Modernist Magazines and Digital Humanities

The editor of The English Review, Ford Maddox Ford, seemed to always have an agenda on his mind when he published a magazine. For instance, if one would read the titles of the literary works and editorials on the index pages, one would get a sense of what the editor wanted to relate to the general audience. One example is the October issue of 1909 in which Ford tried to emphasize the negativity that was going on in the world around him by publishing works such as “Foreign Affairs,” "The Economic Aspects of Poor Law Reform," "The Policy of the Government,” “The Present Moment in Spain,” and a poem called “Town and Country.” After reading the different works in the magazine one can see how the editor felt about the world during that time period.

Beginning with the editorial portion of the magazine, the following articles discuss the social and/or political state of the world: “Foreign Affairs” by Sir Charles W. Dilke; “The Policy of Government” by M.P.; and “The Present State of Spain” by William T. Goode. The first article discusses the alliances that were made between the different countries before World War I. “It is difficult to defend our expressing for a cynical Europe official horror at the conduct of the Servians in the murder of their king and queen, and equally difficult to justify our joining Russia in a support of Servia, against Austria, too absolute for French concurrence.” (pg 497) The words “Triple Entente” appear in the article as well, signaling to a reader many years later that The Great War was looming. (pg 499) 

The next article speaks about all of the changes that the government is making in order to improve the social well being of the country. "There has been passed this summer, for example, a Bill for the regulation of the wages of labor by the State in certain trades." (pg 517) This article continues to speak about the changes and also possess some questions, "Can the State obtain that severe and arduous service which alone can render possible the continuance of the industrial supremacy of this country? And will it be able to attract, by what recompense it can offer, just those ambitious and alert men without whose guiding and driving force no particular industry can long survive?" (pg 523)

The last article by William T. Goode discusses exactly what the title suggests – the present moment in Spain. Goode traveled to throughout Spain to write this piece and he gives a great description of the physical state of Spain, “Barcelona may be tranquil, but it is the tranquility of a storm just passed, of which one does not feel sure that it will not break out again... Now, the ordinary business life of a great city mingles with the evidences of a desperate struggle, so fresh it might have been yesterday.” (pg 526) He speaks about how the churches were being burned and how nobody was doing anything to stop this:

Again and again I have been told that the destruction of church or convent was brought about by a mere handful of men or youths, and the question strange unbidden: “Why did not the inhabitants living near do something to put a stop to it?” For though fire threatened their own dwellings, nothing was done. The reply was characteristic. “If you lived here you would soon learn to avoid anything which would bring you into conflict with the authorities.” Mark that! It was not fear of the rioters, so mush as fear of being mixed up with the authorities that caused people to remain quite while a building was burning next door to them. (pg 534)

Goode continues on and on about how people were left for dead in the streets because they did not want to be held accountable for the deaths of others. Goode later mentions that schools were being closed down left and right throughout the country.

Looking through the rest of the magazine one can see the same negativity and gloom that is ever-present throughout the editorial pages. For instance, there are four drawings titled “Four Studies” by Max Beerbohm. All four have a similar common theme throughout them – the subject, a person, is looking down onto someone or something. The first picture is of a woman with her hand on her hips looking down at something towards her left. It seems as though she is telling the reader that he should not even bother her with his nonsense and just move onto the next page. The next picture is the profile of a fairly big man who looks very stern. His face is all crunched up and his eyes are closed, as if he is mad. The third picture is of a smaller looking man dressed in a tuxedo with a top hat in his hand. The mans face is difficult to read, however it seems that he is looking down onto something to the viewers left based on the way that his head is positioned. The last picture is of another man who looks somewhat disheveled in comparison to the other people in the previous pictures. His facial expression looks as though he is annoyed, mad, or incredibly upset. It seems as though Ford told Beerbohm to draw some pictures that portrayed those types of moods and feelings that were in line with the rest of the magazine of with the rest of the world.

There is a short essay that is towards the beginning of the magazine that speaks mainly about funerals and the evolution of the burial process. In “The Church in Lucina’s House,” by Edward Hutton, the word “Death” is mentioned four times in the first paragraph, giving it a very gloomy start. It is interesting to note that this particular piece is written right after the poetry section, since a decent chunk of the poems before this piece talk about god. It is possible that Ford wanted to speak about god first and then talk about the gloom that was going on in the world. It is also possible that Ford wanted to show that god had left the world, which is something that I’m sure a lot of people felt back in 1909.

In closing, throughout the entire magazine one can see evidence of the gloom and sadness that was going on throughout Europe in 1909. Ford achieved his message of gloom, by only publishing works that he felt were relevant. I feel that it is  fairly interesting to learn of the way that people were feeling before The Great War broke out, not only by reading it in a text book or listening to a history teacher speak about it, but also by reading the magazines published during the time. 

“The Blue Review” was a monthly magazine with a short run from May to July of 1913.  A follow-up to the quarterly “Rhythm”, “The Blue Review” provided an additional outlet for the publication of visual arts, literary works, and academic essays.  Though generally dense with semantic contributions, sparse works of visual art, as well as critical pieces, with thematic significance add to both the aesthetic and literary value of “The Blue Review”.  This unification of poetry, fiction, visual elements, and analytic works is such that when combined, the effect is harmonious.  Rather than detract from the individual quality of one piece, these works compounded make the overall exponentially better.

Although there aren't many poems in "The Blue Review", the majority of the poems that are included tend to have very similar concepts of love and nature. Most of the poems use nature as a way to express the authors ideas about being in love as well as the effects that aging and getting older has on a person's feelings of love. The poem "Loves Youth" by William H. Davies, written in 1913 (Vol 1. No.3, pg 151), is an example of the use of nature to portray the authors feelings about getting older and still being able to love. He says, "Not only is my love a flower/ that blooms in broad daylight/ But, like the evening Primrose, it/ Will bloom again at night". He uses nature as a metaphor to show that he acknowledges the fact that he is getting older, however, he isn't mournful about it because his love is still young and fresh. James Elroy Flecker uses this same technique in his poem, "Yasmin A Ghazel", written in 1913 (Vol 1. No. 2). His poem describes the romantic connection he has with nature. He talks about waking up in the morning and seeing the suns rays shine down on the lilies and the roses and being able to have the person you love laying next to you. I think these two poems exemplify the way the poets that are included in "The Blue Review" use nature to portray their ideas of love.

 It seems that the same themes of poetic reverence for nature, and all things natural, resonate in the artwork of “The Blue Review”.  And yet, it is though there is a subtlety to these pieces that keep them from feeling hackneyed; a quality that makes for relevance.  “Painting”, by Ambrose McEvoy  might very well be called “Portrait” if we were to only consider the foreground.  The white of the subject’s dress catches our attention, but it is the background that holds it as we consider her muddled reflection--- All at once the whole painting is transformed by her hidden sadness, and we look back through the mirror at a woman and painting made suddenly beautiful.  This notion of complex duality can be found in the use of shadows in G.S. Lightfoot’s “A Composition”. Again, a young woman serves as the subject.  But unlike “Painting”, this piece has a voyeuristic feel to it---  As though we are observing something we are not supposed to see.  If we consider the shadow in the background, this eerie sketch becomes all the more haunting as it appears this woman is in some sort of spotlight, in addition to being scrutinized by us, the audience who exists in reality.  Perhaps the questions these works raise are indicative of a growth and maturation; an understanding that nature encompasses more than what we can observe.

Understandably, the essays published by "The Blue Review" are markedly different than the artistic pieces within a given issue. The distinction between them is not simply one of theme, however, but one of scope as well. Whereas the poems, stories, and visual artistic pieces tend to focus on a single idea, such as man's relationship to nature, distilling it into an impression or image, the academic contributions offer broader, theoretical criticism of the arts. Though the contributions to this category are diverse, there is a discernible current of thought running throughout. Specifically, the question of nation and its connection to artistic output recurs frequently. Perhaps counterintuitively, given their publication by a single magazine, these articles do not hold a unified position on the argument of how much British artists should submit to influence from other country's artistic trends. Rather, there is a clear schism between, on the one hand, critics who believe that British art suffers when it borrows from foreign sources and, on the other, critics who insist that there is value in being open to such influence. "Georgian Music" by W. Denis Browne represents one essay that takes the former position. In it Browne expresses disdain for composers who are "content to borrow the latest thing... from abroad and fit it onto English ideas that have no relationship to it" (65). He is encouraged, though, by the emergence of a new style which he sees as both modern and thoroughly native. Conversely, in "Conventions: Chinese, English and French", the author Gilbert Cannan posits that British theater can be improved by foreign influence, though he does recognize that recent attempts have been, thus far, unsuccessful. Nevertheless he claims that, "we have, after all, something to learn from the Chinese" (45). It is then in the juxtaposition of these seemingly irreconcilable essays that some overall motive may be understood. By positioning these, and other likewise divergent essays, side by side the editors have both revealed an ongoing debate of the times and permitted the readers of "The Blue Review" to participate in that debate in absentia.

Once this particular incongruency is resolved, however, a larger question arises: how do the varied genres in "The Blue Review" inform each other and fit together to form a cohesive whole? Though there is no clear answer to this dilemma, "The Esperanto of Art" by W.L. George may offer some key to resolution. To George the compartmentalisation of the arts is problematic: "There is, there must be a link between the painter, the sculptor, the writer, the musician, the actor, [and] the poet" (28). Consequently, he proposes a unified criticism under which all of the arts can be analyzed. This essay, in a way, verbalizes what may be the goal for "The Blue Review" as well. That is, not perhaps the universal lexicon George suggests, but simply the democratization of art. In this "The Blue Review" succeeds by presenting its readers with a heterogeneous mixture of genres, and criticisms of genres, to illuminate that, in George's words, "art is...all of one stuff" (28).

           Established by Hariet Monroe in 1912, Poetry:A Magazine of Verse heralded the emergence of American poetry. Although the art was thriving in England and France, the United States was still young and unsure of itself. In the stead of the American poet, Walt Whitman, Americans were faced the question of just what American modern poetry was like. Poetry subsequently became Chicago's version of The English Review; publishing both established and emerging poets, Monroe intially held what she called an "open door policy" when it came to submissions. She expresses this the second issue of Poetry, "The Open Door will be the policy of this magazine--may the great poet we are looking for never find it shut, of half-shut, against his ample genius"(November 1912 Vol.1 No.2 64). While the magazine indeed continued to publish new poets, the door through which they passed gained definition as the magazine matured along with the culture of American poetry. The commenary from Poetry's editors between 1912 and 1914, provides vivid examples of the dialoge among critics as to the nature of modern poetry, particularly modern poetry in the "New World."

            Alice Corbin Henderson, a fellow editor of the magazine, wastes no time inciting the discussion of American poetic identity. In the second issue of Poetry, she addresses the fact that American poets such as Edgar Allen Poe and Walt Whitman were not recognized by American critics until after they were discoverd by European and French critcs. She writes, "Must we always accept American genius in this round-about fashion? Have we not the perspective that we applaud mediocrity at home and look abroad for genius only to find that it is of American origin?"(December 1912 Vol.1 No.3 87). In her statement, Henderson condences the plight of the American poet. Beneath the shadow of Europe's rich history and fervent assertion of independent philosophies, The American poetic ideneity would have to assert itself among the authors present in their own country, to seek out those authors, and most importantly to build a body of critics--a culture of poetry--which could support such authors. Later in the volume, Jesse B. Rittenhouse discusses the emergence of a cotiere with such a purpose in mind. Rittenhouse explains, "The Poetry Society of America, organized in 1910 was a natural response, perhaps at the time unconsious, to the reawakened interest in poetry, now so widely apparant"(Feburary 1913 Vol.1 No.5 166). As the culture of American poetry emerged around societies such as this one and magazines like Monroe's, the need for a philosophy--a working manifesto--of what modern American poetry and the American poet looked and sounded like.

             Swiftly following Henderson's earlier inquiry, Monroe published an editorial comment titled, "The New Beauty." In it, she seems to refute her earlier "open door policy" calling much of the poetic submissions the magazine recieved "pathetically ingenious in their intellectual attitude, [and their writers] as unaware of the twenth century as if they had spend these recent years in an Elizabethan manor house"(April 1913 Vol.2 No.1 22). Redifining her policy, she uses assertive language, not to define what the "new beauty" is but the way by which the poet might aim at acheving it. Monroe writes:

                                               It is not a question of subject, nor yet of form, this
                                               new beauty which must inspire every artist worthy of
                                               the age he lives in. The poet is not a follower, but a
                                               leader; he is a poet not because he can measure words
                                               or express patly current ideas, but because the new
                                               beauty is a vision in his eyes and a passion in his heart,
                                               and because he must strain every sinew of his spirit to
                                               reveal it to the world. (April 1913 Vol.2 No.1 22-25).

             Monroe's editorial comment signals a distinct change not only in the nature of the magazine, but of it's content. By moving beyond her open door policy and instead providing creative directions for poets submitting work, Monroe takes on a mentoring role, much like Ezra Pound's, amid the modernist movement. It would not be far fetched to say suppose that Pound's later editorial presence influenced Monroe's vision of approaching American poetry and "the new beauty." Much in the way the American poetic identity needed a body of individuals to foster it, the body of critics needed a philosophy by which to guide their fellow writers. Each philosophy would be greatly determined by the nature of the culture from which it sprung, the politics of it's people and, in an increasingly globalized world, their country's role in global relations.

            Global events such as World War I would become dominant factors in influencing the philosophy of these new writers. In a December 1914 issue of Poetry, 6 months into World War I, Harriet Monroe gives a unique Christmas address illustrating the undeniable influence of global events onto the magazine. She remarks in her Christmas address "Already we hear a new statement of values - even we who are sea-walled from the tumult... There will be a new statement of values in the arts" (December 1914 Vol.5 No.3 31-32) Clearly the influence of events directly pertaining to the American collective would have an insurmountable effect on the content of the magazine. As a mouth piece of the American poet with a large intelligentsia readership it would be a natural leap for the magazine to be more and more shaped by important social issues of the day.

            Monroe also focuses her attention on issues not directly pertaining to the American collective such as the "Servia Epic." Located in the Balkans the "Servian Epic" contains cycles mainly focusing on war -  most notable of which are pre-Kosovo, during Kosovo and post-Kosovo - all of which deal with issues an ocean away from American shores. Pre-dating World War I, Monroe's coverage of the "Servian Epic" illustrates an enduring interest in war and the poetry it produces. By taking the magazine in a direction always closely monitoring world events such as war, Monroe ensures that it is relevant not only because of the poetry but the content itself. She quotes  Mme. Gruitch, an authority on the Serb issue, as saying "There was one thing which the Turk could not take away from the Serb - the heavenly gift of poetry" (March 1913 Vol. 1 No.6 195-198). And as such we come full circle in why poetry and the content it manifests is so important in shaping our culture - an in return also always in need of  strong mentoring. Its influence on society is profound. 

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A curious case of bibliography in the Poetry Magazine Vol. 1 No. 16, pages 29-32  caught my eye... It was titles "A Servian Epic" and it was indeed not even poetry. This was an editorial that spoke of the power of poetry to influence something as major as war. Although editorials are a fairly reoccurring thing throughout the Poetry magazine this one proved interesting because it spoke of how poetry could actually influence sentiment and in turn real life. We most often think of life influencing art but here the opposite was presented. What if art influenced life? The argument given was that poetry was used to stir nationalism and thus fuel people to go out and fight for their homeland. If the weight of poetry is indeed so heavy then imagine the impact a pen can have on all of us. This entry revealed the influence of poetry even though we often don’t think of poetry as a persuasive genre. Secondly the majority of the themes spoken of here can be seen as almost identical to those we faced in the most recent round of “Servian” wars/ Balkan Madness. Although here the main character provoking the urge to fight is Guslar he is almost identical to the leaders, which followed him in the not so distant future, such as Tito and Milosevic. The following is an excerpt of apiece used to stir nationalist sentiment:

Whoever born of Serbian blood or kin

Comes not to fight the Turk on Kossovo

To him he never son or daughter born,

No child to heir his lands or bear his name!

For him no grape grow red, no corn grow white;

In his hands nothing prosper!

May he live

Alone, unloved! And die unmourned, alone!

This truly touched on my curiosity because I am indeed Serbian and a survivor of the last round of Balkan fighting. The issues spoken of here are ones we’re still struggling with now such as the question of Kosovo and it’s meaning to the Serb people

Due: 6/9 Blog Entry 

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The English Review in its January 1910 publication demonstrates stylistic choices that have become the literary norm in the 21st century.  The advertising is intentional and specifically geared for the literary crowd.  The prime retail space directly behind the front cover is reserved for paying advertisers of new books, pens, publishers, and novelties.  This section of the Review is numbered with Roman numerals like the introduction of a book, and the header identifies it as "The English Review Advertiser."  The English Review officially begins with its title on page 185, presumably because the previous issue ended on page 184.  So, the many issues of this publication can be torn away from the ads and bound together into a unified volume of literature without advertising or other interruption. 

"A Superman" is a short story by Hall Ruffy found in the Winter, 1911 issue of Rhythm. It tells of a seemingly ordinary cafe, most likely in France, considering that whatever dialogue is written in interaction with the waiting staff of the cafe is in French. Two people are seated separately at the cafe; once they were lovers, now they watch each other from afar. "A Superman" offers a tense glimpse into the furtive thoughts of these two, going about a seemingly ordinary activity, disturbed inwardly by the sight of one another. The interruption propmts him to get drunk, whereupon he reveals that she has left him for a wealthy fat man, the one whom she is with. She, despite her having left her lover for another, is unhappy. She is young and attractive, and imagines leaving at that moment in the cafe, for her old beloved. The story is interrupted by a picture. It is a copy of a painting by Auguste Chaubaud. It looks dreary and dark, dotted with globs of paint. It seems to portray a desolate street scene, under a patched umbrella, potentially seats in a cafe, with a dark silhouettes in the distance. The cafe is described as lively in the story, as though busy and bright in the daytime; moreover, the painting has no particularly distinct connection to the story, despite its location amid the pages of the narrative. The artist is different, as is even listed separately in the table of contents at the beginning of the magazine issue. Why then place the picture in between in story's content? It reminds me of a line in the text: "Just in that moment he was in the passive condition when one seems to be outside of life. All was like a picture which he looked at critically; the pale green chairs and tables; the laurel trees in white boxes looking unreal in the brilliant light with men and women dotted about." The description with its "white boxes" and "dotted" imagery is reminiscent of a similar scene, maybe and a different time of day, or a different season, one cannot be entirely sure, but it influences the imagery within one's own imagination.

The end of the story also hosts a small "Study" in the blank half of the page below the text. The picture, by J. D. Fergusson portrays an open champagne bottle, upon a cluttered table, potentially and illustration of the scenario described in the story, when the man gets drunk. Also a thought provoking piece of art.

In addition, the story itself begins with a French epigraph, although the story itself is not in French; however, there are many French articles in this particular issue of Rhythm, mostly proceeding this particular story. The influence of the French language and culture within the sequence of what goes into the issue itself is an interesting way to view what material surround this story, and why the issue was assembled in its particular fashion.

Stanley Spencer's 1912 illustration, "Joachim Among the Sheepcotes" pays homage to the 14th century artist Giotto, and his painting "Joachim Taking Refuge Among the Shepherds".  While Spencer's original drawing was mostly pen and pencil with a subtle wash, its reprint in "The Blue Review" (vol. 2) gives the work a starkly contrasted, black and white quality, straying from the softer, sepia-like feel of Spencer's initial illustration. 

Giotto's painting, as the basis for Spencer's later work, provides a religious context to both pieces, as Joachim is said to be the father of the Virgin Mary.  This becomes pertinent if we are to understand the usage of any version of this piece by "The Blue Review".  Indeed, it seems noteworthy that Spencer's piece appears before any literary works in this volume of "The Blue Review", as the ensuing literary contribuitions have a similarly spiritual quality.

 Whether it be of reverance as we see in James Elroy Flecker’s “Yasmin” (“And some to Mecca turn to pray, and I toward thy bed, Yasmin”), or vague allusion to sanctity as seen by Norman Boothroyd’s “The End of the Lonely King” (“They shed no tear: they prayed no prayer”), it seems that the binding themes emerge as religiously entrenched.  As we read on, our questions of religious significance might arguably be answered by John Drinkwater's (the next contributing writer in this volume of “The Blue Review”) black and white affirmation: “Art is holy”.

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"The Blue Review" (Vol 1, No.3) is filled with all kinds of essays and poems which all showcase the different writing styles of the authors of that time. There is not much else in terms of art or advertisements. However, there is one advertisement that shows up in the very beginning of the magazine; http://dl.lib.brown.edu/jpegs/1169132435156250.jpg. This advertisement showcases two different novels. The first half of the page talks about a novel called "The Golden Journey to Samarakand" by James Elroy Flecker. It says that "his work is now eagerly looked for by all who really care for poetry". This to me sounds like the author is saying that whoever doesn't get this book must obviously not care about poetry.

The second half of the page advertises Compton Mackenzie's "Famous" novel, "Carnival", which is written in big bold letters. This is most likely the first word people see when they first look at the page. I would assume that this was done because, unlike the long and condescending description for the first novel, there is very little description for this one. So I guess in order to get people interested they had to use large letters to catch the readers attention.

It was interesting to me that this was the only advertisement in the whole magazine. Not only was it the only one but it comes right in the very beginning after the table of contents. That clearly shows its importance and kind of sets the stage for the many writings that are to come in the magazine.

Instances of bibliographic coding in Dana #8 (from December 1904):  a sequence of two articles and a poem, which together develop a strong sense of the magazine's own principles and aims.  The first article, "In Praise of the Gaelic League" by Stephen Gwynn, addresses criticisms raised by a "Mr. Ryan" against the League, which was conceived in an effort to preserve the use of the Gaelic language in Ireland.  Following this article is the first half of a short biography of Jane Austen (the second half was published in the following issue), which not only relates details of  Austen's life, but also praises the bucolic character of her novels as they were informed by her own happy distance from "the grim misfeature of the England of collieries and factories" (Dana 8, 251).  Finally, appearing on the last page of this article is a poem by Seumas O'Sullivan, "In the City."  O'Sullivan views the city as a display of the fallen state of humanity, a kind of anti-Eden, where what is natural and good is stifled within its streets, among the "rows of stinking fish and vegetables" (251).  The publication of these three works in sequence supports, in diverse and nuanced ways, Dana's overall interest in questions of Irish culture: Irish culture vs. the presence of England/English in Ireland, the primitive vs. progress, industrialization vs. progress, the country and the city, Edenic nature vs. toxic urbanity.  What first drew me to these pieces together was the inclusion of Austen's biography, nearly a century after her death.  Certainly, such biographies are a dime a dozen and concrete details about Austen's life at this point appear finite: there is very little left to uncover.  However, examining the writing which appears before and after the biography gives clues as to the significance and relevance of Austen's work to the editors of Dana.  By placing her stories firmly at a distance from the dramas of the city and world politics, Austen appeals to the longing for a return to innocence, to a more simple though not simplistic way of life, something purer, unmarred by the corrosive realities of London.  O'Sullivan's poem, in its indictment of the city immediately following, supports the presence of this longing in the pages of Dana itself.  Together, these two pieces provide an interesting context for the article supporting the Gaelic League, which may not necessarily reject English influence on Irish culture, but does seek to preserve a more "natural" Irish character in a time of English/imperial influence.

In the New Age Volume 1, Page 16 there are a variety of advertisements. In fact, the one that stood out to me was the ad for a book or some type of journal dealing with the issues of vaccination. In today's time, this is still an issue. Then, according to the ad, there was fear of a link between "vaccination and cancer." Today, there is a fear that there is a link between vaccination and autism. I use the word fear here, because there is no conclusive proof on either side of the argument. Although some argue that if there is no conclusive proof on either side of the linkage between autism and vaccinations, then it should be required to vaccinate, because the threat of mumps or measles is all too real.

In any event, the bibliographic coding that makes this advertisement even more prevalent is the placement of the advertisement between two others. The one above it is an ad for Justice, a social democratic newspaper. The other is for Cadbury Cocoa, a 'high class beverage of absolute purity.' Notwithstanding the factual basis for it's 'absolute purity,' but the issue of vaccination seems to be sandwiched in between advertisements of a frivolous nature. This is comparable to the ads in the back of a men's fitness periodical that declare their product give the users physical enhancement and that these results are scientifically based. The main reason that these claims are often debunked is because they share ad space with 900 numbers and other sexually explicit classifieds. So too here, the validity of the work that is advertised, the information on vaccinations, is similarly seen by the twenty-first century viewer.