New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-28

first volume; but he is not young man. lie u 80
easily aad grav,y fluent careless If rhyme aud
so well-stockcd with every variety Of commonplace
Thought that we almost suspect him of being one OF
those gentlemen Of middle-1gc who devote Them
selves 70 poetry as Others do T. ceramics and
imagine that they can readily learn oil they do not
know of the art. The leading poem is distinct
echo Of Tennysous "ln Memoriam' in rs sub
stance hut anything else in its FORM Many OF the
divisions read like short editorials FROM weekly
Newspaper turned INFO measured lines and supplied
M many cascs. with iutolorablc rhymes, such a.
forms and "empouumS" "Lcthe and death
Gown and worm exist and trust etc. lie
hcsins an ode 10 Nature with the line: Pond
Ns'ur! Maid Of heavenly birth" and addresses
eau unknown fair lady upon presenting her with n
hairpu found ca 'hc Goor at Ladies Fair:
ga " Il. i. j,1 ,I&S 591r ~
nut these lines, lt...4U, furnish n moral for the
authcr hm,lr. Dc h3. caught The trick Of writing
easily and caralcs.ly -hc VIII dash you N little
lyr, FOO BALI am hour Offer 10 10 yea as tTiilng Ait
and then expect you TO treasure it with jealous care
The world does not want hair-p.ns Mr. Wilson
When asls for poetry it accepts only such as rep
rcseuts the genius and the devotion of a life.
In turning 10 "Bohdre," We are saluted with a
faint perfume of poCtry-not new one indeed nor
very puugut. yet pleasant from It's refined char-
actor The. poems are all brief, aud some OF them
very light Of substance; familiar images meet u.s.
and familiar lauccs with such variations as thev
generally take IN pas ling through new mind seek
our acceptance The verse is graceful, often bright
and JOYOUS sometimes pensivc, but never candldN
melancholy and never morbid. Almost the last
poem. "In Nemoriam," Is much the best the metre
is very pure and satisfactory the feeling adequately
expressed and he nee ssary rcpctitions of custom
ary Thought made fresh again by the authors grace
and skill. There is no decided individuality in tie
volume the poems seem 10 he mixed result OF
culture and inclination. but IN what proportion we
ST. II not venture 10 guess.
Dialect poetry is running its logical course. as
might have been predicted Immediately after the
wide and sudden popularity Of john Hay and Bret
Hastc. The author of genuine, Independent talent
first discovers the new VEN. after which the imlta-
tors rush in and float themselves for time upon the
current OF public taste which sets toward 1t. The
speech If the Southern negro the German-Amerlcan,
and the "pidgin-Engli,h" of the Chnaman have
all lcon brought into service and now. we suspect,
Mir Proudft has possessed nearly The last province
of dialect left in this oNuntry-that Of the New-fork
streets. especially the Bowery. Ii is not rich pos
session. H. fact, il might BE- compared to certain
Of the streets themselves 49, rough, full Of holes
aud ruts, with broken box lying here and a heap
OF garbage there. Not much poetry can he looked
for i'm such place; and, accordingly. we find that
Mr. Prohibits verses are mostly dialect in rhyme,
with some easy sentiment thrown in, We take it
for granted that they are phiologcally correct, for
the local stamp upon them is very strong; and it is
not likely that anything more could be made Of the
material. Verse, il j, true gives certain point and
proportion 20 subjects of This class, but the manner
in which they are treated is not new. The best of
the poems is Poor Little joe" which we should like
to quote ii our space permitted
Mr.. Chas. F. Adams, toiudge solely from his open
ing poem is a sort Of Hans Bremann in the domestic
line: but as we read further. also detect the i'll
fuencc # Hoods own" He has that form OF gro
tesque fun which is neither wit nor humor, and only
dash of gay genial Gbl RdOn prevents il from finally
becoming intOleTablc. Newspaper popularity j. "A
dangerous foe of this faculty. for it stimulates the
effort TO he funny or the smallest amount Of mate
rial. Mr.. Adams is one of the best of his class, for
he always adds touch of iveliness which is evil
IDENTIFY not assumed; and his single grave poem, at
the close of the volume, is poor that his vocation
certainly does not lie that direction If he can
guard against that duluesS which follows perfume
tory fun surely as govt follows Madeira wine. he
may safely cultivate his grotesqueries.