The Portland daily press., 1868-12-02

1t IS long time since any collection of the
poems of Professor Lowell has been published,
and in that interval some of the best produc-
tons OF his many-sided poetic genius have
appeared. 1t is therefore with especial pleas
ure that we welcome a beautiful little volume
which Messrs Fields, Osgood & Co., of Bos-
ton, have just published under the title Of
Under the Willoaos, and containing most of
those occasional pieces which have from time
to time enriched the pages of the Atlantic
Monthly and other periodicals. The reader
will find here all his old fsvorites, such po-
ems as "The Wind harp" and ''The First
Snowfall" full of tenderest feeling; "After
the Burial, breathing deeper and more hope
less sorrow; and the majestic Harvard Com
'memoration" Ode for 1865, in which the exult-
ant joy of the patriot over a nation saved
breaks so grandly through the grief of the
mourner weeping for the slain. The New
York Evening Post, in a recent notice of these
poems declares that "the attempt to discover
and define the quality of Lowell's poetic
genius is like an effort to capture that son of
the daughter of Eblis, in the Eastern tale,
who could transform himself at will into
lion, an eagle, waterfall or g. bird of song
His expression varies as his mood; ard there
is no poet whose measures you can less safely
predict what manner of poems they will be-
We hesitate to distinguish him as most of a
humorist, lyrist, idyillist, or philosopher, in
his changeful verse" The truth Of this re-
mark will suggest itself to every one who
turns ovor this volume, Notwithstanding the
fact that the strictly humorous poems of the
| author are not included in the collection. The
title OF Under the Walocs, from which the
volume gets its designation, is specially ap-
piled to the beautiful "June Idyl," published
In the June Atlantic the present year. IRE
ceived by Loring, Short & Harmony
The series of poetical publications known as
the Diamond Edition of the Poets" has been
received with so much favor that the publish
ers, Messrs Fields, Osgood & Co., propose to
continue the issue OF these complete and ele-
CANT little volumes until they shall form a
cabinet Library of Popular Poetry. With
This view they have now added to the collec-
tion The Poeticdl Works of Sir Walter Scott,
complete in a single volume, uniform in size
and style with the Diamond Tennyson, Long
fellow, &C., and forming the mos. complete,
convenient, cheap and attractive edition of
this author which has yet appeared. Others
of the series will follow at an early day. IRE
ceived by Loring, Short & Harmony
Fields, Osgood & Co. have also published, in
two handsomely printed 16mo vols, Passages
from the american Note Books of Nathaniel
Hd'cthorne. Whatever may be thought of the
propriety of publishing to the world the pri-
vate notes.. confidential communications and
shy selEcommunings of a man so sensitively
reucnnf a HawthOrOa if il in hat fba
reading public has reason to be grateful for the
decision of those with whom it rested to give
or withhold them. To every admirer f Haw-
thornes subtle genius they have an inestima-
BILE value as revealing even more of the work
ings of his singular mind than his more finish
ed and artistic productions. They show him
to us in the nearest approach to a mental un
dress of which such man is capable. Espec-
ially do we discern in these hints and jottings,
and memoranda of suggestions, some of the
processes by which the authors creations were
wrought out, and the methods by which that
marvellously perfect style of his was con-
| structed. The period of time covered by them
is nearly quarter of century and the range
OF observation and experience rather minute
ly than widely varied. We find the author at
one time in the Boston Custom House and
writing to friend who sympathizes with him
in his supposed discomfort with that unconge-
nial position of how he longs to escape from
the 'grievous thraldom" of political office
holding. Then we follow him to Brook Farm,
and laugh over his sly and humorous revela-
tions of the many absurdites of that queer ex-
pertinent. All experiences to which he sub
jected himself seem to have ultimately "how-
ed out in wisdom" but it is as a companion in
rural walks, or III studying the ever changing
aspects of humanity that he is most agreeable,
and that the subtle keenness of his vision is
most apparent. We would like to make nu-
merous citations from these volumes but want
of space forbids, and we trust all our readers
| will examine them for themselves. (Received
by Lorins, Short & Harmony