New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS..
MR.. TOWNSHIPS POEMS.

POEMS. BY GEORGE ALFRED TOWNSEND. washington
j. G.: Rhodes & Ralph. 1870 pp' l6o.
Mr. George Alfred Townsend is well known in
journalistic circles-aud TO some extent outside of
thomas an unusually bright, vivaciOus and sue
cessful if no; always strictly realistic specimen of
the gem, Cugrc,l ondent 1t is quite natural that
,hs irrepressib'r imagination which so constantly
be.rays itself IN bis descriptive letters should have
urged hiui in.o Ito field OF Poetry. Some of his
tvr.es have hero tnlors led a wandering uncertain
existence in the columns OF the country papers; nc
has now for the first time collected them, and thus
invoked O critical verdict upon his claims to the more
ambitions title Let frankly endeavort to ascertain
bow far those claims well founded.
Very few Of our young American writers seem to
have any clear idea OF the limits of Poetry, or It's
natural Indispensable laws. They do not see tlat
its symmetrical structure prescribcs an equally
symmetrical form of thought; that rythm ana
expression dare not be diSSociated in the readers
mind that tho subtlest harmonies Of sound the
rarest felicities Of dIcton must be so intimately
welded and so skilfuily fused that any other EN-
boGimcnt Of The authors conception Will seem to be
impossible "cush' oftempoTary emotion, though
expressed with never so much fire, cannot become
poem miles, it fulfs these conditions. True nspira
ton is revealed in sounding words, or startling
Images but in the exquisite union of thought which
demands rhythmical FORM with form which is
perfect in proportion it appears enforced and in
eyitabe The study Of aesthetic science is, therefore,
a. necessary to the poet as to the artist.
Tie nature Of Mr. Townsend's chief literary occu-
patton has not only not furthered his roetica deyol
opment in any higher sense, but has probably re-
taTded it, The style of writing or less vicious,
which seems to be in accordance with the common
public taste OF the day, preparation for the sim
pcIty, the grace, the measured music of the poetic
dialect The author who aspres 10 master the latter
must set mp for himself far different ideal. lie
must both learn and unealn an Indispensable pre-
requisite OF We do not find that Nh Towns
eud has taken "A great deal Of trouble to do either
Many of his verses have no sufficient for eX-
stcnce; others are marred by marks of haste, care
Icssness and the habit Of using words and images
without testing their conference; while here and
khcre we discover poem which indicates n latent
capactv of doing better things. little reflection,
We THINK would have convinced him that such
poem as "Kishcoquillas" was written merely for the
repetition Of the name, and would have spared us
zach lines
"Tro cataract climbed tho heard Of tie lake;
1ne old red mill slept asnoring.'
whatever they may mean. So, too, in the poem on
missouri River the
The ya,teafed forest; ., reo.s Gas:'ing h"e'
Ffmcrai te1sis hide tber ta'a'alc rugs
Tho great elk Craze.
Last q my monuments deferred l2ng' ,,-..
aud dor" ny rop i' s5 IKE {rs{,g'sso"0
The singular adjective "yast-leafcG might apply
Goa banana plantation but hardly to any forests III
The Missouri region. The lines which We have ita-
eized puzzle MS. How is it possible for pGImoval
beasts 10 hide their insatat0 trays III dazzling hucs'
Ald how can q fre-ly's song,-even admitting it To
b an chronological fact-resemble waTwhoop
ringing down rapiJl Mind, fcebly reasoning upon
"sancUluc things lQuory, hopeful or bloody 3 may
convey some idea 10 Ar. Townsend but he can hardly
expect the reader to feel Its special significance And
we ask him. in all seriousness, what good 10 himself
or 70 anybody else can be comprised by such verses
As these! Again. in "sleigring Song,' we find
the opening stauza evidently written for the sole
s,ko Il the Jingle in the words have italicized,
Will the very Slightest regard TO sense:
9TH. valley C'oi-s below the 1orS,
Warm white between the hills.
Aeuy Young swegthcarts neck escapes
AaI diupIas as 81 thrills"
Even 5. ladies' were accustomed to 20 sls.ghing in
~shaqos Of lacey grapes we fail 10 understand why
lie valley CLOVIS below the SHOWS" Is il possible
That the author. who las exhibited considerable
shrawducss in other literary tasks supposes this to
L. poetry2 We might further quote stanza ten of
wildcat Junction as a specimen Of purely dis
gushing realism. but we have wish 10 scken our
readers One more specimen, in the Elijah Pogam
vein. must close our list Of Nj Townsends sins
against the refined and ineligible Muse. In
A'Utilci l'H fiNNicI he tIlitH OUT Ms " Iiu ii''-
nation Of tie Continent in this wise:
"Thc light 81 lis eye is the fire Of his FORCES
,s i1,55 cr. 4 s,rGghP groorad him eag,,
That carry army ia every report"
This. however, is not enough. The straight
crossed highways wepresume, are railways, though
We have never heard 7 rail called a groove; but
higher pinnacle Of bathos is reached III Tie con-
Gliding lines Of the poem
"Plack.d from the dawn the stars had all faded,
Hi- banner ~ sunrise, but newly ufur!el,
FuDcd 10 hs r.tlc shall compass, uuaided,
The freedom OF man and tile tonr OF the world ~
Fancy he banner Of sunrise pinned to a railroad
trach, and making the tour Of the world!
We might multiply instances Of sound without
much sense, ana images so mudded as TO be mean
inrlcss; but 1t is a thanless task, for unless the
suihor sets las art above bis personal satisfaction in
these illusions Cof which we see little evidence, he
will cliag TO his faults in spite OF showing.
Nevertheless lie proves his capacity for better work
IN this volume His ride from Five Forks is
Characterized by n steady, rapid movement, well
adapted 10 the thence Of the lighter lyrics
have a certain careless grace which may he worth
further cultivation; and there is single poem
almost wholly free from the Demishes we have indi
Gated. We have read it with positive pleasure, as
simple sustained. natural picture from entirely
new field and cannot resist the temptation of quoting
4; entire. so long a. Mr.. Townsend contributes such
racy, original ballads TO our poetic literature we
shall always welcome him:
THE CIRCUIT PRYAcHER
hin wfc's cheek pinched and pale with anI
he ecs the bcthrens prayerful eyes DER all the confer
He hear the Bishop slowly call the long appointment"
where in his vineyard God would place these gatherers