New-York tribune., 1874-10-21
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

QUALITIES OF THs i"o 80
-,srRopuCrroNs ENrIHELh ..,rsn ,x,,y.-
-..crs-poEM BY wIiIrfiE~s ''''
BETH. -sssSNDEST OF TUE TRIBuSE-l
,BosroN, Oct ,a--The publication of new
volume hy Soa G. Whittier and new volume py o"'ei
wepte), FJlaes almost simultaneously, Is an eVen''n
lite. azure. Really ]. r. 0sgoOd d Co. are sNinS u"
Utmost IN embarrassment OF poetlcai riches' i""r
Holwes and whter better afford to be read in con
srection than most other poets they are potn 80 "
poete and yet widely different in the tone anu
ot their work Holmes is worldly, even "nen 'o
wr,tes-as he is getting 10 do more ana ino'e !"
his advancing years-of spirituaI 'nus'' .n
In unworldly. even when he WHITES " -
,,,oc. Of This present life, at which he iooHs
mora as an impersonal spirit than az inan na'"
.>a..a nv the uses OF the world The dinrrence Hes
deeper the manner OF life OF the TWO poe's.
one has lived In the heart OF the city, br"nhih VI ~
Brahmns the OF choicer circle OF wits anu oo
rspants and the other has dwelt IN quaker shipn''
An dreamy quiet old country town. where the SKY anu
the trees and the birds his most frequent comP
ions But the Two would have been different stl' hao
su e.terpal matters been alike with them one was
bern man of society, the other man o so'uue-no'
that Holmes is fond of scholastic retirement anu
not that Whittier cannot be the most gehia' VI '0"
panions =. ., or s,h
,s.,s ot their verse In this volume OF Holmes
"soucs of Many Seasons: 1s62lS4"-you nho many
poems of OCCASION with titles such as for tne banqe
20 the Grand Duke Alexis" AT the Banquet 10 tne
Chinese Embassy" "At the Banquet TO the Japanese
Embassy" AT a Diuuer TO Gen. Grant" - Az Din
per TO Admiral Farragut," "A Toast to "ilKe Cons'
Address for the Openng OF the Fifth Avenue Theater
and numerous other poems, for elass-days'
etc These poems make a large part OF tne oooh'
Holmes writes well for banquets when most otner en
xnte ill., His rhymes sparkle like the wine, ana are
dainty like the flowers. He knows now to ane' anu "
st home with even a Grand Duke.
Very different are Whit ers poems OF occasion, 10 MS
now volume "Hazel- Blossoms" He writes ror sum
ipers obseQues. prayer for Agassiz' 1or Irlehu
Golden Wedding, the laying away OF wehpeio'ou
maiden under the daisies, Hymn for the opening OF
n church For him there is no rhymng TO the no" OF
Roederer no Of verses TO the tune OF gay wa1
rnusjc A solemn earnestness is in his heart and his
work I have often said to myself, as looked upon
his serene face,
And where earth ends, and Heaven begins,
HIS soul Will scarcely KNOW"
"songs OF Many Seasons" includes the poetical work
NJ Dr Holmes since lse2more than two hundred pages
OF bright, sparkling and yet truly poeucai poetry
Most OF 1t has been published before. READERS Oh INC
Atlantic will remember that delicious family portrait
dorothy Q"-with It's pleture-lAe deScrp'ion VI 'n0
young girl in the portrait
sraccth square forehead with uprOlled hair,
Taper fingers and slender writ
Hanging sleeves Of stiff brocade,-
So they painted the little maid.
On her hand parrot green
Sits unmOvlng and broods serene.
Then his little touch OF the true BostoDians prlde in
Dorothys high descent-she was an ancestress OF MS
swn you know-and then the altogether characteristic
speculation her influence on his own temperament
and destiny, his blood and bone
O Damsel Dorothy Dorothy @
Strange is the gift that owe TO you;
Such gift as never a king
Fave to daughter or son might bring
AL my tenure OF heart aud hand,
Al my title 10 house and land
Mother and sister and child and wife
ALd Joy aud sorrow and death aud LIE
What II hundred years ago
Those ClOse-shut lips had answered NO,
When forth the tremulous question came
That cost the maiden her Norman name,
And under the folds that look 80 still ~
Tie bodice swelled with the Sosom's thrill
Should be /, or would it be
Quo tenth another, TO nine-tenths me
goft is tho breath OF a maiden's YES:
Not the light gossamer stire with less;
Through all the battles of wave and blast,
And never an echo OF speech or song
TGsfe Ts IN the that then
You may hear to-day In a hundred men,
Olady and lover. how faint and far
Yolr images hOver,-and here we are,
Solid and stirring III flesh and BONE
Edwards and Dorothy'S-all their own
goOdly record for Time 10 show
shall bless you, Dorothy, or forgive
For the tender whisper that bade me hvef
Nowhere in this volume has Holmes dared to be as
suony as he can :" yet plenty OF heeD bright
wit in some Of the verses. There Is plenty OF meta
pbyscal speculation, too; for this volume includes
Ibe thoughtful poems from The Poet at the Breakfast
Table" as well as Homesick in Heaven" the Memo
nal Verses for Abraham Lincoln Eiward Everett John
and Robert Ware, Sumner, and others. From one OF
tese eeges consecrated the initials Of three friends
Z Gull the TWO closing verses-a funeral flower which
syery one who has bitterness OF bereavement
will be glad TO gather:
Does all that made us human fade away
With this dlSsOlylng clay
Nav. rather deem the blessed isles
Are bright and gay with joyous smiles,
That angels have their play,
And saints that tire OF song may claim their
holiday.
All else OF earth may perish love alone
Not Heaven shall fud Outgrown!
Are they not here, our spirit guests,
With love stA1 throboiDg In their breastsi
Once more let flowers be strown.
welcome, ye shadowy forms, we count you still
our own!
Here are also included Holiness stirring poems In
War Time" full of holy fervor and passionate earnest
uoss I would ike 10 give you all his introduction,
which is entirely new and in which he himself gives
she reason OF being But IL is so long that
must content myself with the opening verses and
few others, selected from the Programme"
OPENING THE WINDOW.
Thus LIT the sash. so long
Slut against the flight OF song;
All too late for vain excuse
Lo, my captive rhymes are loose!
RHYMES that fitting through my brain,
Beat against my wlnd0w-paDe,
Some with gayly cOored wings,
Some alas! with veDOmed stings.
Shall they bask in sunny raysi
Shall they feed on sugared praise
Shall they stick with tangled feet
On the CRITICS poisoned sheetf
Are the outside winds 100 roughi
Is the world not WIDE enOughf
Go my winged verse; and try
Go, Ike Uncle TODy's ny!
What critic bat will be kind after such invocation