The Portland daily press., 1876-11-25

InlS poem IS no less admirable than phenom-
email. 1t is revival of the genuine epic in
It's tone of thought and language, in its proper
tons, its movement and its heroic healthful
action. 1t reads like q translation of the work
OF some Latin or Greek poet, who might have
followed the victorious legions into ancient
Britain and found fresh material for his song
among the northern folk. 1t contains the long
digressions, so familiar to the reader of Homer
and Virgil, where the poet, comparing the
troops and implements of war to herds or
peaceful instruments of husbandry, is led by
the wei-known picture he has imagined into
protracted and minute description, the lei
surely method of the story teller who had long
evening, an audience who readily followed
every detail of works of war or peace with the
childlike quality of mind that gladly accepts
minute description without impatienee. So
long as the poem was full of incident, so long
as they recognized the truth of epithets and
description applied to things familiar to them,
so long as the element of the supernatural occa-
sionally dignified the story or availed in stress
of need, the hearers were happy and the bard
praised and rewarded.
Many critics, as well as poets, hare felt and
expressed the fatal weight that the modern
tendency to involved and sef-conscious thought
hangs upon poetry. 1t is only by effort, often
apparent to the reader, that many writers free
themselves from subjective work and sing of
deeds rather than of the underlined thoughts
that were their motive power. Mr.. William
Morris, better than any other writer of our
century, has succeeded in merging himself
wholly in his art, and consequently giving to
the world series of studies of legends, both
northern and southern, in which tina tone of
time and place is given with perfect fidelity
and delicate atmospheric quality that would
seem rather to belong to music than to words
The cadences and many turns of expression in
"Deirdre" suggest that its author has carefully
studied The Earthly Paradise, but not so much
in the spirit of mere imitation as in that of
sympathetic admiration, due to degree Of
similarity in the poetic direction of the two
writer's. Mr.. Morris work is, of course far
beyond "Deirdre." which without his brilliant
example would very possibly never have been
written; but in the work Of the younger poet
is also to be found in large measure the satisfy
ing quality of entire faith in his subject and
non-recognition of anything outside the time
and space of which it treats. Mr.. Morris
might we'll be the contemporary of Chaucer,
his work is exquisitely consistent in its quality,
which is purely medieval. The author of
'Deirdre" seems to 60 back to the favorite
date of the story teller, ''once upon a time,"
and to be almost primeval He sings of legend
ary times, of life in its earliest, simplest con-
ditions; and, for sake of the fresh, sincere
quality of his work, the admirable manner in
which the poem is sustained at its original
pitch, the reader is carried from the first line
to the last with sense of genuine, hearty
pleasure, akin to that which might have been
felt by the spectator of some ancient games,
delight in strong-limbed, deep-breathed
strength.
1t not proposed to say that "Deirdre' is,
as poetry, of the finest quality. Its verse is
occasionally imperfect, weak and trite express
sions are to be found in it-but the whole effect
is so powerful, SO generous and SO full of a
Titantic naivete-so to say-that verbal criti-
cism is hardly fair to it. The only blemish to
be noted as inconsistent with the general de.
sign and treatment is where Deirdre relates the
brief episode of her husbands kiss upon the
hand of Eana. This unnecessary interruption
to the deep sympathy that the reader feels
throughout this story of pure and faithful love
is inartistic and chilling; and legendary exc
gences are so elastic that poet has full right
to omit or change a minor detail that would
mar his work. The descriptions of scenery in
"Deirdre" have a clearness that evidences
truth. The battle scenes are given with great
force and mingled minuteness and exaggeIa-
tiou that would have delighted equally
Homer or Mr.. Horace Vernet. The character
of Deirdre is touched with fine individuality
and delicate roundness of outline. The super
natural element is judiciously managed. The
verse-sometimes easy and even careless, as
may be permitted to the professed story. teller
is often admirable in its melody, and its con-
trasts of sound are at times very notable-prov-
ing the author to be capable of fine technical
effects. Another poem from his pen will, of
course, assist greatly to determine his present
place and future possibilities in his art; and
now it is enough to say, that "Deirdre'' is no
common work, and is to be regarded as thor
ough and brilliant success as a revival of the
oldtime poets art, and of which the limitations
and faults re those wholly consistent with the
traits that give it worth and place. That the
refined graces of words, subtle effects of rhythm.
novel and Ingenious SMILES and intricate play
Of fancy that characterize modern verse are
replaced in "Deirdre" by large, simple and
even at times trite expression is in reality the
result of fine artistic instinct and instructive
good taste of the author in the treatment of his
theme.
A HoMERIC DICTIONARY. From the German Of
DR.. Georg Auten1eth. Translated with addi-
tions and corrections, by Robert P. Keep, PHI. D
New York: Harper g. Brothers. For sale by
Loring, Short g. Harmon.
A dictionary Of Homeric forms which shall
combine lexicon and commentary, thus saving
reference to several bulky volumes, and which
shall at the same time be handler and easier OF
consultation that the bulky and abstruse Ho-
meric Lexicon of Crusius is great convenience
and substantial aid to the student of the great
Greek epics. Such a work is furnished in
this translation of Dr. Autenreth's "Worter.
buch zu den Homerischen Gedichten." The
work is school dictionary of the Illiad and
Odyssey, prepared by one of the first Homeric
scholars of Germany, aud is something more,
for it conveys the results of Homerlc study and
criticism up to the present time and communi
Gates much interesting and attractive collateral
information. Passages of doubtful or difficult
Interpretation are translated, and the deriva
tions of words receive from the author, who
has madethe science of comparative philology 6
special study, particular attention. A valuable
feature of the work is the Introduction into th {
text of numerous engravings, mainly represen
tations of veritable antiques. which serve to il
lustrate the customs of the Homerc age. So
the volume is manual Of Homeric antiquities
as well as word-book and commentary Thus
under Ikrademnon (as mentioned in the 334tt
line Of the first book the Odyssey is given
a representation of the short veil on the head OF
Greek women, and under its secondary sense O.
lid as Ia the third book cut of the antiqu,
wine jar.
The work seems admirably adapted to tn,
wants of the young student. 1t is certainly s
valuable companion to all who make any pre-
tense of keeping up their acquaintance witt
Homer. The copiousness of Homerio vocabu
larry in forms that differ widely from Attic
usage calls for a fullness of treatment whicl
the ordinary vocabularies of school editions d.
not afford, and consequently for frequent ant
e. 49,