The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-04
A NEW POET.

NEW POET
Mr. John Adiington Symonds. the well known
English critic has recently published a volume
tanning his FIRST collection OF original poetry For
long time Dir Symonds' pen has been emp Dyed in in
dicatng The Is aud The faings OF other writer's
and IN interpreting the works OF foreign authors
English readers that this first specimen OF hts
I've power viii havo the advantage OF pres
t'so It's author may have other walks OF litcra
lure. There arc songs, sonners una descriptive
poems, and OF these the last named show the least
poetic power. The sonnets are manly OF religious
or more strictly speaking. OF purely spiritual char
acter, and long experience IN dealing Win this form
OF poetic expression has gwen Mr SyEopds thor
ough mastery OF Its mechanism. But, although these
poems are generally OF deeply thoughtful turn, they
seem to have but small portion oil tho divne al,-
tus and show tho lack OF ns descriptive power which
is even more noticeable in the lyrics. The thought
contained In the following sonnet however Is SO
Striking as fully TO JUSTLY ITS existence aud insure
us continuance In It's present form until better cx
pressed by greater poet
Shall these arise winged by immortal mind,
VINO toled on earth obs cure aud vegctive2
II lite BE- president thou. ht's prcroga tive,
ihey eau out die whose germ OF thought WIS blind.
Sightlcss ana mute, leaving no trace bcnind,
SEQ ihem wh'ri past ike mists tue breczes weave,
blurred form, aud faces IN demonstrative,
Blown by the blank and elemental wint
First founders OF our race the name whereby
ooi KNOWS you IN tue place oil death ana hell,
Is legion NumDeriess they hurry by,
Growing more vaporou>; M who snall tell
II uo.c last shapes be men-those clouds that Nv
'Twixt lurid lights and gloUms lpscrutubicY
OF the lyrics, "rema con Variazion'' Is one of II
not the best. Its quality is sEowh by The following
stanzas from tho prelude:-
Then down the forest aisss there came boy
Unearthly pale, with passion IN his eyes:
Who sang song whereof the sound was Joy,
But Nil the burden was oil love thnt dies
And death that lives--a song oi sobs and sghs
Wild swans note OF Death anu Love IN one.
went q roaming through the woods alone
And heard tho nightingale that made her moan.
Love burned within his umin Gus eyes and Death
Had made his luting cen aud n,ph:
The Wild wood trem Oled Us he passed beneath
With th;obbinR throit Singing, Love led, to die
Then all was hushcd, III 10 the IL, ck et n,rh
The bird resumed her sharp, soul tnrIl tome
/ went roaming through the woods alone
Aud heard the nightingale that mado ner nioan
But in my heart aud IN my braia the cr,
Tho wall, the dirge, tho dirse OF Death aud Love
SIN throbs and throbs. flute like anu viii not die
Piercing and clear the mt BIRDS tune above
The aching anguisbed, Wild swans note wuere,r
The sweet sld flower OF song was overulowp.
l went roaming through The woods alone
And heard tue nightingale that maize her moan
MIR. SymOnds 10 Dost known Ia this country nv n
complete and admirable translation Of tho of
Michael Angelo aud Campanela, noticed in these COL.
umus few months since.