Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-06-06
THE DAILY TIME
ALEXANDER SMITHS'S POEMS.
POEMS. Br ALEXANDER SMITH. I2mo. !
1872. Boston: Ticknor, Reed & Fields.

England has usually been slow to recopni+
the advent OF new poet. Shakespeare was
appreciated in his own age. Milton was but
''oid blind school MASTER to his scornful conte
porarIes. And IN more recent times, the Fl
genial reception of Wordsworth as a master
the realms of verse was by readers of prophet
susceptibility in this country. Coleridps h
long to wait for the eft andience,'' which ey
now is 'Iew" The echo of derison which w
the Euglish welcome to Shelley, Keats and Re
nysUn, has yet scarcely died away, amid II
hsart-warm plaudits of their admirers. Poet
fame has not been n plant of facle growth.
has been reared on a hard soil, aud amid fros
and billings winds The great poets who
now acknowledged as chiefs in English son
were not "dandied into notoriety" by fosterirI
patrons or fatering critics, but have achieve
thef lofty position by the force of that inspirsI
tion which, If befriended by the God fro
whom 1T comes. and challenges no furtherand
from fashion or caprecious opinion.
Alexander Smith, if a genuine poet. has m.
with widely different fortune from his farerur
ner. His chapet of laures has been purchase
by no crown of thorns. 1t is not many month
since we first heard his name Us n contributor
some of the obscurer London periodicals. H
is now, we understand, but little more than on
and twenty years of age.-Without any noviti
ate of peril and tears, he has reached fublow
popularity at once. The little volume now put.
lishet has been received with a flourish of trun.
pets from the English press, scarcely broken
single discordant sound The long and loud &C
claim which has followed its appearance is ill
the notes of jubiIation that attend the march of |
conqueror. Certainly not within our remen
brance, has any poet been hailed with such |
general burst of enthusiasm and even tho mos
cold FLOODED critics seem to be astonished out 3
their propriety by the delightful apparition. III
promises" says one, ''to be greater poet tina +
any emergent genius OF the last fow years" -.
is to tho early works of Keats and Shelley alon
that we can look for u counterpart in richness
fancy and force of expression" sMuch of hi
imagery" says Others ''reminds one Of Shaks
peare and his contemporaries" There is no
page of this volume on which we canuot fin F
some novel image, some Shaksperian felicity q
expression, or some striking smile" "Snc
Tennyson, M poet has come before the publ
with the same promise the author of this vol /
ume.' These are honey-sweet enconiums, II
be sure, and strangely Mt variance with the bull
dog eagerness with which the English critic
wont to fasten upon the throat of the new aspi
rant to poetic hoDors
But we will not deay to Introduce tl.is s'sweeJ
youth and tall" with Shakspeares mantle on hI
shoulders and shod with the golden sandals o
Shelley and Keats, to snch of our readers rs have
not already hustened to make his acquaintance Cd
their own account.
The principal poem in the volume, naptll
"A Life Drama" as it show
scarcely a trace of constructive dramatic power
consists of Il series of sketches, inter.wined d
desperate, though beautiful confusion, and diver
sfed with CLEANS Of reflection suddenly hashin !
athwart the horizon, and vouchsaiing as littl J
account OF themselves rs the aurora sple ndors oI
the northern sky. AS a dramatic tale, we mus
acknowledge TINT it is trivial in conception, crud
and meagre in execution, and more than ques
tionabe in point of :ruth and delicacy Of passion
But it certainly hbounds in passages overfuwins !
with original and exquisite imagery, kindled with
the fire of genius. and clothed in ucous melod !
of phrase, which stamp the author rs Poet--sI
genuine Maker, and not merely II skilful rhymerl
So numerous are the passages of this cllaracler{
that are only at loss which to select as|
specimens of the most brilliant successes of on :
new poet. We will take few at random, which
may be detached from the context without essen
tial damage:
SLEEPING roET.
Oh. it's sleeping Poet aud his verse
Sings like the syren isles An o. ulent Soul
Dropt in my path like great cup OF gold,
All rich and rough with the stories OF the gods
Msthnks all poets should be gentle fair
A md ever young and ever beautiful.
I'd have all poets to be like to this
Gold haired and rosy-lpped, to sing of Love.
A puoKwoRM.
Art thou sir Book worn7 Haunier Of old tones.
Sitting the silent term of stars to watch
Your own thought passing in beauty like
An earnest mother watching the first smile
Dawning upon her sleeping infants face
Until she cannot see it for her tears
BOOKS.
Books written when the soul is at spring tide,
When tits laden with groanins sky
Before thunder storm, power and eladness
beautV, tbe
AS tempests seize ship, and bear him on
With a wild joy Some books drenched sands
On which great souls we ilth lies all in heaps,
Like wrecked argnsy w hat power in booksl
They minge gloom and sslendor, I've oft.
In Humorous sunsets, even the thunder pies
Seam ell with dali FIRE and iiercest gIoy rents
In presence of king They give me tears;
Such glorons teas as Ewes fair daughters she'd
W hen first they asped a Son of God, all bright
With burning pumes and splen,lors of the sky,
In coming heaven of their milky
SPONTANEOUS POETRY.
He
Who could mol help it, for it was his nature
70 blossom into song as It's trees
To eafitsefi in April
USES OF Song,
w hat martial music is to marching men
Should song he to Humanity. In song
The infant ages born and swatXed are
A beauteous menlal 10 our wants divine.
A shaps celestial tending the dark earth
With ligh. aud silver service like the moon,
Is Poetry.
SONGS FOR THE DEAD.
But there was one among that soft voiced band
Who pined away for love OF his sweet eyes.
And died among the roses of the Spring.
When Eve sat in the dew with closed lids.
Came gentle maids bearing forest flowers
To srew upon her green aud quiet grave.
They soothed tho dead With love songs low and
sweet;
Songs sung of old honeath the purple night
Songs heard 0n earth nth he art and blush,
Songs hoard III heaven by the GREATNESS stars.
CHILD.
Q thou bright thing fresh from the hand OF Gol,
The motions OF thy dancing limbs are swtyed
BY the onceasins music of thy bein,
Nearer seem to God when looking on thee,
lis ages since he made his youngest star
His hand was thec us itwero Yesterday
Thou later Revelation? Silver Strea4AA
Breaking with laughter from the lake divine
hence all things flow! brigAI aud singing babe,
w hat wilt thou be hereafter
MARRIAGE OF ELAG ssA SHORE.
.....s Tha bridegroom sea