Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-10-31
Berlin Correspondent New York Graphic
THE MASQUE OF PANDORA.

Messrs. James r Osgood d Co. will
publish in q Few days hence new
volume Of poems by Mr.. LOngfellow.
The leading poem, which gives the
book its title, is entitled The Mosque Of
PIndOrn. II EN- braces about fifty pages
Of the volume, and in character 1t is
dramatic, and shaped after the Grecian
model. To appreciate the effort one
ought first u make himself somewhat
familiar with the Pandora legend, or
myth, as given by tue older Greek
writers, OF a. repeated in any well-re-
puted dictionary OF mythology. The
poem is comprised within eight scenes
or numbers. The fiat or opening scene
introduces us TO the workshop OF
Heph@stus, with the artisan god him
self standing before the statue OF Pam
dora. Hspse Itus sOl!lCquizss:
Not fashioned out OF gold, ike Hera's throne,
Nor forged OF iron like the thunderbOlts
OF Zeus omnipOtent, or other works
Wrought by my hands at LemnOs or
Olympus,
Yields itself to the touch, this lovely form
Before me stands perfect IN every part.
Not Aphordites self appeared more lair,
When trst upwaited by caTeSSing winds
she came to nigh olympus, and the gods
Paid homage 10 her beauty. Thus her hair
Was cine tured thus her floating drapeIy
Was like a cloud about her, and her face
Was radian! with the sunshine aud the sea.
THE VOICE OF ZEUs.
Is thy work done, Hephestus?
Heph0sttIs.
1t is finished!
The Voice.
Not finished till breathe he breath of life
Into her uOstrils, and she moves and speaks,
HeDhgSf,LS
VIII she become immortal like ourselves?
Tbs Voice.
The form that thou hast fashioned out of clay
Is Of the earth and mortal; but the spirit,
TIE life, the exhalation of my breath,
Is OF divine essence and immortal.
The gods shall shower on her their oeneIac
lions,
she shall possess all gifts; the GIFT of song,
The gift Of elOquence, the gift of beauty,
The fascination and the namelesS charm
That shall lead all men captive.
HephUst,ls.
Wherefore? wherefore?
"A wind shakes tue hOuse)
1 hear the rushing of a mighty wind
Through all the halls and chambers of my
house.
Her parted lips inhaIe it, and her bosom
HeaVes with the inspiration. As reed
Beside a river in the ripping current
Bends to and fro, she bows or lifts her head.
She gazes round about as II amazed.
She is alive; she breathes, but yet she speaks
pandora descends from The pedestal,
Chorus Of the Graees.
In the workshop of Hephetus,
What is this l see?
Have the Gods 20 four increased us
Who were only three?
Beautiful in form and feature,
Lovely as the day,
Can there be so fair creature
Formed of common clay2
Thalia.
sweet, pale facet 0 lovely eyes of azure,
Clear as the waters of a brook that run
Limpid aud laughing in the summer sun!
., golden hair Jnat, ike mlSeT's treasure,
In It's abundance overtiows the measure!
0, graceful form that cloud-like, hOaJest on
With the soft, undulating gait OF one
Who moveth as if motion were pleasure,
By what name shall call thee, ''Nymph of
Muse,
CsIIirrn0e,' OF Urania? Some sweet name
Whose every syllable IS 2 careSs
Would best betit thee; but l cannot choose,
Nor do L care to chO ose, for still the same,
Nameless or named, will be thy LONELINESS.
EuphroSyae.
lowered with all celestial gifts,
Skilled N every art
That enuObles ana upIiltS
And delights the heart,
Fair on earth shall b thy fame
As thy face Is fair,
And Pandora be tue name
The second scene is laid in Olympus, and
shows us the swift-wing Hermes putting on
MS sandals preparatory TO Obeyiug a sum-
mons that sends MIN earthwards:
For to-day go,
Commissioned by high-thundering Zeus to
A maiden to Prometheus in his tower,
And by my cunning arguments persuade h ul
In tdis design l know not; but know
Who thinks of marrying hath already taken
One step upon the road TO penltence.
Such embassies delight me.
Her1nes flies to Mount Caucasus and finds
PrOmelheus iii MS tower. Pandora accom-
panies the messenger, and is speedily intro
duced. PrOmetheus, mistrustlng the gods ana
all their gifts, refuses to take the maiden unto
himself.
Pandora.
Let Us go hence; will not stay.
Hermes.
We leave thee to thy vacant dreams, and all
The silence and the solitude of thought,
The endless bitterness Of unbellef,
The loneliness of existence without love.
CJOtbo.
How the Titan, the defiant,
The self-csntered, self-reliant,
Wrapped in visions and Illusions,
RODs him elf of LIES best giftsi
Till by all the storm winds shaken,
By the blast of fate O'ertaken,
Hopeless, helpless, and torsaken,
In the midst of mis- COMMISSIONS
To the reef OF doom ne drifts.
shall not pursue the thread of the story
further, lest 1 shall be guilty of telling the
whole. From the seventh scene, however,
must quote the CHORUS OF Dreams from the
Ivory Gate" which is so truly beautiful that
one must seek its counterpart in the works Of
the old Greek dramatlsts themselves:
Ye sentinels Of sleep,
II is in vain We keep
Your drOwsy watch before the Ivory Gate!
Though closed the portal seems,
The airy feet of dreams
Ye cannot thus in walls inCaTcerate.
We phantOms are and dreams
Born by Tartarean streams,
as ministers Of the internal powers;
. son OF Erebus
And Night, behold We thus
Elude your Watchful wardenS on the towers!
From gloomy TaTtarus
The Fates have summoned Us
To whisper III her ear who lies aslee p,
A tale to fan ths fire
OF her insane desire
To knOF a secret that the gods would keep.
This passion, in their ire,
The gods themselves inspire
To YeX mankind who evils manifold,
So that disease and pain
Der the whole earth may reign,
And neveEm ore return the Age of Gold.