New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-10
MOTHER MIND

/ sEvER made poem, dear friend
never sat me down. and said,
his cunning brain and patient hand
Shall fashion something 10 be read
Men often came TO me and prayed
| should indite fitting
For fast, or festival orr
Some stately pageant 10 rehearse.
AS H. than BALKAN more endowed,
Of myself could bless or CURSE
Reluctantly babe themgo,
Ungladdened by my poet mite
Ny heart il not so churlish but
1t loves TO minister delight
But not a word breathe ia mine
To sing in praise Of man God
Ny Master calls, at noon or night,
know his whisper and his nod.
Yet all my thoughts to rhythms run
To rhyme, my wisdom and my wit
True consume my life in verse,
But woudst thou know how that is writ
It's thus-through weary length Of day.
| bear a thought within my breast
That greatens from my growth Of soul.
And waits and will not be expressed
1t greatens ill its hour has come
Not without pain il sees the light
Twixt smiles and tears view il o er.
Ard dare not deem perfect quite
These children o. my soul keep
Where scarce mortal man may see,
Yet not uncOnsecrate dear friend
Baptismal rites they claim OF thee.
similar idea is repeated in highly charocterstic
piece entitled " The Joys of Poesy"
On tremblingly sit to sing,
And take the Tyre upon my knee.
Like child divine 10 mortal maid
Ny gift is full of awe 70 ne.
To sing for praise to sing for gold.
Or ev n for mere delight Of singing.
Were as if empty joy OF smell
should prompt the censer's fragrant swinging.
Dear soul Of bliss and bliss of song
BE thou and song nspheTed with me
Thus may hold the sscred gift
Possessing but possest in thee
With such substratum at the basis OF The volume,
We must not expect that it will abound in specimens
Of dainty ancies, highly wrought artificial enbellish
ments or even smooth and facile versifeatiOn. The
writer seems too utterly in earnest 70 waste thought
On fine elaborate finish Often the dictiOn is harsh
and abrupt sometimes observation-disclosures. always bare
as granite rock Occupied with the gigantic realities
of thought and suffering the poet Ia, no heart for
weaving tuuefgl melodies and even sbstains from tho
use Of the natural ornaments Of verse 70 degree shat
has scarcely parallel among modern writer's The
cheerful play Of fancy ia Oyerhs lowed By the uxuri
ant grcwths Of sOnbre and terrible imagination OF
little account for the purposes OF this volume AL tho
sweet influences Of nAture-.he joyous sunshine OF the
outward world cannot attract the writer from the
temptation Of the secret chambers Of msgery where
are recorded the Of bitter and desperate sxpe
renee Of life IN this Absence Of objective light and
warmth the language OF the volume has stern 7igor,
which betokens intellect Of masculine sefcOncea-
tratca and force Were it rot for frequent passages
which claim 70 reveal feminine history, should
not have suspected these poems to be the production
Of woman. They form IN entirely unique class in
tie whole range Of female literature Had Margaret
Fuller ever found iusGt expression for her imperial
nature she would have sung ia similar strains bu.
they are without prototype Compared with them,
n point Of depth aud intensity OF thought even Mrs
BrOwning's wonderful creations are pale and inefee
tual Tie length Of the following poem must not deter
frem quoting It entire partial illustration Of
our remarks:
PROM NEWPORT To ROME
1873.
w men and women Of the world
Whom purple garments soft enfod
I've moved among you from M yoa.h-
DeeorJus, dutfui. and cold.
God granted ne these sober hues
his quiet brow. tLz pensive face.