The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-27
SOME VIEW hooks.
Mr.. Jonuuin MiIIcr. La,e., Poem.

Mr.. JOAQUIN MTLLERs new poem, en-
entitled The ship IN ne Desert, IL the third work
made public by this author; the first having at
tractcd much attention, and received uncommon
praise, several years ago. Such merits a. were
then m Rniaed bya kind Of morning halo. and
were lauded not only for what they were, but for
what they promised to become end such defects
as were then kindly explained away as rather
superficial than radical, more apparent than real,
obscurties or refractions produced by the mists
Of dawn, must row alike be judged In the full
light Of clear day. stripped ~ all excuses. seen
as they are, and measured by AN equitable
standard.
A reader Of the new volume, who opens II
with agreeable expectations, excited by its IRE
dece-sOrs, must feel keen disappointment.
The FIRST strong impression which he receives'
Is that its author has made no Observable
progress; that his diction has not been
enriched that his idea of form has not grown
more definite that his sensibility to harmo-
MES and discords has not increased. He perceives
no poetic or artistic development. He notes
want Of clearness and earnestness OF purpose
is tantalized by very annoying and prolonged
succession OF false beginnings, a provoking
number OF boysh feints AMI when, at length,
the career is actually commenced, II IA fol-
lowed with no steadiness OF pace, but Is
run by MS and starts. You look for unity,
and you mud fragments, connected, TO be
sure, but by discrepant matter. You expect
to feel an ever present and dominating design
you are distracted by incongruous whims,
turned hithcr and thither by divers aims, and
confused nv repetitions You hope To be borne
on a const nifty swelling aud ever fastening cur
rent; you IRE carried round and round In idle
eddics. You see that the author has not put
his talent out at usury. lie brings It time and
again without any Increase. lie continues to
| offer works OF art from which art Is, In a great
measure, absent. A little thought, certainly
little reading might have taught him
that images however beautiful though faith
fully copied from nature, and as accurately
represented In words, do not " themselves char
acterize the poet. They become proofs OF
| original genius only so far as they are modified
! by predominant passion, or by associated
thoughts or images awakened by that pas
| sion hen human and intellectual life IL
transferred to them from the poets own spirit
Which shoots being through earth, sea. and air"
To multiply images seems to be Mr.. Mllef's
| chief Intention. without reference TO harmony
or proportion. without much regard either for
nature OF probability. He ia ignorant, or indif-
crcnt, to the manifestation Of the tru'h that
good sense is the body Of poetic genius. fancy
its drapery. motion Its life and imagin ton the
| soul, that IS everywhere and In each and forms
| all into one graceful and intelligent whole"
| Even when dealing with swift phvsical move
ment his poem has little or no motion; Of COM
mon sense II L. barren; Of fancy, sctnt aud
what has already been said sufficiently shows
that It lacks a fusns, uuliying, moulding i'm
| aginatton.
He seems 20 be conscious. At any rate In some
small degree. OF the inaiednacv of motive ex
pressed In MS work. the la X u logical connec-
uon. the very dark Wa .urtS ~ the argpm 'nt,
| pnd Il 'ppnntly tutimatcs that these are matters
with winch he will not trouble himself