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Book, page 111 / 248 interesting as experiments, exhibited in the two volumes _Wheels 1916_, and _Wheels 1917_, and also in the books called _Initiates: a Series of Poetry by Proved Hands_. CHAPTER VI THE IRISH POETS Irish poetry a part of English Literature--common-sense the basis of romanticism--misapprehension of the poetic temperament--William Butler Yeats--his education--his devotion to art--his theories--his love poetry--resemblance to Maeterlinck--the lyrical element paramount--the psaltery--pure rather than applied poetry--John M. Synge--his mentality--his versatility--a terrible personality--his capacity for hatred--his subjectivity--his interesting Preface--brooding on death--A. E.--The Master of the island--his sincerity and influence--disembodied spirits--his mysticism--homesickness--true optimism--James Stephens--poet and novelist--realism and fantasy--Padraic Colum--Francis Ledwidge--Susan Mitchell--Thomas MacDonagh--Joseph Campbell--Seumas O'Sullivan--Herbert Trench--Maurice Francis Egan--Norreys Jephson O'Conor--F. Carlin--The advance in Ireland. In what I have to say of the work of the Irish poets, I am thinking of it solely as a part of English literature. I have in mind no political bias whatever, though I confess I have small admiration for extremists. During the last forty years Irishmen have written mainly in the English language, which assures to what is good in their compositions an influence bounded only by the dimensions of the earth. Great creative writers are such an immense and continuous blessing to the world that the locality of their birth pales in comparison with the glory of it, a glory in which we all profit. We need original writers in America; but I had rather have a star of the first magnitude appear in London than a star of lesser power appear in Los
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