New-York daily tribune., 1843-10-25
n IT E T RIBUN E
Attempts Mt Poetry.


,uye and Other Poems: By CARLOS D. STUART. Opp.
qa4, Il MOI c. L. Stickney, lag Fulton-st.
r, Co1uMs1sp, a Poem Bv ARCHIBALD Tucker
R17cA,E (pp 22s, 2mo) John S. Taylor s Co. las
Nassau st.
ToBl soMSrA: Recreations of Sick Room By E2ErlrL
BACON. opp. l07, II MOI John Allen, l39 Naasau'st.
Three new volumes Of verses, and two Of them
by Americans it any wonder that VIC are
somewhat tardy in our dealings with this sort Of
Literary wares? We confess to shlver of re-
luctance when our duty calls to the opening of a
new work in metre. This arises not from any
dislike to Poetry, but is based on deep reverence
rit. We fear that our halowed passion for the
deep wells of Poetry in Homer, Eschylus, Mil
ton, Byron, Wordsworth, will be disturbed, cor.
rupted, by drinking ut the shallow rivulets
which are constantly crossing our pathway
that, by reading too much of that which would
fan pass for Poetry. we shall lose all reverence,
all faculty for the truly poetic.
And besides, loving Poetry as we do, we have
lesser affection for the modern Poet. The man
who with earnest heart and willing hand does
that work which he finds before him, and at rare
intervals permits the afatus within him to burst
forth in song, or ode, or stirring nvocation-rot
making his Poetic faculty an excuse for ineffi-
ciency in practical life, but rather an aid, an in
element to sustained, determined efort-for this
man we have deep regard. But he who in the
middle of this busy, portentous Nineteenth Cen
fury, can deliberately isolate himself from the
momentous practical movements of our times
can day by day sit down in his closet to write
verses as business while four-ffths of this goody
earth lies waste and fruitless and onefourth Of
the Human Family are absolutely wanting bread
that man cannot have the soul of Poet We
would far sooner look for this in the cabin of
some rugged pioneer who, surrounded by his wife
and babes, amid poverty and privation, is bravely
wrestling with wild Nature for portion of our
kinds ample patrimony, and redeeming from
rude thriftlessness fair seed-felds and gardens
which shall henceforth be delight and a bless
ing. There is trle Poetry in this, provided his
aims be broad and genial, not narrow and selfish
as they often are. But to sit down, one bright,
bland day after another, to write verses enough
to make column or volume, in the hope of
obtaining therefrom name, with the means of
subsistence and thus evade the necessity of doing
your share of this worlds downright, honest
work-this is sadly unpoetical. And he who,
having thus written volume, can coolly commit
1t to types and paper-can Judge that it is truly
worth the two or three hundred dollars worth of
good mems labor required to place it printed be-
fore the public-truly, he must have rare genius
or extensive brass.-But let us quote (alter En-
erson) not uncongenial sentiment from Ger
vantes:
You know, Precosa that this of Poet,
lew are they who deserve t,and Poet, but only
lover Of Poes that have need to beg or borrow the
verses of others The gave you the other day
mine and those of to-day well-bu for all that am
no Poet, neither is it my prayer to be so'
is it then bad thing TO be Poel? asked Preeosa
"Not bad" replied the Page; but TO be Poet and
nought else do hold be very good. For Poetry
should be like precious jewel whose does put
Gen every day. show ii the world every step; bot
only when 1t fitting aud when there for show
ng Poetry is most lovely damsel; chas,e, modest, and
discreet spirited but yet retiring and holding itself
within the sctes rule OF honor She the friend of So
t0de She finds the fountains her delight in the fields
her counselor, in the aud flowers enjoyment and
pose and lastly she charms aud nstructs all that approach
But it is time we were speaking of the vol
umes before u.s.
of these Mr.. Stuart's is certainly the least
unjustifable. 1t evinces haste and inexpericncc
on almost every page, but there are CLEANS Of
the true poetic fire in it. If he had but written
a fourth the quantity in the same time, studying
and thinking much meanwhile; then burnt the
product and commenced anew, we think he could
nave ultimately produced a genuine Poem. He
has
some far verse as it is. Witness the following,
"n'ch oy no means embodies his best lines, but
eknlolts fewer decided faults than most Of his
minor pieces:
FROM NINA
How shall know thee in the better land,
@ Mneh thou and from earth have passed away?
~ %;". mere WI WIZ thou be, that in thy shining hand
VIZ own HAy 'es,, as thath done to-day!
tNot IN farewell, thoucN--;, H., ,.,..-