New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-04
LITERATURE At LONDON.
From Our Own Correspondent.
InSuoS Friday Sent II iS5

From Our Own Correspondent.
LONDON, Friday, Sept. 10, 1854.
Cardinal Wiseman, in his lecture on Education
recently delivered, advocated the claims of Ma
tional Poetry as a means Of educating the people.
There can be no doubt that national songs and
ballads have powerful influence onthe education
of people in refining them, keeping alive their
love of country, appealing to their home ana so
cial affections and laying hold of their feelings
when other means for the awakening of thought
would fail. He mentioned LOngfeOw as poet
so much our own and so popular, that he might
be expected to do something for us in this way.
We are very deficient in national songs. We have
never had national lyrist We want a lyrical
SHAKESPEARE. / wish we may get him. One great
obstacle TO our having national song-wrter lies
in our want of national music, such Ireland
and Scotland possess. The English national song
writer when he comes, will find no such advant-
ages as Burns found. The Scottish bard sung his
immortal lyrics to those old tunes that cling TO
the heart like first love, and which are in them
selves halfbattles for immOrtality-those thrill
ing strains of olden melody which for ages had
waited around his native land in search of spousal
words, eloquent of proud or sorro.ful past,
and hallOwed by the smiles and tears of by-gone
generations. lie caught up these harmOnies which
have power in their tone 10 make the tears start
TO the eyes, and make the heart strings ring out
fresh and melodious to-day as ever rang the harp
string beneath the hands of the ancient harpers.
Burns had many glorious starting line, and many
a deathless chorus hich had gathered up and held
the hopes, the despairs, the joys and aspirations
of people.
volume of songs just published in the Ammo
tated Edition Of the Poets contains all the lyrical
wealth 10 be got out of our dramststs and il
does little more than serve 10 reveal our poverty
Of the song element.
Every one is aware that John Ruskin has the
soul of poet if he does not choose TO express il
in III md hvfh Rnt 10 ,nt
who knows that he has written and published
poems. He wrote prize poem when at College,
and contributed many beautiful verses TO the
Friendships Offering, an annual. Mr.. Ruskin
has been solicited 10 collect and publish these po-
ems, but he has declined on the ground that they
do not contain q sufficient justification for his
bringing them before the public in book. sub
join a few specimens, and leave them 10 your
readers without comment:
ON ADELE, BY MOONLIGHT.
With what glory and grace
The moonbeam Lights her laughing face,
And dances in her dazzling eye;
A. liquid in its brhancy
As the deep blue of midnight ocean,
When underneath, with trembling motion,
The phosphor light floats by
And bushes bright pass or her cheek,
But pure and pale as is the glow
OF sunset on a mountain peak
Robed N eternal snow;
her ruby lips hslf-oped the while
With careless air around her THROWING
Or, with a vivid glance, bes,owing
h9rning word, or silver smile
MONT BLANC REVISITED
9th June, ls45
On, Noun. beloved mine eyes sg.n
Behold the twilghts sangune stain
Along thy peaks expire;
Oh Mount beloved; tSy frontier waste
seek with religious ksste,
AMI reverent desire.
They meet me midst thy shadows cold
Such thoughts a. holy men % old
Amidst the desert found
Such glsdness a. in Him they felt.
Who with them through the darkness dwelt,
And eompassed all around.
Oh happy if His will were so,
To give me mama here for snow
And, by the torrent side,
70 lead me &c he leads bis tocks