New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-28
XARIFFA'S POEMS.


XARIFFA'S POEMS. NJ. A. r. Philadelphia J. =. Lip
pincott Co. 1870 PIP. 2C2.
Opening this volume at random, find at page
$50 a poem entitled Ingemisco" of which these are
the opening lines
THE dying day
Wrapped in its sunset banners lay
Fading. fading;
There, woidless both, We watched it going,
With yOldness ON our two hearts SHOWING,
And silence out of silence growing,
Shading, shading
All our lives with its chill flowing"
The question which Immediately occurs to us is {:
Why did not one of the twain remain "wordless ~
For. verify, these lines are-words words, words !
Al that We have said of the ignorance and careless
ness Of young writer's in the foregoing article, will
apply with even greater force TO Xarfa (Xarifa ,
The contents of her vOume show that she is IN the
habit of writing from the suggestion of some imma-
ture fancy. the vague need inspired by hazy
mood Of heart or brain. Again we repeat, no genu-
inc poetry can come Of such n practice. One may
dimly feel, through ial the crudity and confusion
of thought all the mechanical changes Of rhythm,
the presence of an amiable, sensitive, aspir
ing nature : one may recognize certain individual
necessity of utterance, satisfaction therein, and
faint reflection of some hope of doing good i'll the
writer but the critic though his heart may be soft
ened to pity for unconscious faults cannot escape
the duty of pointing out those faults.
In the fourth stanza of the same poem find
these lines:
"Our burning pulses Shoot TIER edY
AcrosS the t3fOTgDtcn yc0iS
Of tender hopes aud slumDering fears"
which will explain our charge of incoherence the
nldest word we can find for the above expression);
while ignorance of metrical laws is illustrated i'll
line from the last stanza:
1.-TWO God-bound lives world-rent in twain"
Seven long syllables to one short one do not make
an iambc tetrameter and-cOldy prosaic as our
opinion may sound TO Xarna's ears-lines SO written
can never touch the heart. Unless an emotion is
melodiously expressed i'll poetry it cannot seem en-
tirely genuine; unless metaphor is consistent. it
becomes more or less grotesque however earnest the
writer's feeling. Thus, adherence to the laws of
Poetry and power of expression always harmOnze-
truth which writers like MARTHA seem to sus-
pect. The following stanza no doubt written in
all sincerity yet il cannot be read without smile
&c Her lips were like sanctifed portals
Whence holy church music pOurs,
And her smiles, like evangelical mOrtas,
Came ont OF their crimson doors"
1t is not necessary that poetic aspirant should
always present us with some important thought
some unex pected rhythmical effect. We are salts
fed with common themes and common emotions
when we can see in the care bestowed upon their
rounded and symmetrical expression, the evidence Of
literary conscience Xarifa would shrink from the
idea of having the material for a dress made up
at haphazard, and trimmed with whatever happened
to be nearest without regard to style and color I:
why then, should she not be equally careful in cloth
ing the body of her thought We find, as we have
said, throughout her volume, indications Of ami
able and mpressibe nature; do not doubt the
geuuineness of her desire for poetic expressions and
if we dwell more upon her shortcomings than her
merits il is because the latter nowhere independ
emily developed. Moreover, she is certain receive
a great deal of indiscyiminate praise from those who
have not specially at heart the true interests of
Poetry and our criticism, if not so agreeable is
less kindly meant. Like all careless writers of
poetry she is best where she is SIMPLEST the follow
things in the volume:
IwIIIGR.
Wandered forth at set OF sun
The harvest WORK was almost done,
And closed were doors Of barn and bin,
Shutting the garnercd harvest in.
Down 10 the sunset.tIntcd stream
To drink led the tired team;
And lowing cattle from the hill
strOlod hOmeward past the silent mill.
Then came SOME loy belated swain
WIisug upon his load Of grain,
While here aud there the bending leaves
Gave kisses to the fipened sheayes.
The wild flowers the steep side.hin
Drew clOse together with "a thrill,
Whispering, mid twilights dewy tears
Love tales INTO oacl others
Beside the farmers cottage door
TIC father held his babe once more,
Were clustered at Ills sturdy knees.
saw no eiu, no shame, no frOwn,
And AZ Night drew her curtain down
Eie said, Content u LIES best store;
go teach thy heart 10 ask more"