New-York tribune., 1879-09-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


AFTERNOONS WITH THE POETS Ry CHARLES T.
DrsHIER l2mo pp SEQ. Harper Brothers.
The method adopted by the author OF thls
volume. though II has seen a good deal OF mar" sS
IN its Y. Is well suited to the free-aua-easy'
EXPRESSION OF the ideas that have been suggested ny
wide and critical reading of the choicest prouoc'o"eo
ENGLISH poeiry II consists OF series OF imaginary
dialogues between college professor OF literature "u
youthful neophyte who has been smtten with 'ne io'
of sweet song finds kindly monitor In tue person
nj ms learned teacher during the idle hours OF oue
vacation in the country. The two lovers OF Eh-i'S
x.rse are warmly attached each other ny klhdfeu
pursuits and congenal tastes ana not 100 "ioeS sep
nratcd by age 10 chill their mutual sympathy or Impair
the freest utteTance OF their sentiments ihuee"
the relative position OF the interlocutois Is
not preserved with any degree OF dramatic rl2oI,
md the frisky gayety of the professor often pre-
s.nts sharp contrast 20 the grave earnesness "ud
critical depth of the student AT all events, they arc o
tie of terms the hlariy OF youth and the severity
OF experience mingled with discreet measur'mea'
In both speakers and neither the disparity OF posuoh
nor OF years prevents acute discussion from o'teh IAN
Ing the shape OF almost rollicking baduagc Inc por-
trait of professor In the enjoyment OF MS pci h"
DAYS presents rather appttizng spectacle "l'h Tue
promise az least that his future familiar talks VIII NC
bnrdcned with no trace OF pedaniry or commonrace'
"He was living azy at full lensth IN the shade o an
oak his head resting ON an armfui OF ymOwn hay,
his knees towering aloft ike miniature mounainesAS'
his ewes following the yagrant smoke from hls cigar "s
A. curlod waywaTdy among tic nutterng leaves anu
his mind hadresmily noting through the openings 10
the brnnchcs overhead The intugs Of the white CLOUDS
that sailed silently the blue sky" The volume
m fact forms critical and historical monograph de
voted % the origin and character OF the Epglsh so
net and It's influence modern literature with sPecr
mems OF tho writers who have been conspicuous TOT It's
successful cultivation Between the master aud tDe
scholar without nicely weighing their respective
merits the book fund OF rare inffnatlon'
happily illustrated and set forth. OF soune anu J"o"
criticism, always suggestive. II not always V'i-i''''
showing w,ll-iralned intellect tasie OF cqnAi W'"
rity ani refinement and unusual krowlodgo oil 'he
masterpieces in the kind which has beea the iavori'e
t,uiy of the writer favorable specimen of the COM
Nncd delcacy aud acucness of his criticisms may pe
taken from his remarks on Robert heifiok
tic quaint. delicious old songwriter of inc
seventeenth century, TO whom he Justly assigns ths
highest rank among the minOr poets OF the age
Many of his poems have tue true lyrical ting ana
nil his verse Is remarkable for the perfection OF IFS
structure airiness OF THOUGHT and graceiuliess OF
salon. is cxubcrant joyousness the variety OF its
nodulatOn, and the rich funess OF IT. harmony He's
unrlvallcd among poets FOR the jocund gadncss aud
fresh bihencss OF his carolngs, all Of which breathe
pcrpetual May OF youth and springtime. and remind
the reader of the passage In SIR iMnp sluneys
sArcadia where he describes shepherds boy piping
as though ne should never he old His poems, which
are as notable their bTeyity Us for their musical
richness are OF free aud unStuded as the
notes o bird. No English poet is less conventional
than he and vet few are from ofcuccs against
Good TASTE and from violations OF jucicops literary
restraints His fancy PLAYFUL hilarious, and darngy
familiar. but Is lifted out OF the commonplace by the
ease with which IL trausmutes common thncs-simple
beliefs ordinary customs aud usagcs and the most trivial
happenings OF daily lfento golden conagrs OF fairy
land or into pic glowing with love and beauty
Tae contrast between the yoluptuous enusons when
were the fashion Of the day and the religious poetry OF
George Herbert is admirably exhibited IN c.scrimn-
ating paragraph. Herbert represented by the writer
while yet student at Cambridge was deeply shocked
ly the sensual character of the popular poetry Pas
sonae the stimulus or the regning poets and
their descriptions if not absolutely licenious, were
provocative OF impure thoughts Ths monopoly Of Song
in the service OF vOuptuousness arred tine Indignation
Uf the pureninded youth ana throughout his brief and
beautiful life he consecrated his poetic genius 10 the
service Of God and the advancement Of religion.
His poetry, which Is always intensely earnest gows
with rapture OF love ana worship Every where IN
snct with love man, and absolutely free from every
trace OF metaphysical speculation and OF harsh or
denunciatory dogma the love aud glory Of God are his
constant and absorbing theme. His song now mounts
on the wings of prayer, and now humby siuks TO the
lowest depths Of pcnitcnt copfesson bewails his
sins md flues and wcaknestes with conrite ghs
grOan like thc lark TO the yery gates OF
Heaven with bursts OF Tap and exuliant alteration;
now lies prone az the Of Cross weeping bitter
tears over su rinC Of tte Cruced ana now rises
triumphant from the Mount with his ascending Lord
AT the close OF volume THE author in rapid
review sone OF the more pA0minent American poets
whose have contributed to the lustre OF their
fame aud will be held in lbng remembrance ms ex
pressions OF their genius or Washington Alston
centenary is completed ne present year, II Is re-
marked that his earliest literary efforts bore fruit
when poetical literature as at the lowest stage Of
abasement and poverty, and ihey proved the welcome
harbingcr Of the rich harvest o. later days. Bryant Is
briefly hut aptly described al excelling all our modem
Poets IN the loving and ldverent worship and Inter
pretation OF Nature iu her devcrest moods. allude
particularly his sOnncts Oni Midsummer October.
aud November ana a. ROAD them give attention to
the exceeding decacy and minuteness OF their detail
coupled with their breadth and largeness and also 10
tue warmth and sober richness OF their colOring."
The sOnnets of Longiellow are regarded as
models OF excellence, especially those which
late TO iustri0us men, like those on Dante,
Chaucer Keats, Shakespeare. which spoken of
worthy of Milton Wordsworth. Lowell and Sted
man compared To The advantage Of the latter whose
sonnet on "a Mothers Picture Is selected a spec
men less for the perfection OF its finish than for the
tender blending OF al with paterna love which makes
every line glistcn with its sweet dew" The Bar
berries r. b. hdrch quoted as delicious bit or
Ncw-Emglaud SUI life. rich with autunnal coOrs and
fragrance" aud the list is completed by Wendell
Holiness sonnet ON Joseph WaTen," admirable
for the graceful ingenuity OF its double tribute
o. the heropatriot ana To the healing art. of
which both the poet and patriot were deyotees."
The tone of the volume II Will be perceived,
is that Of kindly ana mbane appreciation. less in
tent Ou plucking the cfOwn from honored than
on bringing fresb chaplcts 10 adorn their brow. It's
composition has be inspired by true enthusiasm FOR
poetic excellence rather than the desire to signalze the
sk of the author by casting shade on the brightness
Of IA value Of his performance Is In per-
feet Keeping with inodesty OF his preiensions. pre-
seniing the example OF literary work a1Ording
more 20 The reader tnan nromsei by the author.