New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Mr.. LowELL's NEW POEM.

We should like this poem TO be at least two buhd-
red wears Old in order TO be able to say all we feel IN
praise OF it for the effort to establish the greatness
Of any new poem seems, next to the prophet D. inc
most dangerous and the most thankless ONCE Dn'
"a il is not only not two hundred years DID, but is
.ne of the most recent things in lterature-is yet IN
fact 70 be given TO the public in The atlantic Monhy
far January and thereafter in the pretty boOk-1orm
in which we have il here-we must content ourselves
with ayerring that il is the nOblest poem whch MI
Ioyell has vet written And this perhaps after all,
"a saving enough to commend it to the best taste ana
appreciation. =
Mr.. Lowell. who is not less than the greatest OF
living poets in bis mental reach, has had the secret
woncbsafed 70 so few of knowing how always to
keep his heart warm and his head cool. And he has
never been more exquisltely and delicately sympa-
thetc and az the same time more entirely master OF
himself and his subject than in this poem where II
seems as if he had meant to assemble all the forces
of pathos humOr wit, humanity-Or something we
must call by that name wanting good one Tor 1t
and peculiarly sunny and cOnsolng philosophy, by
which he has hitherto touched, or amused, OF won
MS and to show that he had still to be IN some easier
and supremer way, all that he had yet been
Through the whole, which is as full OF unexpected
lights and surprises of color and design as painted
window, plays fine unity of meaning and there is
everywhere such security of touch that the slightest
pulse of feeling the most subtitle ray of thought Is
not lost between poet and reader
The idea is very simple. The poet is one day nj
Charities in France, aud seeing there the famous od
Cathedral the type of religious sentiment when
has passed away
BY suffrage universal il was built
A. peeed then for 81 the So GSsF fdy came
Each vote block of stone securely laid
Obedient to the masters dccp-mused plan;
the windows, PRIDE OF france
Each the bright gift of some mechanic guild
Hn lnVad the gIfN
To make her beautiful with piety-'
he falls to thinking of the cathedral it is and az
st always has been in humanity. He Is moved by
all losses of the beautiful through the processes OF
change. He cOnfesses himself
1.-THE born disciple Of an elder time,
TO me sufficient, 1ieudler than the new
Yet he has perfect faith in the future and he sees III
the very anarchy of the religious world and the
apparent overthrow of all religious order the prom
Use of more generous and more courageous fath
than that of the past. The latest and grandest
of the Christian is 10 be the sO-called not yet
understood, democracy; and the poem closes IN
strain of aspiration which is unlike technically
devotional poetry as the rest is unlike technically
aidactic descriptive and humorous poetry.
The work which has a manifold beauty, draws its
health and sweetness from whatever there IS OF
hope or memory in the poets own life, and 1t opens
with a note almost as rich and tender as that nm
matchable prelude to the Vision of Sir Launfal."
"Far through the memory shines happy day
ClOudless Of care dUwn-shud 90 every sense
And simply perfect from It's own resource
As to the bee the new calnpanuas
illuminate scCluslOn swung in ar.
such days are not he prey OF setting suns.
Nor ever blurred WIN ni't OF n oiie 6ao5
Wherein TIE music OF all meaning is
The sense hath garuered or the soul OWNED
They mlucle with our LIES ethereal part,
swcetening and gathering sweetness eyermore,
by beauty franchise dlsenthrdlled OF time
Then the poet recalls with a felicity of description,
in which the memories OF inner and outer things
blent in one exquisite effect:
Days that seem farther OF than HOmer's now
IRE yet the child had loudened to The boy
One spring knew as never any since:
BOomed intermittent through the shudder1ng eims,
And brought morning from II, the Gull Garli,,
Startled win GrSGgses ne s9 E a RI song
One summer nOur abldes, what time perched,
Dapped with MONDAY, under simmering leaves.
An oTiole cattefed and the robins shrilled,
Denouucing me an alien and thief:
One morn OF autumn lords II DER the rest
When in the laue watched the ash,leayes fan,
Balancing softly eartLward without wiud
Or twirling with director impulse down
On those fallen yesterday, now barbed with frost,
While grew penSye WIN the Pehsl W! year;
When past the fence rails, dowuy-gray with rme'
That made familiar fields seem far ana strange
In CHASTITY solitude about the pole
And CLEAN relentless 10 the unsetting SUM-
ANY one whom we should have to ask if all this
were not wonderfully good fear could not be made
20 feel its beauty, its intimate and aiectionate
knowledge of nature and its subtle perception of her
relation to us she
1T safe in urcoutauinate resource,
Lets us mist. " our longing for her love,
And mOcis ID various echo OF herself
But we may safely leave such poetry to commend
itself. From these memories Of his earliest days the
poet passes the recollection Of his day Charres
1'In that Old World so strangely beautiful
To us the dlsiuherited OF ED
A day at Charities, with no soul beside
To roll with pedant prate NY joy
And make the minister SHY Of confidence
Though before bringing us into the presence of the
Cathedral he sketches with delightful humor some
figures upon the truth of which thetraveer can best
pronounce but which none can fail fully to enjoy.
At the pea green inn, - he met two Engshmen--
"Who made me feel, in their engaging way,
was pOaeher ON their selfpIc,eryc,
Intent constructively OF lese auglicisn
TO them IN those old razor hidden days.
My beard translated me 70 hostile Preach;
80 they, desiring guidance IN the towl~
And, clubbing III one mess their lack Of phrase.
Esker yous ate a uabitang r. he asked;
Il never ate one; are they good asked 4;
Whereat they stared, then laughed,-and we were
The seas, the wars, the centuries interposcd,
Abolished iu the truce OF common speech
Aud mutual comfort OF The motIer.longus.
Like escaped cOAvicts oi Pfopricty
They furtyey partOok the Joys OF men,
CHANGING behind when bUzzed some louder fly
Then as he says
"Eluding these, oltered through the town,
With hope 10 take NY minister uuawares
In It's grave solitude Of memory.
Chance led me TO public pleasnrcerouDd
Where grew kindly with the merry groups,
Aud blessed the FreDchmau FOR ms simple art
OF being domestic IN the light OF day
His language has no word, We grO~l FOR Home;
But he can md fresde IN The sun,
Play with his child make love- aud shrek his mind,
lie makes his life public gallery
Nor feels himself til what he feels comes back
In manifold reflection from without;
While we each pore alert with consciousness