The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-25

|
ALExANpER SIXTH, THE PoEr.--A critic of the
Boston Post is not % smittsn with the new poeticai
prodigy Of Glasgow not to perceive sorne Of the
defects Of bis language. This censor remarks,
'Ths publishers have appended 10 these poems
various extracts from leading English Journals.
They all compliment MF. Smith in very hiah
terms. speaking both of biz promise and perform
ance. and coupling him with Keats, Shelley, and
Tennyson. Some Of the American papers, we OBJ
serve, following the lead of their Britsh con
temporsries. They DO not, indeed, go 20 deeply
into the subject but dismiss Dir. Smith with hearty
praise of a general character, and an extract or
two from some of his noted passages. Whether
they do or do not really read the poems we cannot
| say; but we must wonder that some one has not
tod its readers that combined with the wealth of
poeticai thought and expression Gas the Alhe-
neum hath with the richness of fancy and
force of expression (as the Spectator decares)-
with the fresh. vivid, and concrete lima ges,
| thrown out with distinctiveness and ,delicacy
only poets can achieve (according to the Wesi-
| minister ReuistD) with the 'Shakspesrian felicity
| of expression (of the same spirited quarter
| ly,) and with the singular mastery of language
| in one so young, Gas the Sunday Times sets
| forth Two must wonder, we say, that no one has
seen fit been able to add the plain truth that Mr..
Smith ia horribly crude and obscure writer, and
that if every page be studded with striking meta
phors,' there many of them that do not hit any
man ofremarkable powers. Some of his passages
Furnish conclusive evidence of genius, as for ex-
| ample, that glorious address to the moon and the
eloquent illusions to the great poet to come, that
have been given in the papers. Some of his lines,
also, are expressed with extraordinary force.
terseness, originality, and elegance. We have no
doubt that he has the poet in him; but, yet, he
| writes much nonsense sense. He may, and
probably will, grow to be poet He is a man OF
mark, differing from his fellows of the Tyres but at
present we should doubt whether, upon the whole,
hs lucubrations worth reading. At any
rate, about sixty pages proved full dose for our
selves, and we have no hesitation in avowing the
fact in the face of all the published praise Of the
queer compound. ef... :. ~.
sit is all very well, doubtless, to talk of encour-
aging rising genius, and to sneer at him who hon.
estly condemns when the crowd Cignorantly or
| not) approve; but the plain truth il that man OF
the real ability of Mr.. Smith ought to be ashamed
and ought to be made to feel ashamed of his mi ed
and false metaphors, his belittling comparisons,
! his obscure and inappropriate expressions. His
| productions certainly do reveal ga wealth oil
| poetical thought and expression" but his revela.
lions like the visits of angels the jewels of a
| dunghill-few and far between. We have greatly
enjoyed some, nay many, fresh, powerful, beauti
| ful, and eloquent passages, lines and expressions
| in that portion of the life drama that we have
read. But all this, while it bids US rejoice in the
advent of writer W ho is likely to become poet
that is to cay; of sufficient magnitude to make his
| works live forever-does not bind US to his mar nv
and gross defects, including Mandy pamb ism
| and affectation among the number"