PREFACE
The first part of The DoTlble Axe was written during
the war and finished a year before the war ended， and it
bears the sears; but the t)oem is not primarily concerned
with lhat ~4rim fohy. Its bur(len， as of some previous work
of mine， is to present a certain philosophical attitude，
whieh nli~llt he ealled Inhumanism， a shifting of emphasis
and siKnifieance from man ta not-man; the rejection of
human solipsism and recognition of the transhuman mag-
nilicenee. It seems time that our race began to think as
an adult does， rather than like an egocentric baby or
insane p( rson. This manner of thought and feeling is
neither inisanthrotde nor pessimist， though two or three
people have said so and may again. It involves no false-
hoods， and is a means of maintaining sanity in slippery
times; it has objective truth and hunmn value. It offers
a reaso，lable detachment as rule of conduct， instead of
love， hate and envy. It neutralizes fanaticism and wild
hopes; but it provides magnificence for the religious in-
stinct， and satisfies our need to admire greatness and re-
joice in beauty.
The shorter poems that tail the book are expressions，
in their different ways， of the same attitude. A few of
them have been printed previously; three in Poetry May-
azim，， one in the Unir~ersity of Ka~sas City Review， two
in The Sah， rday R~ z icw of Literature; several in some
recent anthologies.
As to the Publishers Note that introduces this volume，
let me say that it is here with my cheerful consent， and
represents a quite nor，hal difference of opinion. But I be-
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