Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-19


Which thro' conflicting storms her powers upheia-
That fame nc gloCms eer damped,n perls quenched;
When Deaths dark banner waved o'erfeds OF pioou'
And veteran hosts before his vengeance blenched'
| It's radiance streamed along the battle hood'
| And lighting thee to vctory's honored goal,
| Consigned thy name to glory's deafness roll
Next follows an Ode on La Fayette's depar-
ture, replete with pathos, feeling, ana sen.i-
ment. This is succeeded by another CAMEO u"e
Birthday of La Fayette, and seVerai Si'aiie'
pieces, ofequal merit. ,nc.
AS poet, we feelno hesitation lh oro"ou"e
ing Mr.. Bryan respectable, and ABOVE '' u'
/ rity. In some instances ne scars 10 o, eAss'
! The volume under consideration VIII add sever,
al "sprigs of laurel' TO the literary cnaPie' Vi
! Columbia. We knownot the age' cnafao,cr'
prerensions, or expectations, OF the au'nof' uu'
we would warmly recommend perusai oil 'hiS
volume to his fellow-countrymen. IL ne IS
Young man, fame and emolument may be at
| tanned by study and perseverance; Tor though
he now writes we'll, there is muchroo Tor I'M
movement: and we cannot conscientiously con-
clude this article without pointing out some OF
his defects
In the first place his verses are often defec-
tive in rytlsm; and in the second place, he is IN
the habit of taking unwarrantabe liberties in
manifest in the Greeting" than in any other
poem in the book, and for this plain reason: OF
all poetic feet, an anap8st is the most unsocia;
that is, member of no other family, dactyls ex-
cepted can possibly be introduced among them
without interrupting their domestic harmony
But Mr. Bryan, in almost every stanza OF the
Greeting, has logged in whole sets OF heavy
spondees, each Of which, like a turnpike gate,
FL III >la yfu nj
Pegasus. For instance:
ssColombia beAoldh9e the champion, ,vhose roc" &c
sThe extatc endearments ofWedocks Saceet 6o'as &c
cloud,'' &c.
ale seeks this high honour Ger oceans dark ood &c
ESQ HIS through armies breahed transport and loy
''How mature too the honours that doomed round thy
q YOUTH" &c.
ssThey exhibit no trophies ofcountries laid ,cas &C.
ssThe bosom ofloye and acarm coaches of down." &c
ssAnd for her the last drop of his life boodo spill" &c
ssAs again We behold these ilustrious plains" Sc
''And army meets army in awful array" &c.
But a still more glaIpg fault, is his defect in
mum Der, by introducing more syAnbLes, and even
more feet. than the harmony of the measure
will admit. For instance, the pure onap8stic
measure consists of lines of twelve syllables, or
four feet that is, every line should consist oi
| four anap8StS-
"Asit gal-lops along-w afrol-icsome speed.''
But this rule is often violated in the poem be-
fore us-The following lines are offered as
| specimens:
could do.V
Here are five complete feet, or fifteen syllables,
which renders itSmoyement as awkward as that
of our celebrated racer, Eclipse, would be were
he encountered with an additional leg and foot
Take the following
"And peans supernatural the song Of jubilee swell"
Here's another fve-footed monster; and several
more might be adduced In each of the follow
ing lines there is an implied illipsis which in
lures the pronunciation of the words in italics;
and without ii the harmony of The verse is de-
stroyed:
Let tyrants whose titles to reverence and fame, &C.
Hence, with bosoms overflowng with reverence and
and love-" sc.
sc On thy reaerq6le form with extatc delight" &c.
| IS No ambitious or venal adventuwer was he," &c.
And many others.
In the following lines there is a deficiency In
number; for the syllables po,Cer, 2o,cer sc. are
of precisely the same quantity as the words hour
and -four, which are certainly monosyllables, If
there be any in the language:
"By duty's all pocerf ul impetus driven sc.
"Her forests OF bloom into 6olUers o. glee, &c.
But notwithstanding all these minor defects,
We assure the reader thar the stock Of American
literature has received valuable acquisition in
the Lay Of Gratitude; and we shall anxiously
look to the same source for further justifca-
| ton of the assurance.
From the New-York Mirror.
( We publish the following welwritren letter
from Mr. Bryan, with this single remark
''iwo wrongs do not make one right
alexandria, T. c.. Oct g. 1926.
Mr.. MoRRIs-I have seen, and am exceed
| ingly grati6ed with, your complimentary notice
Of nv Lay Of Gratitude. Praise is generally SO
sparingly awarded 10 the writer's Of American
poetry, tina, it cannot be otherwise than refesh-
| ing to their thirsty spirits from almost any
quarter; but, when it flows through channel
so pure and respectable as that ofthe New-York
Mirror, it is extremely sweet and invigorating.
| am not at all disposed TO doubt that, taking
my little volume altogether, you have honored
it with fully as large portion Of that rare a.
1 ~