Writings in the United Amateur, 1915-1922

by H. P. Lovecraft

  THE UNITED AMATEUR

  OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE UNITED AMATEUR PRESS ASSOCIATION

  VOLUME XVI GEORGETOWN, ILL., JULY, 1917 NUMBER 9

  ODE FOR JULY FOURTH, 1917

  As Columbia's brave scions, in anger array'd, Once defy'd a proud monarch and built a new nation; 'Gainst their brothers of Britain unsheath'd the sharp blade That hath ne'er met defeat nor endur'd desecration; So must we in this hour Show our valour and pow'r, And dispel the black perils that over us low'r: Whilst the sons of Britannia, no longer our foes, Will rejoice in our triumphs and strengthen our blows!

  See the banners of Liberty float in the breeze That plays light o'er the regions our fathers defended; Hear the voice of the million resound o'er the leas, As the deeds of the past are proclaim'd and commended; And in splendour on high Where our flags proudly fly, See the folds we tore down flung again to the sky: For the Emblem of England, in kinship unfurl'd, Shall divide with Old Glory the praise of the world!

  Bury'd now are the hatreds of subject and King, And the strife that once sunder'd an Empire hath vanish'd. With the fame of the Saxon the heavens shall ring As the vultures of darkness are baffled and banish'd: And the broad British sea, Of her enemies free, Shall in tribute bow gladly, Columbia, to thee: For the friends of the Right, in the field side by side, Form a fabric of Freedom no hand can divide!

  H. P. LOVECRAFT.

  DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC CRITICISM

  =The Conservative= for July opens with Ira A. Cole's delightful andmelodious lines "In Vita Elysium" (Heaven in Life), which present astrong arraignment of those conventional theologians who deem all thingsbeautiful reserved for a vague existence after death. While the orthodoxreader may deem the flight of the imagination too free, the rational andappreciative litterateur will delight in the vigour of imagination anddelicacy of fancy displayed. The metrical structure is beyond reproachin taste and fluency, the regular and spirited heroic couplets affordinga refreshing contrast to the harsh and languid measures of the day. Mr.Cole's poetical future is bright indeed, for he possesses an innateconception of fitness and poetic values which too few of hiscontemporaries can boast. We wish to emphasize to those readers who arefamiliar with =The Conservative's= editorial policy, that the linesappear practically without revision; every bold conception and stroke ofgenius being Mr. Cole's own. Two couplets in particular delight the earand the imagination, proving the author's claim to distinction as a poetof the purest classical type:

  "Go! Go! vain man, to those unbounded fanes Where God's one proven priest--fair Nature--reigns."

  "Uplifted, glad, thy spirit then shall know That life is light, and heaven's here below!"

  "The Genesis of the Revolutionary War," by Henry Clapham McGavack, isone of those searchingly keen bits of iconoclastic analysis which havemade Mr. McGavack so famous as an essayist since his advent to theUnited. Our author here explodes conclusively a large body of bombasticlegend which false textbooks have inflicted upon successive generationsof innocent American youth. We are shown beyond a doubt that theRevolution of 1776 was no such one-sided affair as the petty political"historians" would have us believe, and that our Mother Country indeedhad a strong case before the bar of International justice. It is anarticle which makes us doubly proud of our racial and culturalaffiliations.

  "Sweet Frailty," a poem by Mary Henrietta Lehr, contains all thoseelements of charm, delicacy, and ingenuity which mark its author as oneof amateurdom's most cultivated and gifted members.

  Of the editorial column modesty forbids us to speak, but we hope theamateur public may be duly charitable with our shortcomings as thereindisplayed.

  * * * * *

  =The Inspiration= for April is a "Tribute Number," dedicated to theamateur journalists of Great Britain and Canada who have devoted theirlives and fortunes to the cause of civilisation and the Empire. With sowonderfully inspiring a subject, it is small wonder that the magazinelives gloriously up to its name. Miss von der Heide shows extreme skilland sympathy in the editorship of the publication, and in the verseswhich she contributes; proving herself worthy indeed of the high placeshe has occupied in amateurdom for so many years.

  "The Lion's Brood," by Henry Clapham McGavack, exhibits the versatilityof this brilliant writer; for though he is by preference a conciseessayist, he here rises to great heights in the domain of rhetoricalpanegyric. His stirring encomium is ingeniously continued by Mr. WilliamT. Harrington, who adds many merited words of praise for our kindredacross the seas. The present critic's lines are as full of heartfeltlove of England as they are wanting in merit; while the lines of OliveG. Owen possess both deep fervour and conspicuous merit. Mrs. Griffith'stribute, "He Conquers who Endures," breathes out the true spirit of theAmerican nation today, anticipating the official action of a cautiousand slow-moving government. The "Open Letters" of Messrs. Macauley,Stokes and Martin, speak the brave spirit of the age, and make us themore sharply regretful of our own rejection for military service."Treasure," by Miss von der Heide, is an appealing bit of sentiment,whose interest is timely indeed.

  Viewed as a whole, =The Inspiration= takes first rank amongst theamateur papers published since March.

  * * * * *

  =The Little Budget= for May opens with Paul J. Campbell's meritoriouspoem entitled "Signals." Mr. Campbell, always facile in metre, exhibitsincreasing power in the realm of poetical imagination, and is entitledto a substantial place on the slopes of Parnassus. A misprint in thepresent version of "Signals" gives =look= when =looked= should appear.

  "The Adventures of 'Dido' Plum," by Joseph Parks, is a pleasing story ofmilitary life by one who is himself a soldier. Mr. Parks' brief sketchesform a pleasing feature of the contemporary amateur press, beingdistinguished by a naturalness which intensifies their interest asliteral transcripts of the army atmosphere. "Road Song," a tuneful lyricby Eleanor J. Barnhart, marks the first appearance of that brilliantauthor as a poet. Her inexperience in this art, however, is not at allto be suspected from this fervent and finished composition; which mightwell do credit to some of our veteran bards. "Impulse," by Norah SloaneStanley, is described as "A Parisian Fragment," and exhibits muchingenuity in spirit and atmosphere. "Keep a Cheerful Countenance," byEugene B. Kuntz, is a poem of great merit despite the doubtful rhyme of=way= and =quality= in the last stanza. Miss Mappin, in her article onMilton, displays her ample knowledge of literary history, and even morethan her customary fluency. "The Contented Robin," a poem by MargaretMahon, is apt, pleasing and harmonious; whilst Miss Trafford's briefjingle is quaint and clever. "Spring," by Randolph Trafford (aetat 10)is full of the exuberant vigour of youth, and speaks well for the futureof this bright young bard.

  * * * * *

  =The Little Budget= for June gains distinction from Henry ClaphamMcGavack's brilliant essay on American Anglophobia, entitled "Blood isnot Thicker Than Water." This acute analysis of anti-British sentimentamong certain classes in the States reveals a lamentable result ofbigotry and historical ignorance; which may, we hope, be cured by thenew bonds of alliance betwixt the Old and the New Englands. As Mr.McGavack well demonstrates, most of our Anglophobia is manufactured bythe alleged "historians" who poison the minds of the young throughmendacious textbooks. This species of false teaching, an evil potentlyfostered by the Fenians and Sinn Feiners who lurk serpent-like in ourmidst, is one which cannot too soon be eradicated; for the culturalidentity and moral unity of the States and the Empire make such sourcesof unintelligent prejudice increasingly nauseous and detrimental. We mayadd that the textbook treatment of our War between the States is almostequally unfair, the Northern cause being ridiculously exalted above thebrave and incredibly high-minded attitude of the Confederacy.

  Another deligh
tful prose contribution is "Back to Blighty," by JosephParks, a vivid vignette of one phase of military life. "Trinidad and itsForests," by F. E. M. Hercules, is marked by its author's customary easeof expression and felicity of diction; presenting many facts of generalinterest. The poetry in this issue includes work from the pens of J. E.Hoag, H. P. Lovecraft, Rev. Eugene B. Kuntz, Beryl Mappin, and theEditor. Dr. Kuntz's lines to the memory of Phillips Gamwell are animatedwith a nobility which well befits their subject, though the rhyme of=day= and =melody= is not strictly correct. Few amateur poets are ableto achieve the sonorous dignity which Dr. Kuntz imparts to his flowingAlexandrines, or to select with equal appropriateness the vivid andmusical words that so irresistibly delight the ear and impress theimagination. Miss Mappin's metrical effort, entitled "Only a Thought,"betrays some of the crudities of youth; including the attempted rhyme of=alone= and =home=. The metre, phraseology, and plan of rhyming demandextensive revision, the following being a possible amended version ofthe piece:

  As sad and alone in a distant land I sat by the dismal shore, My chin laid pensively in my hand, And my dreams all of home once more; I watch'd and mus'd o'er the sunless sea, And study'd the cruel foam; For the waves bore an exile's woe to me, From my kindred forc'd to roam.

  But lo! floating light upon the wind And murm'ing o'er ocean crest, Come the thoughts of those I left behind, Bringing comfort and love and rest. Only a word--aye, only a thought! Each speeds like a heav'n-sent dart; Who can measure the gladness and aid they've brought-- These thoughts--to the breaking heart?

  The first line of the original, "=Far away= in a =distant= land," islamentably pleonastic; whilst the identity or intended identity of thesecond and fourth rhymes is undesirable. In a verse of this type, it isnot well to repeat a rhyme immediately. In the second stanza the firstand third lines and the fifth and seventh are unrhymed, a variation fromthe original design which is not sanctioned by custom. Once a poetdecides on his metre and plan of rhyme, he should maintain themunchanged throughout the poem. In the foregoing revised version, allthese defects have been remedied. Miss Trafford's poem, "After a Dream,"shows much promise both technically and in the thought. The final lineof the first stanza, "And the joy it contains is much," is very weak;and should be changed to read: "And of joy it contains so much." Inwriting the definite article, Miss Trafford mistakenly uses thecontracted form =th'= when full syllabic value is to be given. Thiscontraction is employed only when the article is metrically placed as aproclitic before another word, and is thereby shorn of its separatepronunciation as follows:

  =Th' ambitious= bard a nobler theme essays.

  The illustrated bit of humor by George William Stokes deserves mentionas presenting one of the cleverest drawings to appear lately in theamateur press. It is difficult to decide in which domain Mr. Stokesshines the more brightly, literature or pictorial art. His heading for=The Little Budget= is a masterpiece of its kind.

  * * * * *

  =The Pippin= for May brings once more to our notice amateurdom'sforemost high-school club, the Appleton aggregation, whose existence isdue to Mr. Maurice W. Moe's untiring efforts. "Doings of the Pippins,"by Joseph Harriman, is a terse and informing chronicle of recentactivity. "Once Upon a Time," by Florence A. Miller, is a bit ofhumorous verse whose metre might be improved by the use of greater care."Some Cloth!," by John Ingold, is an exceedingly clever piece of wit;which, though avowedly Irish, bears the characteristic hall-mark ofnative American humor. The delightful exaggerations recall some of thebrightest spots in American light literature. "Speed," by MatildaHarriman, is an interesting sketch recalling Poe's "Mellonta Tauta," inits imaginative flights. "From Over the Threshold," by Ruth Ryan, showsmuch promise in the realm of fiction. "Once an Amateur, Always anAmateur" is one of those rare bits of prose with which our distinguishedCritical member, Mr. Moe, favours us. We are proud of the unshakenamateur allegiance of so brilliant a personality, and trust that someday he may realise his dream of "an attic or basement printshop." "ThePress Club," by Ruth Schumaker, is a pleasing sketch, as is also MissKelly's "Our Club and the United." We trust that the Appleton Club maysafely weather the hard times of which Miss Kelly complains.

  * * * * *

  THE UNITED AMATEUR for May contains a captivating and graceful sketch byW. Edwin Gibson, entitled "Beauty." Mr. Gibson is one of our youngermembers who bids fair to become prominent in the coming amateurgeneration. Of the month's poetry, we may mention with particularcommendation Miss von der Heide's "Worship," though through some error,possibly typographical, the final line of the second stanza seems tolack two syllables. "When Dreams Come True," by Kathleen Foster Smith,is likewise of more than common merit, though the word =hear= in thesecond line of the second stanza is probably a misprint for =heard=."Smile," by O. M. Blood, is ingenious though scarcely novel. Its chiefdefects are inequalities in the lines, which care should be able tocorrect. The first line contains two superfluous syllables, while thefourth line contains one too many. The ninth line of the final sectioncontains two syllables too many, as do the tenth and eleventh lines aswell. The rhyme of =appear= and =disappear= is incorrect, sincesyllables in rhyme should be merely similar--not the same. Mr. Bloodrequires much practice in poetry, but undoubtedly possesses the germ ofsuccess. "To the U. A. P. A.," by Matthew Hilson, is acceptable inconstruction and delightful in sentiment, laying strata on the newAnglo-American unity--the one redeeming feature of the presentinternational crisis. THE UNITED AMATEUR closes with a quotation fromEuripides, which we will not attempt to review here, since the authorhas been receiving critical attention from far abler men for manycenturies!

  H. P. LOVECRAFT, Chairman.

  NEWS NOTES

  Maurice W. Moe, Chief of our Department of Private Criticism, is tryinga novel experiment this summer for the sake of his health. He hasundertaken a labourer's work on one of the new buildings of LawrenceCollege, lifting planks, shovelling mud, and wheeling bags of cementlike a seasoned workingman. While painful at first, the regimen isproving actually beneficial, and Mr. Moe is proud of the physicalprowess he is beginning to exhibit. One of our amateur poetastersrecently perpetrated the following four lines on the unusual occurrenceof a learned instructor working manually upon a college building:

  To M. W. M.

  Behold the labourer, who builds the walls That soon shall shine as Learning's sacred halls; A man so apt at ev'ry art and trade, He well might govern what his hands have made!