Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-02-11

the beams Of 4 glad, bright spring-mornln@.
srorll;uo Ike a stream in the sunshine and di-
fus;nr over the soul an irrcpressiblc. larE-iiEe,
buoyancy and gaycty---wi;hout any apparent
cause. This is the poetry of fancy-'he airy. CO.
ruscating poetry Of TOM MooRE. Bnt there are
fines when it comes Ike the demon of the tempest,
and hangs out its portcnts on the horizon OIL inc
soul gloomy and threatening. and then falls IL
round us the lurd anl Laleful glare Of the ''Star
Of Suicide" Instead of the airy, fairy, elm host
thot tbronncl the Haunted Palace" Of our
dreams, we now
..Throurh the cd.littcn indows sec
Vast forms, that move fantastcal!y
TO discordant melody.
While, like rapid, ghastly river,
Through the pale door
4 hideous throng rush out forever
And laurh-but smile no more
In . sombre mood somewhat like the latter must
s.Thc Star Of Suicide have been conceived by
Mr. CALDWELL. But it does not come up to our
idea Of what poem melanchoiy-imbued should
be-it is not the effort Of one who 'lcarns by sui
ferinr whathe teaches in song" And in this fact
NAV. perhaps, be found one cause of the dearth
Of poctry among us. In our free country, blessed
with cxubcrant resources, with no CALLING chains
but those which are sclfimposed, there are Few
or no reasons why a man should become misan-
throne. and, BYRoS-lke, wander off for more
genial cline All the mmunites for which men
vainly sigh and consequently highly appreciate,
in fettercd and oppressed land are the heritage
of every one in the "hCme of the free No proud
title. the gift OF an odious, feudal system. not of
merit, causes the aspiring soul to chateand fret III
homeless gloom The honors that we prize, and
the titles that we covct, are the premiums of merit
and talent, and all are permitted to enter the list
and. whoever can, bears off the palm. Liberty IS
not so dear to us as to the exile Of Er!n, or Hun
rarian refugee, who sigh for the haunts OF thclr
childhood. or the smile Of some loved one far over
the scq. No tyrannical decree passes like aShrd-
ow-a deadly. upas shadow, over the patriotic
spirit rr separates those whom affection has united
forever. It is only such men as EDGAR P"E-mcn
whose fine sympathics arc langlcd-wh"sc ma
turcs are contradictory-anl who, whatever may
he their situation, are doomed to everlasting mel
anchoIv. that can in our beautiful land find cause
for dark repinings and sorrows. The patriotic
poet might, it is true, find something to regret in
the ruthless vandalism, which so often mars what
Nature has made so cnchanting'y lovely
"S,ranre-that where Nature loved to trace,
As if for Gods, dwelling place,
And every grace and charm hath mixed
Within the Paradise she tiXed
There man, enamourea Of distress,
Should mar it into Wilderness
And trnmrlc b"utc-likc, o 'er each liower,
That tasks not one laborious hour
Nor claims the culture of his hand
To bloom along the fairy land,
But springs as to preclude his care
And swcctly woos him-bW 10 &pdrc!'
..Thc Star Of Suicidc'-is one Of those visions
in which the sick mans eye catches view of
the dim inhabitants of the ''vallcy Of the shadow
of DEATH" "Thc Suicides" Ajax, Cato, lscarlot,
PLATE. Saul and Samson, "Calypso and the hap
less bride of Capaneus" and long list Of others
who were weary of life-pass in review.
L" All these and more: and now two figures came
Pallii and wan and crowned with old Despair:
The wondcrous Chatterton, and he whose fame
Is vet TO rise a star Of Pride and Fear,
Unhappy North, in this iar-distant sphere
Slave of the Lamp now, nevermOre for aye
But in their eyes the CLEAN Of malncss clear
Shone like a flash of lightning that from high
Fits through the sombrc clouds, then leaves to
gloom the sky
The "palc Chatterton"-" the marvellous boy
that per:shcl in his pridc,' rs Wordsworth calls
him, carries on dialogue with the unhappy
dreamer" striving to convince him that the old
time glory of the earth has not passed away
that in his own heart lies sealed fountain which
will vet omen to the "Sesame" " Of lOye-that
blight and sorrow will pass away and yet leave
much that is good:-
! Gas the hardest rock retains for aye
The impress of some flower in earlier time,
! And change and age shall fail to sweep away
The fossil record of its yielding prime;
! So, in thy heart lwellS many dream sublime
/ And holy passion Aspiration high,
! Which need but Loves sweet life-awake aing
: chime
! To rouse to beauty what once seemed to die,
And stir from that deep sleep to to immortality!
| tell thee dreamer. Love is vet aS strong
! Yea, strong and pure asc'cr the world has seen
Faith is as fair as when her days were young.
And Honor walks with quite as lofty mein."
/ But finally the ''pale-eyed poet points him to
/ maiden kneeling in prayer-he listens-'mixed
/ with Gods his loved idea lies"-her ruby lips
! breathe his name
at was the Weakening thrill Of Love, Faith,
! Hope divine THE grand .fnaie Of loneliness and
solitude--the blissful rounding Of bachelors
! dream.
The sonnet "To My Wife, is as good as such
; things generally arc. |. has fourteen lincs-is
polished and smooth, yet from the nature Of the
verse stiff and formal ii it were chsc4ed out OF
marble 1t is, perhaps, with ono exception, the
most unexccptionabe poem in the book. The eX-
ccntion is the .'Olc written for the celebration OF
the Battle Of Kings Mountain, and first publish
ed in the ENqUIRER. 1t possesses more vlgor,
force and buoyancy than any thing which has yet
! emanated from Mr.. CALDwELL's genius. The
! code will live so long us the Grand old Noun
! tain" awakens patriotic thrill-whch is more