The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-04-27
Recent Publications.

fOr tn6 advance sheets OF MIR. L0ngfel0w>5
keramos and other Poems, which will be pub
hshed to-day, the PRESS is indebted to the cour-
tesy of Messrs. Houghton & Osgood, Boston.
Keramos is poem of the potter's wheel, the
admirably terse and suggestive song of the arti-
san, with its genuine oldan melody, contrasting
with the extended passages in which the poets
fancy, enriched with curious and fine learning,
expresses ITSELF This is poem whose delicate
beauty repays careful examination; form, color
and design are rare and brilliant as the fragile
porcelains that it celebrates; and the felicity of
its wording is remarkable even for Mr.. Longfel-
low, in whose hands words are peculiarly plia-
Bile. The subject is one that would naturally
have interested and inspired the poet in its
correspondence to human life, and the frequent
comparisons of the potter's wheel to the swiftly
turning days that make and unmake mans
fortunes, in which writings since ancient days
abound. 1t is said that Ksramos is remnis-
cerce Of favorite haunt of the Poets early
years in Portland, and one of which many of
our citizens have felt the charm, unable to de-
fine and illuminate it as the poet has done. In
one of the many streets that slope toward the
water behind the city, few years since, pot
ter worked at his trade. He is now, since his
death, somewhat celebrated for green enamel
of which he had the secret-but fame did not
find him in his life, in his humble workshop
The handling of clay seems in manner to
bring the worker near to the wholesome earth,
whereof he learns many things; and wins a GER
tain wisdom in the world, as one may who
daily deals with the matter. Hamlet's Grave
digger, turning dead clay with his spade, had
become used to the thought of the corruption of
thiugs-but the potter, handling the clean clay
that is yet to take shape, receives almost un-
consciously, some hints of the manner wherein
heaven moulds mems lives. The old potter, in
whose little WORKSHOP the poet may first have
imagined his beautiful work, was full of quaint
wisdom that had shaped itself on his wheel,
together with his pots and pans. Not five years
since. the old man was at work-one entered
low door and found himself in a dusky shed,
where long slender rays of light ran through
chinks and knotholes, and struck here and
there on the curve of soma jar, or on heap of
clay. On the door was painted in unskilfll let
tering, a curious motto which might be ths
theme which the poet has so exqusitely and
brilliantly developed:
No handicraftsman's art can with our art compare,
We potters make our pots Of what we potters are.
Then out of the shadowy background, would
come the kindly old potter, pleased to see his
customer, aud ready for talk of this aud of that,
how a stranger had one day sauntered into his
shop and fell amusing, and so told him the old
English rhyme that was on his door for sign,
for he made the visitor repeat it until he could
paint it on the door; and next he would bring
out pitcher of curious shape and careful work.
manship, and tell how as one after another Of
his kinsfolk married he made such a pitcher
for gift; and at last, he would follow his visi-
tor with kindly speech to the door, that as it
swung open, let the sunlight stream in upon
the clay and the moulded vessels and the face
of the old potter. All this and more than this
all that post might see more than common
eyes in this place-is transferred with subtle
skill in the potter's song that runs through Mr.
Longfellow's Keramos. This is the heart of
the poem. the brilliant descriptive passages are
the result of the later visions of the poet, re.
membranes of strange countries, of curious
learning. all brought to crown the early i'm
pressions of his home. This indeed is Mr..
Longfellow's great power-shis ever-returning
thought of his home and of the common feelings
that all have and only poet may make clear.
Among the other poems contained in the vol
ume, the Herons of Elmwood is musical aud
graceful; A Dutch Picture is poem that Ten
iers might have painted. The revenge of Rain
in-the-Face is powerful and a Ballad of the
French Fleet is admirable in design and treat
ment. The Lea of Roushan Beg il stirring
and strongly written. The Three Kings is a
beautiful and simple ballad of Christmas time
Among the sonnets, VenIc, is picturesque in |
design with soft and rich atmosphere, quality. |
The Harvest Moon contains some fine lines, and |
the sonnet to Mr.. Whittier is elevated and mys-
tic. Holidays has some lines that are nothing
less than exquisite in their music The hex
ameters from Virgil are of course, fney rem
dered. but possibly lack little freshness and |
spirit, from their very close adherence to Latin
forms of speech, and the same comment applies
to the musical cadences of Ovid in Exile Some
short poems from the French and German are
included among the translations. The volume
closes with seven noble and stately sonEets and
a canzone of Michael Angelo
From Messrs Houghton & Osgood comes
also volume of the advance sheets of Gen. f.
W. D5htAobe h0nOAs. Ou6 VI tu0 DEdVeSt OF
Massachusetts, soldiers during the rebellion,
this recital of his life largely from his letters
and journal, is of great interest. Gen. Bartlett
was by no means convinced of the righteous.
ness of our northern Gauss when the war began
but soon, and with some abruptness of convic
lion not accounted for in the memoir, became
'ne of the most ardent soldiers for the good
cause. The transition is great from the sopho-
norc defender of the southern position in an
essay written at college, to the brave and bril-
liant fighter that he proved himself. He was
favorable specimen of the Massachusetts, politi-
'al thinker, bearing sound and sweet nature
,nspoed through the curious mistakes and
theories of possible Utopia and
IN actual Pandemonium that makes up the
aith OF Massachusetts, politicians. He sup
ported Mr.. Charles Francis Adams at Cincin-
,ati in order that we might 'have gentleman
IS we'll as statesman" (the italics are our own)
for President again!' In view of the grand
igure of the martyr Lincoln, who stands out
lpon the canvas of history in glorious colors aud
kingly presence; in view of the manly, quiet
md sincere Grant SO potent to fight aud so gen.
rous In vctory-the precise definition of the
gentleman" lacked By the country would be
mi fnr h.,k xakx,. III l