New-York tribune., 1879-01-03

| a small book published some twenty five years
ago. together with many additional poems OF recent
date. some of which were written but short time
before the autbor's death in 1873 Hours ofL Life"
| received cordial greeting from limited nuInper
| of admirers at the time of its first publication, and
WAS welcomed in these columns as remarkable LOT
tie life-lke reality with which ii weaves the recoi-
! ections of a profound and intense experience lhte
| the natural materials of song. Here" 1t was theh
| said, care all tho usual clements OF poetry
| q passionate love of nature, an imagination
| equally brilliant and plastic, temperament.
keenly alive to all beautiful inspirations ana
influences. n taste ripened and enriched by eN-
quisite culture, and facility and charm OF express
sion, uniting spontaneous grace and freshness WIN
classical finish But il Is not these qualities that
form the peculiar distinction of the volume before
us. Rich as it is in characteristics that would es-
tablsh an envIable fame for any writer, the vein OF
thought and sentiment which it opens in ITS lead
ing piece gives it stamp of individuality, as
revelation Of the inner life which well-nigh eciipses
the subordinate felicites of the volume" he I'M
pressons thus made have not been impaired by the
lapse of time but are renewed and strengthened by
the perusal of the present edition. OF all the poets
among American women, Mrs Whitman may be
pronounced, with scarce an exception, the most po-
etical. In the approach to masculine sternness anu
strength in depth of thought and boldncss OF mag
cry she NAV certainly have been surpassed by singers
Of later day; but in richness of fancy, tenderness
of feeling. and the subtle charm of expression
which reveals the hidden soul of poetry, II Is not
easy to name the writer who can be matched with
the child of genius whose rapt inspirations spread
their cncbantment over the present volume. Inc
later poems published betray none of the IN
firmities of declining years. They breathe the
4 fla
ness and pathetic grace of their tender melody cx-
hiblt heart which codncss could not chill, and
illustrate life which did not grow old with age.
Change, by William Leighton, is thoughtful
didactic poem aiming to reproduce tho conclusions
of modern historical and philosophical research IN
"tho whisper of the sphinx" The author boldly
grapples with some OF tho most th0rny problems III
the history of speculation and if he does not attain
to satisfactory solution he presents the methods
and results of his inquiries in sonorous and stately
verse The admirer Of Youngs Night Thoughts
or Akcnsidc's " Pleasures 81 ,e Imagination" may
find comfort in his pages, b.i are too abstract
in their character too pA.. o.. al IN their ann,
too severe in their tone. ri demand too much ro
bust thinking and hard radlg for the taste OF
those who love poetry fOrI u,lne and lncIprcss-
ible ghts rather than fuI It's Gidactc utilities.
The poems in the volam' entitled " lhe Scarlet
YAK indicate q certain tHEc tl poclNdI ip'Nui'S'
a sense of the appeals 20 the Imagination by the
presence of Nature. a religious frame of mind made
habItual by the use Of religious symbols, and
facility of versificatOn which is often graceful,
though rarely impressive; but none of these dcsIr-
able qualities can take the place of original lnyen-
ton and creative life in the construction OF poetry
With high moral purpose, aud spirit worthy or
all praise most of these pieces seem the product OF
memory rather than Of imagination, though some
of the descriptive passages show true eye for M
tue and considerable power Of accurate obserya-
ton. The volume is not free from blemishes,
whether from the inadvcrcnCe of the authors, or
the ignorance Of the printers, the worst of which,
perhaps is the change of the famous inscription on
HerdeIs monument into LIGHT, Licbc, Leibcn."
"The Select Poems" of Mr. Harvey Rice have no
pretcnsions TO poetry except the rhymes which are
generally quite orthodox. They may crafty the
domestic circle of the writer, if he rejoces in such
an institution but no intelligent friend will aid in
giving them a wider publicity.
The volume Of poems by Mrs Gustafson com
priscs selections from her contributions to various
American periodicals, together with "Mcg,
Pastoral" tribute TO William Cullen Bryant, and
"Not Peace, but a Sword" which are now published
for the first time. The pastoral poem is a work of
true beauty and pathos, gathering images of loving
sweetness from the hOmely scenes of household life
in a rural farmstcad, depicting the triumphs of
Nature over the false glaro of passion, and the
power of affection to resist the Establishments of
arifce. A simple country maiden figures on the
foreground of the picture. who, after closing her
ear to the pcr5uasons of a gay dcceiver from the
South, has given her heart to the honest of an
honest farmer, who goes to the war to fight for his
country, and comes back wounded and manned,
scarcely hoping permission TO claim the hand OF
his bethrothed. The Tcturn-sceDe which shows the
quality Of the poem, is thus dcscribed:-
With marole-pae features and quiverng chin
Meg looked az lily VIII John came M
Now softly came forward a little ways,
And flushed ms a rose 10 his ycarniDS gaze;
Nearer with dark dropping lashes she came:
Ocr brow. lace, and throat the hcart.c0lor flew,
TIL the lily was rose, and ihe rose fam,
And the flame hdf qnenchcd IN the sudden dew
Of the swIftlifted eycs, that pierced him through
With the sweet strong lusiIc Oi happy love.
The empty sleeve she lifted and pressed
10 her lips, aud laid II over her breast
Then claspCd she her hands and raised them above
HIS bending head, and passing them over.
Drew them close round the meek of her lover
lie looked on her trembling but could not speak
For the great hot tears that wcted his cheek.
A little ebe turned her beautiful face
TO the others grouped III the cilmncy-place
Aud she thanked and blessed them with eentlet grace
And proud that every one there should see.
Who had only arm, he now had three!
Aud but for her arms he had sunk at hrr1e
For JOY So sudden, and wonder 80 sweet
Then forth went ne glhOrs ana father and mother,
Leaving those two alone with each other
The slight proyincasm in this sketch will readily
be excused by its simple truthfulness of feeling. In
the poem to the memory Of Bryant, the writer makes
use of passages from the venerable bard to illustrate
the character of lis poetry and to honor his personal
traits 1t is a more ambitious production than the
one Just referred to- and may perhaps be deemed too
fanciful for genuine emotion, but It's impressive
sketches are marked by many fclicities Of thought
and dictiOn. OF the remaining poems in the vol
ume several remarkable for their musical grace,
a e