Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-07-16

SAxE's New POEM. John G. SAKE 'deliv-
cred his new poem before the Psi Upsilon
Fraternity, at New York on the Goth ult OF
the performance the n. Y. Times thus dis
courseth
The subject of his Poem was I" Love "--in
the most general Specification of the word
The poem opens with an announce
ment that the theme is old, yet ever fresh and
new
Old as the angels who from Heaven above
Looked down on Eden with dvinest love-
Young as the seraph, who but yesternight
First saw the splendor of celestial light
The poet then proceeds to declare that
" Love" has been the favoritc theme and
chief material of the Poets since the origin of
verse-from Homer and Anacreon down
To the last minstrel who, in print, essayed
melting sonnet to a village maid
Love kindling once the bcauteous IIelens breast,
Set Troy a-blazc; great Homer sings the rest.
Love gave the theme, and bade the poet speak
So grew the Hiad and the grand old Greek
An allusion to Horace as at once the most
sensible and charming Of the classic love-poets,
and a tribute to the higher genius of Burns,
that mghtiest poet of the heart
Whom Nature blessed beyond the power of art,
concluded the introduction.
Coming to the business of the poem, the
poet sang first of maternal love then love
of country-vindicating and applauding
true patriotism, and satirlzng the spurious
article in its various form, us exhibited in
the noisy native demagogue, and in class
OF small notabilities from abroad, often
seen in the Wards of Gotham. What New
Yorker does not recognize the likeness Of
certain blood " Red Republicans"
- Patriots" fcdged upon foreign strand,
Reluctant exiles from willing land;
Of petty growth beneath their native sky,
But, like bad news, cnlargng as they fly;
Hirsute and hungry; bri s,.t with gems of paste
On unwashed hands and dirty linen placed.
Philanthropy-true and false-was the
next subtopic of the poet, in which he alter
mated '.from grave to gay, from lively to
severe" cordially recognizing the true bene-
factors of mankind, from the good Samaritan
of the New Testament, to Florence Nightin-
gale, of recent history, dcnouncing and ridi-
culing the malignant philanthropist:"
Whom we all have seen,
Dyspeptc, sallow, and of sombre mien.
This is his motto and his daily song,
zone truth is clear, whatever is, is wrong :"
Next came the Love of the Sexes-the
principal topic of the poem-in which the
poet revelled, as poet should, in all the va
rious moods of the "grand passion, dis
coursing, in tell-tale way, of Loves young
dream -
When bouncing Julia, whose bewitching notes
Broke half the hearts that beat in spencer coats,
Aimed, but too well, her wicked skill at mine,
Caught, like founder, with single line
slender lasso which the maiden threw,
Coled in the foldings Of 'billet-doux ~
Then came passage on Wedlock, raj
at ''Free Love- humorous picture of an
Old Bachelor, portrait of "A Coquette, q
story Of "True Love- and so ended this par
of the poem, which occupied about half o.
the whole. The poem closed with a brie
and reverent passage on "Love Divine,
from which we quote the concluding lines:
The thoughtful Pagan an-worshipper Of .Jore
In Heavens loud thunder heard no voice of love
Zen the rapt Hebrew bowed his spirit down
| In shudderng awe before JehouaHs frown;
The Christian sees, with reverential awe
"The God of Hosts that trembling Moses saw
But sees Saviour smiling from above,
And in 'Our Father" learns that God Lov,
Mr.. Sake kept the audience in an uproa
! from the commencement to the close Of hi
poem. Laughter and applause fought lon,
for the mastery; but at the close of the las
stanzas the latter carried the day, and tn
audience carried pleasing recollection O
the occasion home with them.