The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-03
Oliver Wendall Holmes upon Browning
and TcnnysOn.

and TcnnysOn.
DR.. OLIVER WESDALL HOLMES delivered the sixth aud
last lecture Of his upon the English Poets last
evening" at Hope Chapel The subject of the lecture
Tennyson and Browning. very large aud fashionable
audience in attendance, who all, it is pre-
sumed somewhat curious to hear the Boston humoIis
the who 'never dares to write funny he can"
discourse upon the merits of the dreamy sentimental
ism Of Tenrysop, and the passionate eagnestness Of
Browning he commenced by renkfking that the poets
whom he had spoken hitherto Dead and belong
TO the pss but the subject of his present lectare he
had chosen Tennyson the present Poet Laureate and
Browning. Tsnnysoa Is favorts with great many
people, and with good His poetry, it is true
not popular with the asses o pooi but 1t is rather
the poetry Of the drawingroom and the boudor He
seems sovereignty ignorant Of the masses. FIR his
poems should judge him to be shy and retired man.
proud than vain who loves his better than
likes them The frs thing that strikes in Tennysons
poetry the exquisite choice Of words and the velvet
iii ftBess Of its melody We next his richness
OF diction ard his immense Of meaning
But in the glitter of ornament the great underlying
qualities Ishoud not be forgotten. Ths spirit of his
mute is subdued, almos, melancholy. "In Memoram'
ferred TO the Princess" for hos, and to Mariana
for imas nation From the latter he quoted the well
know passage SO full of suggestiveness-
An day within the dreamy house
The doors upon their hinges creaked,
The blue fly sang in the pane; the mouse
Behind the mouidering wainso It squeAked,
Or from the crevice pecred about
Old faces glmmered through the doors,
Old footsteps trod the upper Aoors,
Old voices called her from without
"In Memoriam" must read 10 quiet, suffering the de-
lcous lnes Colerdge said Of Sleep to slide into the
soul Such tender affection such infinite sorrow such
simplicity snd TRUTH the lecturer had nothing like
in the whole range OF elegiac But Tennyson did
rot write for the The arisocratc spendor of
his Ihrnks from intact with the uuappre.
ciatve many. He moves amidst pomp and spleudor in
stately palaces and In the glitter of and
these tastes never cease to be manifest in his poems 1t
is only at intervals that the spirit OF the times declsres
itself in his produc IONS The Poet Lsu cate according
10 the lecturers opinion apt to show itself in the
tend ency of the bards works lenders him
servatiyr, and in his aspirations for the future, he
evidently dblkes of the used for the
attainment of its golden Promises This lecturer
ten led tha' Tennyson in his style belongs to the
siml licity, directness and strength apparent.
There good deal Of correspondence Keats and
beauty together with inrm and weak purpose. These
sensitive undervalued By the ahead and uti
tartan men Of these times Beauty should be valued for
its sake alone Tennyson liz others Of this school,
has not the clements of popular p,tt
The lecturer spoke briefly of Browning aud quoted
copiousy from his longer poss There wsss great
Browning at times amounted to fury. He evidently
good bater, and all his poems sho we'd strength,
examirsd the PRACTICAL construction of Paracslsus
at Hme length, and concluded by expressing his ad
mirsiion OF Brownirgs last published poemsnot repub
hthed here, beleve-entitlsd christmas Eve' and
Easter Day. They FORM taken together, he said,
Of the most pupgent evangelical dscourses that have
been seen for cg the s. work Of poet
general OF his of lectures aud touched Ia
passing upon two three whom he had not mentioned
mated the Song Of the Shirt and the Bidse OF sghs
the mighty lyrics that had reached the hearts
Of more Of the proud and wealthy than many
q He concluded by thanking the audisnce for
the patience and attention they had bestowed upon him
during this and previous lectures aud bade them we'll
IN the shape of neat and Apostle original poem.