New-York tribune., 1867-03-21

temping the reader TO call in question their credb
itv. He well understands the effect of circun-
stantial detail choosing from mass OF particulars
those which are best adapted to act on the magma
tiOn while at the same time their natural chaIac'el
gives lively impression of reality In MS deilhea
ton of Arctic life and scenery, he Is sometimes
temnted 70 indulge in style of glowing composition
which has been thought to be peculiar to the more
ambitious class of American writers, and which dlf-
fers from the productions of the purest taste ms the
poetry of Ossan differs from the prose OF Washing
! ton Irving
WTITTIER'S TENT on THE BEACH.
THE TENT on THE BEACH. AND OTHER IoENS' Ti'S
/ By JoHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER. l+n"rpp' i4'i i'A
| nor d Fields.
Mr. Whittiers true place a poet Is IN the hcaIlS
of the people rather than in the ia'tldlous Iu"g-
ments of the amateur His noble position M AheH-
can letters has been gained by his sympathics win
the common mind not by his cultivation oi poetry ~
an art His productions are the spontaneous Htef-
ance of deep sincerity inspired by ardent '"oNic
fons and usually devoted TO the accomplishment ot
high aims There is nothing Studied or DAINTY III HIS
sweet and pathetic rhymes lie writes from
genuine interior impulse not for fame from the love
of imitation from the example of other poets nut
from the STRINGS of his own S0ul. His power oi eN
preston comes from the eamcstncss ot ms nature
and owes little 10 artistic skill lie Is always
inspired by the higher sentiments, he loves hS race
with pure. and perfect love- and asserts the pIlNl-
leqcs of humanity with the grand enthusiasm oi
prophet Hence his poetry is always welcomed WIN
n feeling deeper than that of mere admnat"n' he
draws his readers into an enchanted circle OF LOVING
Sympahes
In this new volume. Mr.. Whittier has adopted
a method which. if not original is well adapted
to his purpose and is carried out with excellent
Il. I,lt a
pany of friends three in number. gather for
recreation and sport in tent on the rocky NeWl.n-
gland beach Everything around them suffers sea
change. The familiar salt marshes of Cape Ann eN-
tend to the borders of the old and dark oak wood
whose leafy AIMS protect the pleasant mural home
stead from the stormy cast. The sand hills winch
lie hot and bleaching ia the sun are broken on one
side by the glccn bluff. while on the other the NOM
ing aud evening bells scud their silvery music over
the meadows from the sccIcs of the distant village
I'm this quiet marine retreat from the ching cares of
life the friendly group have met,
70 eni the lotus Of the Nile
And drink The b. y. porI'r, T Of i, 0s,.%y, d.,l
Like duit weed. on the sand slopes brown,
Aud in the sea waves drown ne ~, I.,f ,,.t.
OF duties claims and needs that bais'd upon lhtF
track
Every b0ok-mau VIII recognize the genial features
OF popular Boston publisher IN this portrait
one. with hi, beard scarce .ilyored, bore
a ready cIedrncc iu HE looks,
lcttclcd magnate. lordiug Ger
An rvidcnine realm Of hooks
In him hriiu-CurTCnts, near dLd laii
Convergcd a. IN a lcydcu JAZZ
The old dead authors ihionsrd INN round about;
And Ellcyn's gray ghosts nom i'"'h'ih S'""
looked Out.
lie knew each living puudii well
Could weigh the gifts 81 him ur her
And well the market value tell
OF poet and phlosoph'I
But II lac lost, The scene, behind,
/ Somewhat Of reference vague ana blind
Finding the actors human "i III, n''l ,
No reader lips than hls the good h' 80" confessed
His boyhood fances not outprown.
lie loved himself The SINCERE an;
lie knew and Judged am authors heart.
No Ehadamahtliue brow ol doom
Bowed the daZcd pedaut from his room
And bards, whose name j. legion II denied,
Bore of alike intact their verses and then pi.ds
Pleasant II was 10 roam about
And see the lords of song without
Their singing robes and Ttldnds ON.
With Wordsworth paddle Ry6al mere,
And with The cais Of Rogers, ~ four-core.
Hear Ganicb's bnshined tread and NaIolr'a VII
once more.
The poet deineatcs his own mental physiOgnomy
with impartial csndor free from all traces of over
wecning self-esteem.
An1 one there was, dreamer born
Who. with mission to fnlfill
Had left the MUSES. hamts td1un
The crank Of an owDionmill,
Making bis rustic reed Of song
\ weapon IN the with wrong.
N0king his fancy To the hIoaliugptw
Thai lufiCd iht Sull Iol llulh TO Npilhk
0nd grow.
Too quiet seemed the man ~ ride
The winged Hippog1n Reform;
Was his a voice from side tO side
ia pierce the tumult of the stonni
silent shy. peHce-lO loving man,
He seemed no fiery partisan
To hold lis way against the public fIOwu
The ban Of Church and state, the fierce mob'i
bounding down.
For while he wrought with strenuous win
The work his hands had found 10 do,
lie heard the ftfu music still
OF winds that out Of dIcan-laud blew.
The din about him could not drown
What the strange voices whispered down.
Along his task-icld weird professions swept,
The visionary pomp Of stately phantOms stepped.
The common air was thick with dreams
He told them tO the tOiliug crowd:
sang in his ear lac sang aloud;
In stll, shut bays windy capes
lie heard the call of beckOning shapes.
Aud, ss the gray old shadows prompted him
To hoinely nolds Of rhyme he shaped their legends
grim
The third number of the summer band is skillfully
Int off, IN a description graphic at to sug
geSt the name OF the most poetic of American tray
elers, and the most Travelled of American poets.
And one, whose Arab face tanned
By trOpic sun and bOreal frost,
50 travelled there scarce a land
Or people left him Ia exhaust,
IN idling mood had from him hurled
The poor squeezed orange of tho world,
And III the tent-shade, beneath - palm
smoked, crosslc8eed Ike q Tuk, IN oriental calm.
The very waves that washed the sand
Below him, he had seen before
Whitening the ScadlDsyian strand
Aud sultiy Maurit;iit,n shore
From icc-rimned isles srOm Summer seas
Palm-frngcd, they bore him messages;
He heard the plaiutiye Nuhan songs again.
And mule-bells tnklng down the mountain pa hs OF
SPAN.
His memory round the farsacked earth
on Ariel'r girdle slid at ease;
And instant, 10 the valleys drth
OF mountains. spice isles OF the seas
falth lowered IN minister stones, Arts gucs.