Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-06-21
NlISCELIAN EOUS.

Goethe has told US how much easier II to wear laurel
crow n than to find The head worthy TO be crowned:
uEin Kraz isl gar vic lechter bnden
Ais ihm Elm wurdg Haupt zu 6nden"-
hut little accustomed as critics crowns for po
eta now days Glasgow has this shown US the head
of Young poet who will believe, ere long make good
his claim 10 the honor. Considering the o matued
mediocr,y and polished incspacity which is every year
thrust upon supreHey natenvc public in the guise OF po
etry one conceive more unaacve tito than that
of The volume have undertaken TO introduce 10 the
des notice Poems and BY Alexander Smith who could be
expected look hem unless previously assured that these
poems were veri,abl poems-lhe bossoming OF young
Miami growing high up the sides of the double peaked
Parnassus2 Yet venture TO assure the reader that no
competent person glance at these pages without al once
that they belong To category IN every way
moved from Of The pOetry" which each quarter pro-
duces in abundance Alexander Smith is born singer
man Of genius; musical echo Of other singers. He
has faults enough TO occupy an academy OF Critics. ana
these shall presently indicate but the faults are mainly
those Of youihhe is we hear, only twenty one NO such
st publication Gun remember; what he will hereafter pro
duce his Intellectual progress be proportionae wll We
cannot doubt place him the foremost OF English pn-
els But achieve this 10 grow into The stature prophe
sied by his youth deepen and extend his experience
enlarge compass Of his dapason aud prune The over
uxuan imagery which clusters about his thoughts thick
the blossoms IN spring.
Leaving the future 10 The future glance what he
has already achieved This volume contains long dialogue
poet Besides this Life Drdma, il is ambltiously ent
tied there three short poems and eight sonnets Most
OF these appeared in The Critic and the Leader from
which they are reprinted with slight alterations The most
striking characteristic Of these poems is, their abundant
agsry Aud by imagery do not mean what young gen
llemen having 'the accomplishment OF verse fatigue ns
with but fresh vivid images actually present to
the poets mind and thrown ont with disncseness and
decacy only poets achieve. Nature is written over
with varied Symbols and The poet reads them into nteig
Bile meaning Our will make this sufficiently appa
rent But while Ihat-to use his own smile-
''his chief JOY
Is 10 draw images from every thing;
And images lay thick upon our talk
As shells on ocean sands
We must also the youthful prodieaty which, as in
Keats renders the cl'>'ns from liz sweetness lie
would richer he not rich Something OF this
over.lu1urance due yonlh and something 10 the
tretney sensuOus nature Ut hs style.
And this leads The second claracterisc-sen
ness Because lie young and has not yet learned WISDOM
chaened by suffering his senses have embraced the
world and only sensnons offspring issues from his muse
The heights and depths Of nature uvc been by him
yet only in antcpative glmpses, in full and
steady contemplation. That grave burden Of mperions
thought and delicious suffering quickening The spirit 10
higher impulses and 10 "iounde region OF
speculation and of which poets have always
'ayersed and which mpegnars Their music as the bed OF
violes mpregnaas the South wni passing it-has
hitherto been than suspected by him So that
rising from his poems do not feel beerrd; do not
feel that great spirit has spoken from its depths
feel that young anu eager split has been singing In
exuant life all the gloes aud n,"xications of beauty JOY
ambition aud wild hopes Love- love, love is the eternal
hymn: and that love Of brief passionate kind, tran
sen as the glowing cuors OF sunset, youth, i'm
peuous and careless OF the the love- in short, of
youthful dreams, and not the grave devotion ot life
With the Of imagery, and decness OF fer
vid expression there necessarily connected certain vo
iuptuousnesS which has excited nasty condemns
ton OF some readers refined than healthy We can
not accept the objection 1t is quite that his muse 10
passionate and sncrre in the language of passion. II II
Yoiupuous the is that from the causes be-
fore alluded TO- it is exclusively But The Ian
Ru0ge passion when and s the language
poet is bound Of The poets functions that q"
beautyng and ennuhng such feelings; and he only merits
reprobaton when, cyncsm reverence nsnuation or
conscious ubcy dsgaces his office No one can Tor an
instant say that Alexander Smith ncus such charge
He is pure rrvercn and sincere With strong
OF enjoyment he mnges the most ehned perceptions
OF what is beautiful and tender There are indeed many
who object any expression whatever of these impersha
Bile and holy Instincts bat the Jecon springs IRON per-
verted and unhealthy conception OF literature IL belongs
TO that mistaken vc u" Art which has ldea2ed disease
which has created the type OF scky erolnes and imposs
BILE rednemen We have deserted Nature for the Hospital
and our poetic flowers mmorfeiles
We do not therefore, bid Alexander Smith 10 tame the
impassioned ervor of his language only want him TO
deepen and extend the nature his passion making The
flaming utterancc of his ,choe being moral and
intellectual and then will have fault TO find This
have doubt will him in time, for he is essen.
aspects OF earth and and OF his ftlu desires not
OF the complexities pcrlrxites OF e What he has ex'
peenced he Sings and Jean Paul notes o young poets
in his curious "Vorschuie der Aesthetic. The novelty Of
their feelings them novelty of Subjects and that
is the why they always either throw themselves ino
the unknown and unnamed, in foreign lands and epochs,
without any Individuality else throw themselves into the
LyIcal-or in this last there is no other nature 10 initiate
Than ;hdt which is within thcm-oder -udgch duf dai
Lyrische dem dissen st keiner Naur ndh-udhmen ais
die mgebrict Lyrical indeed Alexander Smith is above
all things poems are but the opuurng of this Ly
rca feeling excited by nature, by ambition and by love-
In the extracts VIC are aaoui quote every will re-
preston. the intensely musical feeling and The originality
with which old materials used. Much OF the imagery
reminds Us of Shakespeare and ha contemporaries hut the
poet constantly recalled is Keats The Life Drama
s but of slender subsancca whereon is woven Ia
pestry Of varied aud exquisite pictures Walter, young
poet, il followed,
"By strong ambition oatrol a lay,
Whose melody will haun, the world for aye
Charming il onward on its golden way"
But this hope is usrased he cannot be what he DESIRES
the laurel-crowned victor:
"Oh, that my heart was quic, "a a grave
Asleep in moonlight
For as torrid sunset bulls with gold
Up 10 the zenith, fierce within my soul
passion burns from basement the cope.
Poesy Poesy I'd give To thee
AS passionately, my rch-ladeu years
My bubble pleasures and my awful 0ys
AS Hero gave her trembling signs TO find
Delicious death on wet Leandes lip
Bare, ball, and tawdry, as fingered mo,h
Is INV poor life-tut with one smile thou
Clo:e me with Kingdoms. vii, 'hnn smile met
Wilt lid die for thee 0 fair and cold!
As well may wild maiden waste her love
Upon The calm front OF Il matbie love.
cannot draw regard Of thy grea, eyes.
love thee, Poesy Thou a rock,
i, weak wave, would break on thee and die
Thore Is deadiier pane Than that which beads
With chilly death drops the oer-tOrured brow,
When one has biz hear, ana feeble hands
a heart 10 hew his name ont upon time
As on a rock, then in IinmortaIness
To stand on time pedestal:
When hearts beat TO this tune and hands are weak,
We Ind our aspirations quenched 10 tears,
The Tears OF impotence and self contempt;
ihat loathsome weed, up.sprngng in the heart
Like nightshades 'mong the ruins OF shrine;
am 30 cursed, and wear within my soul
A pang rs herce as Dives, druwsed with wine
Tipping his leman in luxurious dreams;
Wake by iiend in hell =
IT'S not for me ye heavens tits not for me!
To fling poem ike comet out
Far spendoring the sleepy realms of night
cannot give men gimpses divine,
As when, upon racEing night the wine
Draws the pale curtains of the vapory clouds
And shows those wonderful my sterious yoids
Thrcbbns nth stars Ike pulses. Nausht for ne
But TO creep quietly into my giase."-pp. "a.
And he has the right of the poetic Office
"'My Friend Poet must ere long arise,
And with regal song sun-crown this age
As saints head is with halo crown'di-
One, who shall haIow Poetry 10 God