New-York tribune., 1876-08-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

THE EPIC OF IADEs. BY LEWIS N0Rhls- i1no pp' 400
J. a. LIpihoOtt 9" o.
ur Iovyis Morris is a young English poet,
,,boso son0s or Two Worlds have already receiver
,c,peet;ul notice from the critics OF his own ahu "
Of tie tribe OF Tennys ard cOmcctod oS i"Voi'
with that OF william Morris, IT, indeed me ooNne
,o. really one Of blood wenSs name il So ne mus
Nv, been rerottep under n more cheerful star' hS
"Ilades Ia dim, but chilly; sad but win an 'e
yson OF hope and the gentle melancholy OF the s's
which collectively form epic ia relieved by modern
sylnbolism which is healthy and wholly pure
II, f,,,, structure movement, and dcltately varying
music tie roem is excellent TO the verge ci Ic-'1'
cre are passages which ii is simple luxury 70 Ie''
vet tic impression they leave upon the memory j
600, and shadoHy This arises from The cssch'i u'
st,a,,,v az the authors thought. BE Is IKE fan''
aho has learned all the secrets OF forih anu ,0'V
combines them with exquisite ihsl'uc' Va -
vet uncnusc!ouSIT rcVroduccs tbe c"n'tF'"'' 0 -
o,d w4u-knowD masters. II poet could DC i'ouHC'"
n, the urton of fine taste, deep and tcna'r fy
on ,,r~ir. sense of beauty, elegant culture ana Id"
five rl,ythmjcal faculty without CORRESPONDING ,'
t,on lie would write very much IKE fi' iN"
A rood seel OF poetry winch may te WhoI' envy -
c,n,ot he remembered. is now pntAshcu III ~
,In5 and "Tle Epic of Hadcs" Is OF 'hs
"a ve reed its honeycd lines, lingering hero pha
So, to ,-olong the balanced melody OF the cadences'
euiovinr The exoustcly-choser eptetS ana cVe''ihs
imacs we cannot cay that this or tha feature Is 'ooP
from Other pcets,thst anything. in iac' If hot "u ~
should he; vet We Gre Baunteo oJ INC sei7N vi ' '
e., the voice OF school rather than THAT of a indVldd'
We find 10 keen gwift fash Of fancy such us darts io
sisbiv into s own inevitable metaphor ana s!"Ws rom
,b poeo no phrase of .acy, Gnsought Gplness OF onAg
brcak Of thought through the strict pToplctes oI ts
theme In short, the free, Independently ere"uNc e@
Inent is wanting.
heartily enoyed The sober restraint witch thc author
has imposed upon himself impressos the reader ]" 'e
0rst few lines the prelude IS less than two pages IN
length and all that Is said Of Hades and Its ieAan's
comprised in the following passage:
Aocr,.ad vybor, the Fnries plrge we're those
Northat dim land iS those BLACK eavern0us Gcinln III,
Where hope comes. Ear souls % VII & tneE anu "N''
The Bcae End nd m{ inn aua pae sne,o touched little
nv fine s1d Inemo1iee OF tie earth made glad
In masing on tie trie, rley played by th"m
Upon the lively earth yet ignorant
OF the long lapse OF years and what BAD been
since they too breathed LIES cir, " Il they kneW
Keeping some echo enly but their pam
Was fsIntei tiaI tIelr Joy anG " sie'' Aopo
like ours possessed them dnnf'
Then follow fourteen detached idyls each the narrative
n, &. Greek ,nvtholocieal hero or heroine. They are
chosen with regard to tie eymboloel meaning which
MAY be given the story ~nd which moreover oolo4S
The nanuer Of tcngt Such forusas harsy"s' ActsoH'
EuryIlcc Narcssus, Mcdusa, Adons, Pcgsepionc Ehd!
yqion and Psvebe have Iher own accepted eiieiH or
sstbeticai Interpretation, and we do no; find 'at HF
Morris has especially enriched their symbolism.
But he has - least harnOniacc 1t, so tn"t
each form illustrates some aspect OF the eternal
struggle between good and evil, purity ard dehemen'
sprital ana physical being He hGs attempted Chris
tiauizatioI OF the fair immortal Grecanmytns. ond u l.
M st success ~ have preserved the form Of the poem
un6er the garment o: TIC parable. The conception o'
the volume springs from cakct tendency OF our hhif
that OF returning their l0st ethical value to The ancient
religious aud keeping alive trcrythES ia thSiH "hi'I'
pourshcs eur faith IL better thing We quote the close
s1r ffsg &. q 10
fully expressed;
For every dawn that breaks b'inss new rol!d'
And every budding bUsOlu ntw NE. ~
ThcSo fair ta!es, hich We know 80 hetnih"'
shoyS only finer than our lives today -, ,,
Bccause thcir voice was clearer ard they found
sac.td 9aEi to sing M hGn .ge ,J.Gd Ts :Fd l@di;n
~, ~ a5S \. @ } clpse fr,g yne y.rcer we Turn.
g'recd tllouGA cid thoughts snd far Yet must We
We ii.1, iay,e no choice: and # more hard lie toil
IN uoca. len ali is clear than II TIRE il,SA
White u,,s;s OF early Uorn, yet 90 wcnna
Achievement iie own gucrdoi!. ana at i,St ~
The ruunlrr ui GauIlod grows liJie sweet
i'''p '''' ''ED "''' For Youth and Age
N,rc,; else iivtdey Ms ron the fres! young days
WhcA men call ancient, scciIig that We III iuln
shall on DAY he TIacs gHCcnts, and IL. pre-
Ibe wiser, higher rlcc, which yet sA2l siii.
Grows rytHui, ere ~ lose FoGs y 5,i ia, 6i,n
"'i''' "H' ''-e" How should any hold
Ttose ,recious Scriptures only oldw orla tales
os-nlc and monster, IN some Dsonicss cream
Coherent. vet uiiuCs.llut !iEkCU tOSLjbcf
H. come false skIiD u sO!ig!
~ Nay It's not
All things and Thoughts, both old and new, arc WIT
Irpon the unclaBgins human heart aud SOU.
Tle weary satgG with her Hlc %
Much loved and yet uIlUv'd-, piues TO-DAY
A. Hclcn stlii the poet strives aDG sinsa,
And hs ars Al0lO's utisic and grow uuinb,
And suffers, yet j. Eaupy s:iii the young
Fond dreamer seeks ile hish id.d! love,
And fnis her nam j. Death; stu doth the fair
Ard innocent lie, bound naked to Tie rocE,
Redeem the Iao4 stli the gay tempter goes
And leaves his victim. stone; stu GUii pan Dlnd
Hf,u' a,a1isl III B-.ri
Than D-ath itScif eau sever; stl the sight
or too great beauty blinds NJ, and We lose