The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-24

REVIEW OF VIEW BooKs.


-'Hesperia" is the title Of a long and
elaborate poetical composition by Cora L. V.
Tappan, which has been submitted to our
critical Judgment. 1t is dedicated to "the |
future republic" and from prose introduce
tion we gain an idea of the purport of the
composition, which, without some such aid,
would be rather incomprehensible to the or
diuary understanding. As it is, many por-
tions of the poem are obscure, and the exact
aim of the writer is hard to discover without
more labor than the merits of the work ap-
near TO demand. Not that it is without merit,
for there are numerous passages of much
beauty which indicate real poetical power,
which, under proper influences, might pro-
duce excellent results. "Hesperia" is sort
of epical allegory, in which the struggles of
American republican freedom are set FORTH but
alleeory is not the authors forte although
she is doubtless strongly impressed with a
contrary opinion. Mrs. Cora L. V. Tappan,
nee Hatch, had some celebrity some years
ago as a spiritual medium, and she is now an
ardent admirer of Walt Whitman, the ''bard
of NATURE" as she calls him, and these facts
are sufficient to account for many of the
eccentricties of the work before us. Itwould
be q delightful thing if Mr.. Whitman or any
of his admirers and disciples could give
clear and explicit definition of the word
s'nature" as they understand it, but until
their ideas on the subject are made palmer
to the unelect than they are at present we
can scarcely accept the following, which is
kept up for number of pages, as either ma
ture or art-poetry it certainly is not
The plumes of the lofty pine trees;
How they wave:
The leafy forest feathers;
How they wave:
The bending birchen branches;
.r HOW they wave:
The banners of the beeches;
How they wave:
The crimson mOttled naples;
How they wave;
The hemlock and the cedar;
HOW they wave:
The grasses on the meadows;
HOW they wave:
The golden. crested corn-nelds;
How they wave
The wings Of the wild songsters;
The pinions OF the eagles;
How they wave
The introduction of meaningless refrain
is not singular to Mrs. Tappan, nor yet to
Walt Whitman; but it is not to be COM
mended, no matter who does it. Such verse
the following is, to say the least of it, tire
some when there is much of it,
Vain, vain the Instruments,
And all the songs OF time,
chorus invisible
Orchestras all unseen
harp with golden strings,
Hung on all places high;
piplngS OF sweet Pan;
Apolo's charmed Tyre;
Omlghty minstrelses;
vocal vibrations
Ovoceess harmOnes!
Oratorios grand
y sacred symphonies;
cThe anthems of the sea still sound exutngly9
And so ''the anthems of the sea" sound at
the end of dozen stanzas without having
any connection with the subject under dis
cussion that we are able to divine.
Some passages in tHesperia" have much
beauty especially when the poet forgets that
she is writing allegory and invests her cha
racters with real human interest. AS bits
of description and fine sentiment the open
ing scene where 'Hespera" finds a refuge in
the wilderness, and the subsequent one where
she is reunited to her husband, have very
great merit. Mrs. Tappan's natural tastes
evidently incline to pastoral and domestic
themes and if it is necessary for her to be a
disciple, Jean Ingelow would be better
guide for her than Walt Whitman. For sale
by Porter & Coates.
Beauty is Power" published by G.. W.
Carleton Co., is a collection of lively essays,
which, in pleasant readable sort of way, treat
of proposing" ''Being Refused" "Why Men
are Refused" Romantic Lowers" "The Time
for Marrying" "Long Engagements" "Good
Matches" ''False Jewelry;" "Dressy Mem"
'Love of Displays" marrying Again." and
kindred topics. We cannot say that any
of these essays contain much positive informa-
tion about the subjects they discuss, but they
make number of useful hints in an agree
able way, and they are worthy of perusal for
mere entertainment sake. For sale by Porter
q Coates.
-"The Union Bible Companion, by s.
Austin Allibone, published by the American
Sunday School Union, is work that deserves
to be in the hands of all students of the Scrip
lures. 1t is particularly intended for the use
of Sunday schools and Bible classes, and it
gives in a compact shape the evidences of the
Divine origin, preservation, credibility, and
inspiration of the Holy Scriptures; also an
account of the various manuscripts and En-
glish translations and other valuable matter.
The work is made complete by an analytical
index.
-"Motherless; or, Partisan Family, trans
lated from the French of Madame Guizot De
Witt, by the author of "John Halifax" is an
interesting and affecting story, which is in
tended especially for girls in their teens, but
which readers of hofh eaxsa and all aoaa oau