Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-04-02

4 uDr. o. E. Holmes delivered lecture at Bos II
ton on the evening oft 25th inst, on the poets
and poetry of the nineteenth century, in which
his particular topics for that evening were Byron
and Moore and their PRODUCTIONS The Boston
Transcript publses an outline OF the lecture and
comments on il, from which we extract.
II No attempt was made at philosophical analy-
sis of the genius of those poets; still less of the
qualities hic distinguished poetry of the nine
teenth century Indeed, the dt ctor seems to fol-
low the chronological method, and, employs his
hour in picturesque and abusive deineaticn OF the
individual poet then in the order oil time. Little
that is new can be said of Byron. No poet has
been so.thoroughly sacked and turned inside out.
How he ate, drank, dressed, swan, shot, swore,
and the names and character OF his relatives, COM
ranions, and servants, all carefully discussed
II moved the tears to see among the portraits OF
Byron one childish face, full of innocence and
peace, with the flowing ringiets, and the rufied
collar, and think of his dark and miserable man
hood. The Hours of Idleness gave no promise OF
his future regulations; but the first canto OF Childe
Harold came ringing down from the poetic firma !
nent like the shield OF alias into the citadel of IL
lium, and his fame was instantly achieved
Asweread his letters, bristing with oaths and
in spite Of their dashing, off hand manner, evident
ly written for effect we find, however reluctantly,
one trait which marks the white handed descen-
dent of the Crusades, who was more proud of being
| a gentlemen than of being poet or n lord-and
that is uulgdrity. Firery and vouptuouS, and oil
tropical nature, he born out of place in foggy
England. The northern partlet thought she was
lrncubating common egg, but when her bantling
shipped the shell, how must her feathers have ris-
| en- with astonishment and horror 10 behold upon
| it the scarlet plumage of the wild aamngol BY
ron has had no successful imitators, as Wordsworth
Keats, and Tennyson, have II is true that dull
poets like Robert Poliock were said tn have taken
drsughts of Byron, Byron did of gin, to aid their
inspirations; and Browning and the author of Fes-
tuS have dressed Byronic thoughts in philoSophc
garb: Holmes alluded without quotation to the
moral criticism Cf Jeffrey, which when the poet
read it, must have made his pale cheek grow paler
and the dew ofconviction gather upon his bow.
| In the treatment OF Moore the lecturer found a
more congenial subject. He characterized him as
the master lyric poet of the language. To oul
judgment, Barry Cornwall has more file, depth,
and genuine tenderness, while in the unfaiiing
melody of the verse, and in the ORIENTAL abun-
dance of imagery which his rapid and inexhausti-
Bile fancy created und employed, GORE was un-
doubleday the superior. However, we did not in.
tend to give our own but the doctors view OF his
theme. Moore was one Of the lesser men, whose
heads the kind mother, Nature, will not allow IL
stand more than five feet or SO from her materna
bosom. The songs of Moore are the meIodiou:
voice of the romance of our youth. He quoted
Willis description OF The enchantment of Moore!
music, verse. ana presence.
The lecture closed with beautiful original pc
EN- suggested by the recent death of the poet iron
which we recall an exquisite image. He ha,
spoken of the poets fidelity to his wife, and hi
tender affection for his mother, contrasted will
the errors of his youth, and these were then fgur
ed as