The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-22
THE MORNING WATCH: A NARRATIVE.

This poem-which has faults enough to ruin
ordinary candidate for poeticsl distinction, and
merit enough to atone for still greater--is sort
of religious alegory representation Of the spir-
itual pilgrimage of life An aged traveller tells
the story of his journey from childhood - his
temptations and experiences in the world of sin
and death-his escape into purer atmosphere
and his earnest strivings to reach the far-o land
of beauty and peace and holiness, concerning
which vague limitations had reached him. As q
whole it fails Of its intended effect, through lack
of distinctness and method and there is slip
shod negligence in much of its versifcation. Its
beauty is in detached passages of sentiment or
description, where the rhythm flows on softly and
unsteady, with dreamy yet not unpleasing
vsgueness, like prolongation Of Coleridge's
dream Of Kubla Khan The following passage
may serve as an illustration:
"And the crimson moon goes up and on
Into the azure Of the sky.
Where In the stiffness Of the dawn
Westerly cloud sails by;
And from the dawn II taketh away
Crimson and white aud apple gray
Silently, as sails the cloud,
The night dews rise in wreaths of mist;
The cataract Of the mountains, loud
Calls to the hills; its bright robe CLEANS
Silver and gold and amethyst:
And what like mufied thunder seems
Is the low crumbins crush and
Ofbreskers on the distant shore.
The air is still: bell
All sweet sounds II cometh we'll;
But nov, as bell, they seem to say,
ALI voices or far away
From the distant hills and mountains gray,
Or the uttermost parts of The sounding sea,
May God have mercy upon this day
Wondering looked at the sweet Heaven,
That such prayer must needs be given,
So bright, said, SO pure and holy
Doth this golden day
But straightway the better thought
That twas my sin the prayer had wrought;
The burden ofmy sin which lay
Even As curse upon the day
subtle poison running through
The white mist and the morning devp
10 the following impressive lines, the healing
influences Of Nature upon the sin-sick and guilty
spirit of the wanderer are well described
g had no thought Of prayer;
| Jared not: but to be
Asby the mountains and the sea
And by the lonely cataract, within
An atmosphere Of peace and love,
With voices which acceptably above
10 up forever and forever this 10 me
MAS as my daily food, my breath, my life, and free
As v1 the mama In tie wilderness, and ss enc
Within some lofty nave alone
bresthes In the music Of the choir,
And With a still vail witnesses
The Holy Mysteries,
But does not raise
His voice, or utter one Amen
orinthe 0Ier'a swell the hymn Of praise
but, kneeliHg apsrt.
All mute and lone
Hears only ons deep tone
ihe music Of prayer unuttsred at his heart
Thought but not daring speech
Christ hare merry upon ssiI
90 oy the lonely cataract, on the hlli
And ny the mountains and the sea-
heard this everlasting worship and was stlIl
AZ last there came change meshought that all
The sweet low voices musical
from falling waters and the evening brse,.
Bound seward Ger the forest treas
And from the mountain passes and IN. ss.
Forever and forever rose for ne,
Forever through the still aud starry night.
Forever In the sun and In the light
,hst"rm and tempest and the rocking winds
Like angels flying DER
Mnd acearssd, and evermore
oe'eeehins Heaven, Spare, oh, spsrel,
rose the universal prayer,
Forever and forever ross for ms!p
In, me power the author, however, may be per.
ps better inferred from passage like the fol.
"g' describing vision Of the lost world:
w,,, - Suddenly,
'Ain the sun.illumnsd space, stsr strswu,
'''0us and fornlsss - though thrown
won ron cAs'a and the Ersiassiss Nighs-
T' gave not, nor rsssivsd, bet hsshwsrd hsrisd
"H me skies the sssis ~ he lagAs--
'A' amidst rsje'siAss, sAisd silent World,
n night u sasA 1t vsa, s.s - ~ Hight
s''shins vsssn % .ilaAshs ssa,