It was mine artWhen I arrived and heard thee, that made gapeThe pine and let thee out.
It was mine artWhen I arrived and heard thee, that made gapeThe pine and let thee out.
"The art of Prospero I have conceived as the art of Shakespeare in its universal scope—that many-visioned art of the theater, which age after age has come to liberate the imprisoned imagination of mankind from the fetters of brute force and ignorance; that same art which, being usurped or stifled by groping part-knowledge, prudery, or lust, has been botched in its ideal aims, and has wrought havoc, hypocrisy, and decadence. Caliban is in this masque that passionate child-curious part of us all, groveling close to his origin, yet groping up toward that serener plane of pity and love, reason, and disciplined will, on which Miranda and Prospero commune with Ariel and his spirits.
"The theme of the masque—Caliban seeking to learn the art of Prospero—is, of course, the slow education of mankind through the influences ofco-operative art—that is, of the art of the theater in its full social scope. This theme of co-operation is expressed earliest in the masque through the lyric of Ariel's Spirits taken fromThe Tempest; it is sounded, with central stress, in the chorus of peace when the kings clasp hands on the Field of the Cloth of Gold; and, with final emphasis, in the gathering together of the creative forces of dramatic art in the Epilogue.
"So I have tried to make the masque bring that message of co-operation which I think all true art should bring. And the masque is the form which seems to me destined to bring about this desired co-operation, to bring back, perhaps, the conditions which existed in the spacious days of the great Greek drama. The growth in popularity of masques and pageants is preparing the way for a new race of poet dramatists, of poets who will use their knowledge of the art of the theater to interpret the people to themselves. And out of this new artistic democracy will come, let us hope, our new national poetry and our new national drama."
THE END
The duplicate book title and chapter titles have been removed. Also the following misprints have been corrected:
TOC: put in "Tippecanoe" without a hyphen (in "Tippecanoe County, Indiana")TOC: "Mackaye" changed to "MacKaye", as in all other instances ("Percy Mackaye was born in New York City...")p. 56: "countinent" changed to "continent" ("Yet in their time these men set the whole countinent in a roar.")p. 75: period is added after the middle initial W (ROBERT W. CHAMBERS)p. 78: period is added the following sentence: The most imaginative and fantastic romances must have their basis in real life.p. 107: put in "dive-keeper" with a hyphen (no other instance in the text)p. 112: put in "soulless" without a hyphen (no other instances in the text)p. 178: opening double quote changed to single quote ('If ye had not plowed with my heifer....)p. 218: put in "catch-words" with a hyphen (no other instances in the text)p. 243: put in "motion-picture" with a hyphen (no other instances in the text)p. 247: put in "off-hand" with a hyphen ("I can think off-hand of quite a group of writers....")p. 283: put in "Dooryards" without a hyphen ("When Lilacs Last in Dooryards Bloomed")p. 293: put in "everywhere" without a hyphen ("heresy is sin always and everywhere;")p. 294: "Of couse" changed to "Of course" ("Of course, I'm not orthodox.")
TOC: put in "Tippecanoe" without a hyphen (in "Tippecanoe County, Indiana")
TOC: "Mackaye" changed to "MacKaye", as in all other instances ("Percy Mackaye was born in New York City...")
p. 56: "countinent" changed to "continent" ("Yet in their time these men set the whole countinent in a roar.")
p. 75: period is added after the middle initial W (ROBERT W. CHAMBERS)
p. 78: period is added the following sentence: The most imaginative and fantastic romances must have their basis in real life.
p. 107: put in "dive-keeper" with a hyphen (no other instance in the text)
p. 112: put in "soulless" without a hyphen (no other instances in the text)
p. 178: opening double quote changed to single quote ('If ye had not plowed with my heifer....)
p. 218: put in "catch-words" with a hyphen (no other instances in the text)
p. 243: put in "motion-picture" with a hyphen (no other instances in the text)
p. 247: put in "off-hand" with a hyphen ("I can think off-hand of quite a group of writers....")
p. 283: put in "Dooryards" without a hyphen ("When Lilacs Last in Dooryards Bloomed")
p. 293: put in "everywhere" without a hyphen ("heresy is sin always and everywhere;")
p. 294: "Of couse" changed to "Of course" ("Of course, I'm not orthodox.")