrainofthelyricmessageofthisnewerworld.Itishardlynecessary,perhaps,tomentionMr.Lindsay'sloyaltytothepeopleofhisplaceandhour,orthetraininginsympathywiththeiraimsandidealswhichhehasachievedthroughvagabondishwanderingsintheMiddleWest.Andwemaypermittimetodecidehowfarheexpressestheiremotion.Butitmaybeopportunetoemphasizehispleaforpoetryasasongart,anartappealingtotheearratherthantheeye.Thefirstsectionofthisvolumeisespeciallyanefforttorestorepoetrytoitsproperplace--theaudience-chamber,andtakeitoutofthelibrary,thecloset.Inthelibraryithasbecome,sofarasthepeopleareconcerned,almostalostart,andperhapsitcanberestoredtothepeopleonlythrougharenewalofitsappealtotheear.IamtemptedtoquotefromMr.Lindsay'sexplanatorynotewhichaccompaniedthreeofthesepoemswhentheywerefirstprintedin`Poetry'.Hesaid:Mr.YeatsaskedmerecentlyinChicago,`Whatarewegoingtodotorestoretheprimitivesingingofpoetry?'IfindwhatMr.Yeatsmeansby`theprimitivesingingofpoetry'inProfessorEdwardBlissReed'snewTheCongoandOtherPoems3volumeon`TheEnglishLyric'.Hesaysinhischapteronthedefinitionofthelyric:`WiththeGreekssongwasanall-embracingterm.Itincludedthecrooningofthenursetothechild...thehalf-sungchantofthemowerorsailor...theformalodesungbythepoet.InallGreeklyrics,eveninthechoralodes,musicwasthehandmaidofverse....Thepoethimselfcomposedtheaccompaniment.EuripideswascensuredbecauseIophonhadassistedhiminthemusicalsettingofsomeofhisdramas.'HereispicturedatypeofGreekworkwhichsurvivesinAmericanvaudeville,whereeverylinemaybetwo-thirdsspokenandone-thirdsung,theentirerendering,musicalandelocutionary,dependingupontheimprovisingpowerandsureinstinctoftheperformer.IrespectfullysubmitthesepoemsasexperimentsinwhichIendeavortocarrythisvaudevilleformbacktowardstheoldGreekprecedentofthehalf-chantedlyric.Inthiscasetheone-thirdofmusicmustbeaddedbytheinstinctofthereader.HemustbeIophon.AndhecaneasilybeIophonifhebringstobearuponthepiecewhatmightbecalledtheHigherVaudevilleimagination....Biggeneralcontrastsbetweenthemainsectionsshouldbetheruleofthefirstattemptsatimprovising.Itisthehopeofthewriterthataftertwoorthreereadingseachlinewillsuggestitsownseparatetouchofmelodytothereaderwhohasbecomeaccustomedtothecadences.Lethimreadwhathelikesread,andsingwhathelikessung.ItwasduringthissamevisitinChicago,at`Poetry's'banquetontheeveningofMarchfirst,1914,thatMr.YeatshonoredMr.Lindsaybyaddressinghisafter-dinnertalkprimarilytohimasafellowcraftsman,andbysayingof`GeneralBooth':Thispoemisstrippedbareofornament;ithasanearnestsimplicity,astrangebeauty,andyouknowBaconsaid,`Thereisnoexcellentbeautywithoutstrangeness.'ThisrecognitionfromthedistinguishedIrishpoettemptsmetohintatthecosmopolitanaspectsofsuchracilylocalartasMr.Lindsay's.Thesubjectistoolargeforamerelyintroductoryword,butthereadermaybeinvitedtoreflectuponit.IfMr.Lindsay'spoetryshouldcrosstheocean,itwouldnotbethefirsttimethatourmostindigenousarthasreacteduponTheCongoandOtherPoems4theartofoldernations.BesidesPoe--who,thoughindigenousinwaystoosubtleforbriefanalysis,yetpassedallfrontiersinhisswift,sadflight--thetwoAmericanartistsofwidestinfluence,WhitmanandWhistler,havebeenintenselyAmericanintemperamentandinthespecialspiritualqualityoftheirart.IfWhistlerwasthefirstgreatartisttoacceptthemodernmessageinOrientalart,ifWhitmanwasthefirstgreatmodernpoettodiscardthelimitationsofconventionalform:ifbothweremorefree,moreindividual,thantheircontemporaries,thiswastheexpressionoftheirAmericanism,whichmayperhapsbedefinedasaspiritualindependenceandloveofadventureinheritedfromthepioneers.Foreignartistsareusuallythefirsttorecognizethisnewtang;onedetectstheinfluenceofthegreatdeadpoetanddeadpainterinallmodernartwhichlooksforwardinsteadofback;andtheircountrymen,ourowncontemporarypoetsandpainters,oftenexpressindirectly,throughFrenchinfluences,areactionwhichtheyarereluctanttoconfessdirectly.AlighterphaseofthisforeignenthusiasmfortheAmericantangisconfessedbySignorMarinetti,theItalianfuturist,wheninhisarticleon`FuturismandtheTheatre',in`TheMask',heurgestherevolutionaryvalueofAmericaneccentrics,citingthefundamentalprimitivequalityintheirvaudevilleart.ThismaybeanotherstatementofMr.Lindsay'spleaforacloserrelationbetweenthepoetandhisaudience,forareturntothehealthiero