New-York tribune., 1870-09-13

strument performs its part, in exact 'lie U nv -
nance not a note is dropped OF sluiIou W '.;t
arranged in thorough taste, and our o''S
o ~ Tho close is that not single inusIcai phrase
sticks to the memory ,lo,o,oorol
.,coint p,rl, in this respect. has phenomenal
- Tho basis of the poem-or, rather cycle
90 triof poems-rnay be found in the words OF the
,,,stIo IN bisunceasing yearning to estrange him.
f from the imperfecions of his nature, and become
one with Christ in sprit-but this yearning comesto
nc through the mold of a more than Swlnburnlan
nxurv of language and rythm and the fervor OF an
ecstatic devotional feeling is partly lost IN the man.
ner of expressing it, With each recurring stanza'
the thought is perlousy poised on meter, rhyme, OF
metaphor, only to recover itself IN triumph, anu
come down safely for fresh effort. While seeming
ly carried away by the rush of his eloquence the
APOSTLE is always cool enough TO calculate its effect
Some of the stanzas are extraordinarily fine, and III
a single short poem we might not, perhaps, suspect
the arce; but the author carries his success so lar
that it finally degenerates into failure we tne ol
the long array of gorgeous and glltterng worus
we tire of the exquisitely managed and modulateu
rhythm; we tire of the lulng alterations, the repe
titions the antitheses of sense and sound-ahu we
tire of them simply because suspicion follows us
from first to last that they, not Paul, have been the
authors inspiration.
these stanZasf
Heard We of her who faint beneath the burthen
strained to the and in its shadow fell
Love for love, the angels for the earthcn-
Lord and Redeemer, surely II was wei!
She as one Wild whom very stripes cnharden,
Leapt many times from torture Of dream,
shrank by the oathy olives of the garden,
Groves OF teacher, and llissuss stream:
Then to their temple Damaris would Chamber,
High where an idol till the dawn was done
Bright in a light and eminentin amber
Caught the serene surprises of the sum-
Thence the strong SOUL which never power pnion
sprang with a wall into the empty air,
Thence the wide eyes upon hushed dominion
Looked in fierce establishment OF prayer;
Looked to Hymettus and the purple heather,
Looked 10 PirRus and the purple sea,
Blending Of waters and of winds together
Winds that were Wild and waters that were free"
But. in these lines how much is addressed beyond
the eari What clear, Ineligible picture have We
either Of Damars or the Athenian landscape! With
an effort, we may imagine the "serene surprises of
the SUM-" but "a fierce astOnishment of prayer
represents an emotion so involved that despair Of
interpreting it. We quote another passage wherein
the thought is clearer, and the language gains i'll
force asst becomes less ambitious:
"IO. If some strange intelligble thunder
Sang to the earth the secret of a star.
scarce eou,d ye eaten iot terror ana ana lor wonder
Scarcely catch the words Of his revealing,
Hardly hear Him, dimly understand,
Only the Power that is within me pealing
Lives on my lips ana beckOns TO my hand.
Whose has felt the Spirit of the Highest
Cannot cOnfOund nor doubt Him nor deny:
Yea with one voice, o world tho thou dcniest,
Stand thou on that side. for on this am l.
Rather the earth shall doubt when her retrieving
Pours in the rain and rushes from the sod,
Rather than he for whom the great concciyng
Strs in his soul to quicken into Cod"
The shorter poems i'll this volume very sweet
and musical, with faint, elusive sentiment rather
Al.
mind us of delicate wood-fowers, touched with
lovely suggestions of color and odOr If do not
feel the presence of strong current of creative
inspiration we at least that the author al
ways has it under perfect control. Indeed with so
thorough sense of sound and rhythm, with such
remarkable technical taste, cannot understand
why his power of adapting expression to thought
should not be more delicately developed. He is not
alone in his fault Of but he
more unconscious of the fault than most young poets
| We like him best in such strains as the foll0wing
| 40 seek not with unmcy art
| To ope the bud before It blows,
| BewitChing from the folded heart
| Reluctant petals OF the rose!
Too quickly cherished. quickly dear.
| She came, the graceful child and gay
| leave her IN her carly year
Till April crimson into May!
The golden sun shall glance and 20,
| Shall rest an! tremble in her hair;
Beside her chec a shall love To blow
The soft and Kindly English air
O leave her glad with such carcSs,
In such embraces claspcd and free,
Nor teach thy hasty heart to guess
The woman and the love 10 be-"
Thus with myself my thoughts complain,
And so by night shall DC wise,
Til on my heart arise again
Her open and iumincd eyes.
A moment then the past prevails
And in the man is manhood strong,
Then from the bruised soul eXhales
The sweet and iyering flame OF song.
oh if indeed with time and tide
Too fast the Chaugcful seasons flow,
And loving life from life divide
And shape and sunder as they co.
Yet with what airy bonds may
Her flying soul shall retain,
And sometimes dreaming in the day,
Shall see her. as she smiled, again.
A girlish Joy shall haunt the spot,
A presence shall illume the shade,
Aud uncmbraced and untOrgOt
Shall rise the vision Of maid.