The Portland daily press., 1875-10-30
Recent Publications.

The MASQUE OF PANDORA, and Other Poems. BY
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Published by j.
R. Osgood and Co., Boston. For sale by Bailey &,
Noyes.
This latest work of the poet who recently
sang for US his aftermath proves yet more
surely that of which the only doubt existed in
his own grand humility.that to the fair wide
fieldof his mind has been given the gift of ever
renewing harvest-time, and it is for promise of
rich fruitage that he is
"Crowned with the blossom of snow-white years."
The poems which this volume comprises are
The Masque of Pandora, The Hanging of the
Crane, Morituri Sautamus, Birds of Passage
and A Book of Sonnets. The wide scope of
subject displays the varied traits of the poets
manner. The Mas9us of Pandora is IN dra-
matte form, and is full of vigorous and har-
monious writing. Mr.. Longfellow has given
much individuality to the characters; and while
preserving the large, firm outlines of the myth,
has invested it with living human interest. It
is not, however, and never will be, as an in
terpreter of antique legend or myth that Mr..
Longfeow is best known or finds his tIuest
place. His classicism comes to him filtered
through the eighteen centuries of the Chris
S-~N Ivan
made rich alike by gain and loss of all that
years bring or bear away; so long seeing the
world move in the great circles set for it in the
heavens; and learning from life the song of
mems hearts-the abounding physical sense of
joy despite the shadow of Fate, the capricious
gods and the unrelenting daughters of Night
are to him rather a part of the conventional
material of art, than genuine motive of dra-
matte action. His work upon classic subjects
is precisely opposite from that of William
Morris; and it may be that paragraph show
iug some of the. striking contrasts in their
modes of treating similar subjects will best
illustrate the point Morris has named himself
s'the idle singer of an empty day. and is con
tent to tell his tale simply, without allegorical
meaning or subtle parallel of that day to this.
He Loses his own individuality in the time, the
place, the action of his story. IF he writes
the legend of Tannhauser it is the Gothic We
nus that he draws, the Titan woman, full of
strange enchantment, and the wild rom ance of
Gothic myths. In his poems upon Greek sub.
iectS, the luminous, statuesque quality of that
superstition is everywhere apparent. His
Aphrodite that comes from "the green ridges
of the sea- is golden delight and wonder,
widely different from the mighty armed en-
chantress of the Venus5erg Again his Scan
dinavian mythology has the cold brilliance, the
alternate glitter and gloom of the northern
night 1t would be impossible from any writing
of his to say whether Mr.. Morris were pagan or
Christian. Of himself he says nothing. For
/ the time he is in the land of which he sings.
Its limits are his, apart from its know ledge he
knows nothing. outside its bounds are vague
l and shadowy lands untraveled but by wonder
l Every detail of his story is clear as if told by
/ an eyewitness. 1t is not proposed to say that
this trait is the highest possible for poet-but
it insures, in conjunction with accurate and
familiar study of the old myths, a certain sim
/ cerity and unity of treatment that is very salts
i flying and artistic.
Mr. Longfel lows treatment of the antique,
! as seen in Pandora and in former works, is
| noble, learned, and full of meaning In his
hands the English language is stately, rich and
i melodlous; and the entire ease with which he
l recalls the thoughts and words of classic au-
i thors and the new fitness aud worth that he
| gives them, by his skilful placing of them
prove that his scholarly art is beyond criticism
But he cannot quite forget the higher signif
cance that later times have given to all things
| Even the chorus of the Eumenides has in il
prophecies of heavens pity His Pandora says
Il "Only through punishment of our evil deeds
Only through suffering are we reconciled
10 the immortal, Gods and to ourselves"
This quality of modern faith adds greatly te
the elevation of the poem, to its significance
and spiritual tone, but takes away somewhat
from its antique modelling Whether this be a
fault or a virtue n it, it is not attemp ed to say
it is merely to be recognized as Mr. Longfel
lows method Of treating classic subject.
The opening scaue of the Masque, in the
workshop of Heph@stus is admirable. TIL,
soliloquy of the godlke artisan, the mysterious
voice of Zeus, form stately opening to the
drama of temptation. Throughout the poem
seem scattered suggestions ofa parallel made be
tween the stories of Pandora and of Eve, of the
knowledge of good and evil to which they were
irresistibly led, and here and there phrases of a
Scriptural sound seem to emphasize the resem
blance. The song of Thalia is exqusitely deli
cate and beautiful. But that one OF the Graces
should make "Hephastus'' rhyme with Gin
creased u.s. seems little matter for criticism
| An essay might well be written upon the pow
er of rhyme to heighteu the expressional ele
ment of poetry; and it could be shown by ex
ampes innumerabe that double rhymes are of
| ten so ingenious and so over-assonant as to Civ
an impression of surprise, even grotesque o
comic. The speech of Hermes, as he clasps hi
shoon of swiftness, is as full of freedom, airi
ness and poise as the statue itself of the winged
courier of the GODS. The scene before the tow
er on Caucasus is lofty in execution. Pandora's
description of Prometheus:
/ "Motionless, passonless. companionless,
l He sits there muttering in his beard His voice
i Is like river, flowing undergroundv'
resembles some mighty passage of Beethoven
In how few words is drawn the likeness of tn
Titan that dared and fell, the lost light-bringer
The dialogue of Prometheus and Hermes is il
the very spirit of Greek comedy, rapid, terst
and pointed. The chorus of Fates, with which
the scene ends, is mystic aud powerful, bat in g
more modern manner. The return of Herme
has the warm brilliant quality of his previou
speech, and its final lines are superb in thei
| aerial force:
"With one touch OF my swift and winged feet,
| spurn the solid earth, and leave it rocking
As rocks the bough from which bird takes wing
The dialogue of Pandora and Epimetheus i
followed by chorus of the Eumenides, whcl
is wonderful in its unrelenting. cold melody
The garden scene, with its choruses of bird
and of reeds, the delicious sweetness OF il
verse, the warmth of color and purity of ou
line is as wholly Grecian as
''the statue that enchants the world"
In strong contrast to this is the dialogue c
the Titan brothers that follows it. Pandora
dream-ied desire to open the mystic box; th
poetic scene, full of contrasting dramatic emt
tions, when she confesses her fault to Epime
theus; the sad love and forgiveness in despa
, lit by hope that alone was left; and the chorr