Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-27

approach the election, NOT as IWth@H', 001 Us u
Patriot
From the Richmond WHig.
Mr.. BRYAN'S LAY OF GRATITUDE.
We have had the pleasure of peruslng the
small volume with this title-contaning seve-
raj poems and odes, called forth by the visit OF
Gen. Lafayette to the United States, from the
pen Of Daniel Bryan, Esq. Of the District Of
Columbia Of the nnumerable poetic illusions
nspi. ed by the memorable visit Of Gen Lafay
cite, Mr. Bryan's is among the very few which
in our opinion, will survive the immediate oc-
casion which produced it, and add 10 the repu-
,ation of the American muse, We pretend to
but little skill or taste in these matters, but it
The true standard of poetic excellence is found
in the degree Of pleasure which the poetry al
fords, then should we rank the Lay OF Gratitude
above all the American poetry Of which we
know any thing We feel no little satisfaction
in claiming Mr.. Bryan as Virginian, and we
should be happy could we prevail on the reader
to form an acquaintance with his poem Were
the poetry worth nothing, taere is tervency OF
gratitude, and warmth of patriotism display
ed throughout the Poem, that claim Tor the an-
thor the highest respect and confidence. Hav-
ing expressed this opinion OF its general me-
rits, we will give the reader opportunity of
Judging for himself by exhibiting few extracts
The first poem is the "Greetine," hastily
composed for recitation on Gen Lafayette's ar
rival at York Town, but which was prevented
by the exclusion Of civic ceremonies. The
Greeting thus commences:
sTn the name of our country, great Hero come
To welcome thee here on this day OF thy glory;
Il Sc Il
On these plains with battle disigured and CORY;
Where the fame of thy sword and the flash of thy eye,
Victory's path through the clouds of the conflict IL
Tuned,
Whe,. Liberty's banner, dsplayedin the sky,
Proclaimed that her foe to dscomft doomed.
Thy presence, like that of some guest from above
Descended to minister blessings on earth,
Enkindles the fervours of reverence and love
" Wherever the patriot emotions have birth;
But, here, on this glorious arena OF Fame,
Too feeble is language-our voices too faint
The transports that gush through our breasts TO pro-
clalm
No muse can depict them--no pencil can paint.
When the tempest of Tyranny hung on our shore,
And the peas of its vengeance our continent shook;
When the white robes of Freedom were dripping with
gore,
And She dropped as though Hope had her bosom
torsook-
Thy gallant young heart, with an ardor divine,
A devotion as pure as eer halowed the soul,
Vowed to Weld the last trob of its pulse at her shrine,
Or see her the standard of triumph unrol"
The poem is written in the anapestic mea-
sure, and the New-York Mirror in a criticism
upon it, (for the most part, highly compliment
tary,) closes, as critics are prone to do, when
they have first applauded, with the following
49, of fhpp
measure.
"In the first place his verses are often deiec-
tive in rythm; and in the second place, he is In
the habit Of taking unwarrantable liberties in
number and quantity. These defects are more
manifest in the "Greeting" than in any other po-
EN- in the book, and for this plain reason: of all
poetic feet, an anapaest is the most unsocal
that is, member of no other family, dactyls
excepted, can possibly be introduced among
them without interrupting their domestic har-
mony But Mr.. Bryan, in almost every stanza
Of the Greeting, has logged in whole sets OF
heavy spoqdees, each Of which, like turnpike
gate, puts full stop to the playful cantering OF
his Pegasus. For instance:
"Columba! behold hrethe Champion rhose uoO," &C.
srhe extatic endearments of asdOcS Sweet 60nds &C.
Sand DEATHS giant arm thru the dark thundrng cloud,'
&c.
He seeks this high honor Ger oceans dark food" &C.
$50 HIS through armies breathe1 transport and joy"
"How mature ton the honors that bloomed round thy
YOUTH, &c.
"Ihey exhibit no trophies of countries laid avaSte," sc.
sThe bosom of love and couches of down." sc.
And for her the last drop of his life flood spill &C.
GA, again We behold these lustrious pains," &c.
"And army meets army, IN awful array" SC.
The criticism of the Mirror appears to us
unjust, although we admit the truth of the
charge. No piece of anapestic measure can be
found, which does not exhibit the same varia-
ton in quantity, that is found in the Greeting.
If the proper number Of feet are observed, the
variation in the quantity is not only admissible,
but proper--inasmuch as the change IN the
sentiment, requires corresponding change in
the movement of the verse. The distinctive
feature of the anapastic measure will be suffi-
cien.ly preserved, if the brskness is kept up