New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-06-16
SAXE,S POEMS.

| TcknOr Fields.
Mr. Saxe's position in American poetry has
been decided by the verdict of the public and is
firmed by the demand for many successive editions
of his works. His name has been spread from the
ocean to the mountains, and repeated echoes have
made it familiar to every tongue. If not the most
profound he is certainly of the most popular of
our native bards He always plants himself firmly
on mother earth and never above the reach OF
common mOrtals into the attenuated atmosphere OF
| the pure ideal. We presume that he would be the
last to claim for himself high degree of creative
imagination, loving rather to dwell IN the sphere OF
experience and actually where he ceases to be
at home. He has highly impressibe poetical ma
ture and is not unwilling to show the influence of
beloved masters in the coloring and often in the
essence of his own productions. Many of his hap
piest efforts are versions of popular legends and
stories OF avowed limitations of enticing models His
most spontaneous poems are of humorous
or comic character though these often show
an elaborate invention, which becomes too ap-
| parent for the highest effects of naturalness
and freedom. No can call in question his love OF
gay and rollicking conceS, for which he never
fails to find apt and striking diction and imagery
This is doubtless the secret of his wide popularity
and will preserve Ills poems from mere ephemeral
date They dwell in the memory of men and women
| without number and are of more familiar currency
in social circles than many productions OF deeper
thOughtfulness and more original imagination. The
prevailing goOdnature of their tone adds not little
TO their attractveness They leave pleasant flavor
the taste and suggest friendly impressions OF the
author Mr.. Saxes sarcasm is usually keen and pol
lshed. but never malignant. He exhibits no passion
for censue; no Byronc cynicism shows him to be Ill
at ease with the world; he seems like prosperous
| Vermont gentleman of cheerful yesterdays and con-
fdent tO-mOrrows" and if he and then lets fly
pointed shaft at the foes of the hour il is through
no malice of purpose but from the sheer love of fun
and frolic His writings betray none of the moral
earnestness which is apt to grow or bitter in
heated atmosphere, and this Epicurean indifference
serves a soft cushion to keep Oft rude shocks OF
opinion and TO preserve the easy going SmOothneSs OF
his verse which, never broken by anything more We
| hement than laugh. We do not know that Mr.. SAKE
intended to follow the example of of his brother
artists in a different sphere. and present his own
portrait to the world in the Poets Eegy;' but
it expresses so fully our own conceptions of his
peculiar traits, that venture to copy it, long III
advance of the time we cordially hope, when, if
| ever 1t shallsbe made TO do duty on tombstone.
Here rests at last from worldly care and strife,
! A gentle nan-Ofrhyme, 800
! Not al unknown 10 lalne,-WnOse lays anu mo
Fell short OF the sublime.
| Yet, as his poems Ct was the critics prase)
| Betrayed a careful mind
| His life, with less Of license than his lays,
10 Virtue was inclined
Whate'er of Wit the kindly Muse supplied
| He ever strOve 20 bend
| To FOlly's hurt; nor once with wantOn PRIDE
| Employed TO pain a friend
| He loved a quip but in his testing vein
The doubtful word that threatened to profane
The sacred or the ehaste.
He loathed the covert. diaboie ieer
| That conscience undeIInnes;
No limited sacrlege nor skeptc sneer
Lurks in his laughing lines.
With satlros sword to pierce the false and wrong
That bore a wholesome sermon IN the song
Such was the poets bent.
In social converse "happy as a king"
When colder Tefrained
And freedom unrestrained.
And golden thoughts, at times-a motley brood
Came flashing from the mine;
And fools who saw him in his merry mood
| Accused the untasted wine.
He valued friendship favor moro than fame,
| And paid his social dues;
He loved his Art-but held his manly name
! Far dearer than Ills Muse.
And partial friends while gayIy laughing Ger
| The merry lines they quote,
Than aught he ever wroeW
From the more recent poems contained in this
volume, we take the following comic tribute to q
bold wOnder-worker of our own days
HOW CYRUS LAID THE CABLE
| Come, listen all unto my song;
| It's no silly fable;
I'll all about the mighty cord
They call the Atlantic Cable.
Bold Cyrus Field he said says he,
l have pretty notion
mat can run a teleGIaph
Across the Atlantic Ocean.
Then all the people laughed, and said,
They d like to see him do it;
He might get halfseas-Oyer but
He never could 20 through 1t;
To carry ont his foolish plan
He never would be able;
He mig well go hang himself
With his Atlantic Cable
! But Cirrus was a valiant man,
/ fellow Of decision;
! And needed their knocking words,
! Their laughter and dersiOn.
| Twice did his bravest efforts fail,
And yet his mind was stable;
Because he broke his cable
o2se more my gallant 6Sy q" t he cried
an make it thirty" muttered he
! But win lay the cable')
once more they tried-hurrah! hu1ahl
What means this great commotoni
| The Lord be praised! the cables laid
| Across the Atlantic Ocean!
| Loud ring the bells-for, flashing through
SIX hundred leagues OF water,
Old'Mother England's benson
salute's her eldest daughter
DER all the land the tidIngs speed,
And soon, in every nation,
They II hear about the cable with
PrOfoundest admiration!
Now long live President and Queen;
And long i've gallant Cyrus
And may his courage, faith, and zeal
} With emulation fire US;
And may We honor evermore
The manly, bold, and stable
And tell OuT sons, 90 make them brave,
How Cyrus laid the cable
The date of the following poem pSG7l indicates
recent trim to Paris in which the writer seems TO
have INDUCED the passion for sightseeing in quar-
ters winch most enterprisng American travellers are
said to crafty their virtuous curiosity by visiting
LE JARDIN MABIR.
Should you eer TO Francois OF course you intend