New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

FANTASY AND PASSION; BY ,EDSAR FAwcErr l2mO'
pp ial. RoOsrts Brothers,
The elements of poetry which flash ht1uiy
through these poems would to be inspired by an
ambitious desire OF effect rather than by any spon'
neous passion for the uttcance OF the sweet voice Vi
song IN their highly artificial dicton certain eApoi
mental skill lie displayed, but the hand OF INC nei'' ~
der loving artist is not conspicuous Ine "li'0i "'
have devoted many imprisoned hours 10 lne s'u"S u
Shelley and Keats and perhaps OF Swinourne Out lie
gives only slight evidence that he has caught the soul OF
tbe poetry Indeed hls admiration OF ayore bards a
pears TO have had little influence on bis own sy!c VI
thought aud expression Thus In ono OF the sohhe's'
which are among the happest productions IN the No.
umc he prasee certain living poet in tone OF warmth
and sympathy for qualities which will be sought III VAN
in his own writings He CLOVIS with welpaced enhusi-
asm over the Exquisite elegance and danteSt care Va
the poetry referred to. and accods more i'I'
praise 10 the "Protoan Soul of Mature" when lno'eS
through its melodies
"Now with q vioiets fragrance perfumes air
And now its tropic luxury seems to wear
The balmy crimson OF an opening rose
But not many echoes of those dainty ara dehcio"s
songs" which spring naturally into being as the oe"
drops on blade Of grass 20 be found ne
stately illusions OF this Not only are they des
,itute to great degree, of the graceful simplicity ana
natural flow which form so Cntclng charm OF poetry,
as well as Of eloQuence, and which are the cououOn o
permanent enduTancen all literary composition but they
feeby minister 20 the love Of beauty which Is lea 'y
ideal creations presenting strange and repusye images
instead Of the visions lOveness that throw an en-
chanment over Nature and gorify the dusty passages Oh
the workingday world The writer takes pecnlar nc
light in the exhibition Of scenes which may nave "
certain coarse yigor, but which leave no cear
impressons 10 linger 10 the His creations are
often peopled not with the singing birds OF Edeh nut
with the odious animals that held an unclean place III
Noah's ark He uxurates in wild and desoate ianele'
displaying morbid ingenuity in their construction Out
shows little the healthy play OF lmaghaoh Vi
tho beautiful sanity Of natural sentiment Oi tIs the
lines "a Toad" afford an illustration 10 more DIS
agreeable than many others in the same kind Here arc
the frat two staDzas:-
Blue dusk that brings the dewy hours.
Brings thee Of graCcless form III soolh,
Dark stumber at the roots Of fowers
FlacCd, inert, ucOuth
Right IN can human wonder guess
GRAY lump of mottled clamminess,
With that prepOsteIOus leer!
In the same vein is the little poem on "a Bat.
which Is too wonderful in It's not to be quoted AT
length
Haphazard hybrid that one sees ,
Half bird. half reptile, futteIing through
Loom breezcless the dreamy blue;
Strange laundering monErei OF the ar
AT random war with here and there,
In what mad mood did Nature please
Her sweet rich barnouies to scare
With such dark dIssOnaDcc as thQut
Shape that uuSCCmlleSt traits enuOW,
Grotcsque, chimer1c, cold. impure,
With Satans wings III miniature!
Nav is II that thou llngerest here
As the last left weak heir OF what
Survives from many wrccRng year
In shadOwy fable, trusted not
Does altered time III thee behold
Ono waif from horrors manifold,
GhCnl, srlon. dragon, onPn H. gn9 One spn'e'
And dying when the earth was old,
In mockery OF their cTumDled might
Where once by terror aud dismay
Thine awful ancestry held swayi
The birthplace OF Water Lilies suggests another tf
these dsagreeable pictures, though it leads to good
symbolic moral which pass for what Is worth as
redeemmg element -
Up in the lofter LEAKAGE dense and dim,
OF pines that slope to meet the hteless pool
Aud with still spicy coyerts cothe ITS rim,
The silvery 1tfui breeze comes 1uting cool;
But rarely does it steal to this spot,
Dank with foul mire ana rank with woody rot.
From halfsnk logs the sluggish turtles peer,
The fabby emerald bullrOgs leap and pause;
The erratic dra gon1ies float there and here,
with rosy flashes in their wings OF gaaze;
And now a snake its sinuous way viii thread,
With Aickering tongue and small dark lifted head.
Here is the reconcng ethical lesson impaired by the
lies, cleaning stainless in the unbrOken sheen Of
leartshaped leaves in blended bronze and green;
Aud as watch them, in serene array,
And muse, while scentmg their delicious balm'
OF how they burst from soilure md decay
In taintessness OF ala6aster calm,
And blOssOming from this grim half-stagnant lake,
What sweet pure incongruIty they make,
Idream Of gloomy souls within whose deeps
Where black hate turks aud tOrpiu envy sleeps,
Some heavenly touch that ali their darkness dowcrs
With the ehaste charm Of these immaculate flowers!
The poets vivid fanccs often tempt him into descrp
.on which profane readers would be apt TO make fun Of
but without any apparent consciousness on his part OF
its udicrOus character Thus in the poem Glover"
after descantng its fragrant banquets which lure
the greedy bees" ana "haytime's pink prophecies"
where tufts Of bloom brush the soft limbs Of laughter
fl children" and attract the "iridescent hummngbird"
he presents the following pleasing image Of calm bucolc
happiness:
Here, too. the massive law COW, staT-eyed,
TRUSTS down her dark moist nose, aud all day long,
BY your delicious feast dissatisfied,
Crops with rough ford tongue Your honeyed throne,
Lashlng of flies with her tals restless thong.
The poem to the " Winds" is in different line pre-
senting specimen Of the elaborate splendors which
soon become wearisOme garment made Of cloth Of
gold We quote the opening and closing stanzas;-
o invisible lives, that aimlessy
With mutual voices fare
MysieriOusly aud tanclcSsly
Through the attitudes Of air,
When / welcome lofty dreams of yOu
Amid hours Of Gains or storms
discern evanesCCnt CLEANS OF you
AS divine phantaSna forms!
Where dim skies vaguely illuminate
some remote unearthly reach,
Yon despond, rejoice OF Illuminate,
You are lOY or loud of speech
with tpurnurs that rise altisOnant
or with drcary means you meets
With imperious uUrOais Gissouant,
or melodies wildly sweet!