The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-11-15
TERMS $500 PER ANNUNI ADVANCE.

that most conventional of traits. elaborate
and seiI-cCnscleus "nconventonalitv.
AT intervals, through the pages of Nr
MiIlers work, the uneasy shade Of Byron ma
rades himself and his grievances. Misanthro-
py at first hand, mysterious wee au naw,
are perhaps the pre.ogative of poets-bu this
galvaniz ID grief of a ghost, this disinterred
despair; this "portrat of lady" that, like a
property miniature Ct the theatre, has done
duty as Medora and Haidte and is now
brought forward as a Mon'ezuman mad, or
an Amaznn-are becoming mOhotonous.
In Mr.. Miller former BOOK, ''Songs of the
Sier as there we've marked il dications, if net
OF genius, at least OF talen 4, brilliant, striking
and often original; there was a glowing
wealth OF words expressing thoughts, some
times exa ygerated. but tull of certain untu-
t)rel fjrce. Il would at that time have been
very difficult to predict the future course of
this wandering star. The present volume,
however. hardy realizes the promise OF its
predecessor. 1t displays the same manner
isms and The toue which his style has acquir-
ed in England seems 10 emphasize rather its
initiative traits than it original ones. lie is
an engine, this poet who at times offers to US
sentiments the most natural and vivid iD sing
ularly musical and vigorous wording-and
yei whose ear permits such verbal atrocities
as, Oh page 1873:
The proud and careless pass in palace car"
This device is not wholly original with
Mr.. Miller; but heretofore its use has
been, and we think very justly, confined to
the department of comic literature. For ex-
ample, the admirers OF that d. cary enormity
the conundrum, viii perhaps recall the fa-
iiliar question "wby is a counterfeit sigma
tdre like household afflicted with msa~lesp
ana its answer Because one is facsimile
and the other is sick family" We kindly
'etrdin from farther exempliication.
Tue preference for sound over sense is an
error very prevalent among the poets of to-
laV; and is not as utterly reprehensibe as
might at first appear. II a writer has the
lower to string graceful and melodious verse
upon slender thread of idea-it is unjust to
irnounce him on the ground that bis wri
igs are not strictly philosophical. Nothing
could be less attractive than a rhy med meta
1hysical treatise, unless it were an equation
bank verse. Yet we must protest a little
'ganst the too great requirements made
ipon the imagination of the reader, TO whom
| much of our modern poetry is allotted ihe
.lfiicuit task OF supplying, to his own satis-
action at least, the ideas, the motive that
'hall inspire the striking antithesis, the mu-
iical ALTERATION, the audacious adjectives
which tie poet offers him.
Mr.. Miller has the gift oflangnage to a very
;reat degree; his ear, as we have already
tid, is singulaIly apt in choice Of harmonic
ois phrases wIen not led away into the
,zdrre; his style, iolmed among high. Jagged
leaks OF the sierra and the broad stretches
ftbe plains-has scope, freedom, a will
lie ness peculiarly attractive. Ii the dust be
lowed to accumulate on his copy of byron;
he remember that bis manue ism sho;.ld
e the result Cf his individuality, not its e.
el:e; it be turn deaf ear to the llandish-
uents OF erprsiDs publishers, and learn
be silent when nothing occurs to him to be
aid; If, in short, be will use wisely the gen.
lIne talent which be undeniably possesses-
predict for Mr.. Miller success more graft
wing and more lasting than he has yet
achieved.
Published by Roberts Brothers, Boston.
Fol GALE by Loring, Short ard Harmon.
nb-Tropicaii IsambIe By Nicolas Pike .
Mr.. Pike, who was consul a. Port Louis,
diuritius. in 1866, made good use of his
pare moments, il we are to judge by tue
'yluminous work we have before US, in which
he has detailed interesting accounts of his
personal experiences and adventures" It
Iso contains maps and meteorological charts,
nd has great deal of valuable infor-
nation about the country, and on the
labits and customs of the natives. He
commences his description when he leaves
Washington, and the first two chapters en-
BRACE his journey as far az Mauriius. Here,
| ne is determined TO see all that is worth see
ing, and takes the delighted reader with him
view every poin. of interest. His descrip-
ton of cyclone is very vivid. The work
yDuld serve as an admirable guide-book, while
,ntrely free from the drystechnicalities which
ire the accessories of guild, books generally.
| fhe book is handsomely illustrated from the
| iuthor's own sketches.
Published by-Harper & Brothers. For
ale by Loring, Short G. Harmon.