The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-11

delight by thousands to whom the suave music
| OF Longfellow's prelude" and the pensive
charm of the Coplas de Manriaue " we're wasted
breath. Far from aiming to bestow felicitous
embodiment on an evanescent mood OF our
higher society, the naive, impersonal creations
OF the Quaker poet were signally wanting in
that adroit reminisceDce and dainty allusion
| which nfuse an exotic sweetness and evolve a
classic atmosphere. In them we catch for the
first time the voice Of a genuine New England
bard, the accents native to a homely yet tender
| spirit, not cramped by any half conscious imita-
| tion Of foreign styles and methods. or strained
| by the deliberate effort to sustain ambitious
song. We need not quote from works which arc
familiar to almost every reader, aud we will
merely name such legends OF New England his
tory as "Cassandra Southwick," MARY Garvin,"
1.-THE witch's Daughter" skipper lroson's
Ride those " Songs Of Labor" which found
| means to enoble the most commonplace voca-
| tions, and, in another vein, "Maud Muller,""The
| Playmate" memories" and 1.-THE Old Burying
| Ground"
How tawdry beside some Of these nrtless lyrics
appear the nnesse and glitter, for example, OF
Moore's Melodies, admirably attuned, no doubt,
To the drawing room or to the garish simplicity
Of Jttes chdmpitres but which do not rise to the
lips unbidden beside cradle or grave. There
would seem to be two roads to Parnassus, and
| probably the slow growing affection OF plain
folk bestows more enduring guerdon than the
| prompt applause of the cultivated few Who,
IN our day, reads the Fairy Queen" because he
loves 1t aud yet how many simple ballads,
peuned 10y nameless contemporaries OF Spenser,
are counted among our household treasures?
We do not forget That our other poet, Longfel-
low, has written not few sweet songs, but they
appear to want In some degree the directness
aud spontaneity Of whiitier's best work. and
sometimes betray kind OF labored homelhess
which jars on a sensitive ear.
While MIR. Winters lyrical reputation was
slowly but solidlv taking root, he made more
than one venture In the Acid Of narrative poetry.
There was plainly presumption ag inst his
success IN that direction. There are singers
and makers In the guild OF poets, and not
often are the diverse talents which speak IN mar
ratye and song united in the same mind The
capacity, In fact, OF strong lyrical utterance
seems to imply temporary fusion Of the whole
emotional nature In single unyoca mood,
coupled with partial suspension OF the critical
( Guilty. Now, Is It probable that where n habit
OF facile self-surrender 10 transitory moods has
been contracted, the fancy can safely be -ntrust-
ed with the evolution OF a coherent symmetrical
work Of considerable length? Under such cir
cumstances, should we not expect the essential
conditions Of narrative to be misconceived or
impulsivey ignored
Certain shortc 1mngs OF whittier-and we
may add, OF Lonafellow-in this direction are
rendered salient by comparison with the master
rdccOHtous Doubtless the Canterbury Tales,
the lays Of Scott, and inst cycle of legends set
forth In the "Elrthly Paradise" will be accepted
as models From Chaucets Knights Tale.
for instance, we learn the scope and processes
Of narrative verse. The poet means to tell Us
a story In the most straightforward and efrec-
tive way. and, therefore. while climpses Of fair
landscapes. ftfu bursts OF melody, and even
pious homlIes are not wanting these are mere
ly accessories everywnere subordinate to crisp
characterization and the swift development OF
plot. Accordingly, It is not the RHYTHM or the
dlction. but just the story which holds the ear
A like tirectness OF atm lends vigor 10 SCOTS
verse ana for this reason, even children, who
are impatient Of digressoDs, aud only perplex ed
by the more subtle grnces OF a poetic style. love
Marmion and Rokeby. Ii is true that we are
also indebted to Scott Tor some of the finest
minor lyrics In our language. and so far he may
seem TO have furnished precedent to Longfel-
low and Whittier; but Sur Walter did not. after
years OF song writing, undertake IA form OF poetry
which demands protracted. deliberate evolution
On the contrary, his lrst serious perform
ance was sustained, resoute flight, and his
abandonment to the lyric mood seems to have
been merely episodcal. and perhaps wore to him
the aspect OF relaxation from more circumspect
and Continuous labor.
"e'' Nv N'"'' '""' '"e 'a'es' Su'oeesiu
"'"''' VI '"'oS !" '"s ne II ]ea'"us s'uuen' VI
Chaucct's m.nher. Indeed. Morris has some
"N"' '9''""T'u ''o .Su''"'"'es vi ""uei"
io1".' y, Wv '"'''N9 ''''''' VIZ" ""'0u "e "o9
N""H"' '"v "SN''''' '"o anu "''"uue VI ms
m"H'Vi' "e "a' eve" u"'''eu ionunesS io'
Chaucers dicdon TO unreasonable length re-
producing words and turns Of phrase long obso-
'o'o' ""u '"''"s wren, "''us ." our present
"o'"o, " "'.e'''"k Vi,
pa'".'p'o VI many NeruS o' Tue 'asI syi'ao'e NJ
''"u VI '"' 'e"u''' Du' We N'"'u e"e'''u'p
iO'HNe a"' nun SUI" .A''HN'-""Ve "no "ou,u
"p'"'"'", - ""'''s uoes' '"e :! m"le'rS' p''sN-
"' anu e"e'N' VI '"o N'"'e'N"i' Lam
h's u'So'p.Io"s o, outward na'ure' tnou."
'"'u, orc 'n'V'eu W s""''' ianuo'h s'IoA's'
quo US "''''u'' my O"au0e' . 10 "o' s""ere"
~ u'o"" '"e ''''"'"' !" ,"ns sro'"es o' Nr'-
~, '"' "''"'e''' '''""s a"u "'e"uS
WI" - "No '"e "oVo"psn''nent VI 'u'e' III
9'.''' y. '. "'u'9.' ~ '"' us'"'ss u