Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/501

 RETROSPECT

OP

LITERATURE, SCIENCE AND ART IN 1899.

LITERATURE.

If there was nothing specially striking in the literary output of 1899, it yet showed no falling-off from that of 1898 ; and in making this com- parison it must be borne in mind that, whilst in 1898 the book world may have been slightly depressed by foreign disturbances, it suffered in the winter of 1899 a decided discouragement from the anxiety caused by the progress of the Boer war, which undoubtedly caused publishers to hold back some books of importance from publication. At the same time in one department, that of biography, reminiscences, and col- lections of letters, last year was certainly more productive of works of importance than its predecessor. Works of criticism and books about artists or schools of art continue to hold a prominent place, both in quantity and quality, in the publishers' lists. The temper of the time is rather to look backwards than forwards, to express itself rather in works of reflection and industry than in works of high imagination or bold speculation. This is illustrated by the immense number of reprints of English classics, the publication of which has marked the last few years and which continue to issue from the press with un- abated persistence.

Poetry.

The twentieth century is not, it would appear, to be like the nine- teenth ushered in by any new poetic voices. We noted last year the apparent pause in poetic utterance, and 1899 has been even more barren than 1898. The Poet Laureate, Mr. Meredith, Mr. Kipling and Mr. William Watson have published nothing in book form. Among the small band of poets whose work has aroused interest and expectation Mr. Davidson and Mr. Francis Thompson have been silent. Mr. Swin- burne has in Rosamund (Chatto & Windus) added another to his poetic plays. It is more strictly dramatic in quality than his earlier plays, but is not equal to them either in conception or expression. One event of interest was an excursion into poetic drama made by Mr. Stephen Phillips, a young poet whose verse, though small in quantity, had already attracted a good deal of attention. His play, which was called