New-York tribune., 1880-09-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
,,p svuoyDs,s POETRY.

MR.. SYMONDS'S POETRY.
,.,-r ,vo ON A Volume OF Verse; BY JOIN AID.
p,SoroN syMoNps. 16mo. PIP 2es james ~ oss'''
&Co.
This elegant volume. the first OF its KIND rom a
Now publishjny house bearing well-known. hlghiy
.orardod name. brings worthily before the Ameri-
,on nublic an English poet with whom few OF thcnl
hovc onv acquaintance. Nor, indeed. is Mr. Sy-
,norls vet n,pnlar in England where such recogni
,ion ,s he has received is from a small audience
Of artistic tastes and pursuits, who regard MN as
n new LIGHT in poetcal literature. Mr.. Symonds :
volume IL made up OF about one nuhurcu
short poems the longest Of which nils thlrV
rages and many of which consist OF not moro 'h'l'
two or three short stauzas Ii is man'ies'iy COZ
lection of what the author has published from 'he
10 time The poems have, however. been arranged
in groups according to their styles ana su9)ec's,
md are presented as "Ly les on Love ana Ar''
"Poems on Greek Themes" "Sonnets," Among
the Mountains" "ln Italy," etc. Ihcrc are
four longer poems, narrative IN STYLE LeuAe'
".rhc Lava Tale of Odatis and Prince Zariadrcs,'
"Imelda Lambcrtazzi," and The Valley OF VAIN
Desires Plainly, however, the breyity of the
greater number of these poems is neither merely
accidental nar the result of weakness IN the writer
l. is Intentional The poets purpose is the coneen-
tratcd expression of one thought orot single mooa
# mind. There is a feeling among many lovers OF
noetry which is shared by poets, that averSe
TO long poems which are not narrative. Thc former
vearr the latter strive. FOR condensed eN-
prcssion sineleness OF purpose ana hGh
finish Their taste is for httie gems
in verse not for historical pictures. This taste Is
different from that winch moulds or takes dehght
in epgrams for it seeks brcvity, rot as the soul oil
wit using rit in the more modern sense and not as
Shakespeare used it, but as the complete aud COM
pact expression of single poetical conception
without approval or dsapproval, at the present
time Of This notion we recognize 1t. and indicate IL
10 the readers of Mr. SymondsS volume.
Never he,ess we suggest that the reading of the
volume should begin with "LeukG' which is not
only the frs, of the longer poems. bat the hrst
which presents Mr. Symoniss style in an attractive
and characteristic form. Len66 IS tabled island
the description of which and the approach to which
form the first part Of the poem. The verse is the
tcy:a rima. which Is regarded as The most difficult
stapza-if stanza it can b. called-iuto which the
English language can be moulded. But IT must be
admitted at once that Mr. Symonls shows himself
It's sNltul master. Here j, pas asc OF remarkable
beauty both IN fancy aud in form.
While thus nased on LeaES oer my ,s, s3nl nj nroo
Sleep psssed bat ere boon slnnhef held my pfah
In deep Eigats Irresistible control,
Ibeut TINT ollworld story with The strain
q. nearer mcm0rlts and nov. metlolt~1t,
wa.Scd wl.h him whose love Is HES great S"in'
Across smooth snow-Hclds aud rooi WAS wrought
over our beads II rCS" sunset ilinc.
Wherein two luslTOus IlgJis OF heaven were caught;
For TO- the thin moon ana keen Hespe: came
Together md those fiery Wavcs, ana Me
Lcdped up 10 greet Ia them Loves Oilniinme'
On the shore Of this island the poet discerns a
Grure which he finally recognize, as Love, but which
is thus strangely described
Island uprose to westward, lone and siiii,
ia.a non > gl
lowed q. IN sumber, or grief terrible;
Bonding the weight of tawny curl% upOl
Ills knees gathered To the breast ana stlil
Clasped hy firm hands Of strength. though pale and
lie more tnan mortal slept. or seemed to sleep;
Willie on his bead heaven rained iu rays and shone'
The poem concludes with song In diherent
measure which pre- lets the triumph of universal
love, but which is more commonplace than The mar
ratlve wnich introduces 1t.
The Love of which the poet sings here and else
where is not the love of man for woman and of
woman for man, but tina, longing desire for the pure
the true and the beautiful which anmates the artist
and the enthusiast for humanity. In another poem,
entitled Art is Love- Polygnotus. the painter,
tins replies TO Theron. the iyrant who asks hIn
What is ArtY':
Pol Na;hless TIA true: aud Art, whereby men mould
Bronzs into breathing lubs. or round these llnes
Wnhhues delusivc, OF join verse 70 vrr'e
Or wed Oscinarrled sounds IN hymn and chorus.
Love Is, a tempest bending to bis viii
wac hsy D. norgat, seeks qll. and hath 10y ssekir-
Look DoV iA- artist i not soft or you3s.
slr,le a.! seek IS girls aad athletes are,
Ga: s,ra * Homer, Ike HepAai.tos Aas.
IEne c4ll- O. P3veriy. he feels loV sel-t
- 3 ~ v.,i = i;e -. M - srtas.e
IL siflie As Vet- -4i sd fT-1- u cug@54,
tri-.-s1eari 1lT nil .-l.- -s0. az l1t fl-ri.a
Thy ef4Ear. sos- VII = 80 T4c1 sAe c-a1ort
Itwi.i = as-s- i,ai ~ Syr-out. .eck5ns himself
as 10 mere singer =F c. tales n yerse He is
phlosophic ppe-. lie seeks TO penetrate the hid
den rccesses of mans soul TO pluck out the heart of
the mystery that surrounds him, aud to solve the
great problem of the How, the Why; to reveal to
us the beginning and the end of all things. and to
fuse philosophy with fancy. lofty purpose truly,
and one which, whether attamable by him or by
any other merely human creature. must lift both
tie poet and the reader who are capable of rightly
entertaining il into regions of thought and OF emo
fion which would seem TO be the proper realms of
poesy Nevertheless we are inclined TO think that
the most attractive pages even or Mr. SymondSs vol
umc Will Sc found by all readers to be those in which
he deals with the Old themes, the common hopes and
fears aud the everyday feelings of mankind. This
le does with 10 ordinary skill. and with a
large and admirable command of all the
resources of the poets art, in The Love
Tale of Odats and ZariadreS." Odatis is tie
daughter Of Scythan king; Zaradres IS
Persian prince. who is made by Mr. Symonds WIN
some violence to the received notions of mythology,
the son of Venus. Oda,ls vision of Zirladrcs
Cotherwise unknown TO herr in a wonderful process
SION which passes before her sleeping eyes. Venus
brings Odatis to the bedside OF the sleeping Za1a-
tlres and tells him that she is TO be his wife. lie
springs waking. from his bed to kiss her. and en-
braced has chief page. Zatir who is his friend and
companion. and has come 20 rouse him. lie dscov-
srs who Odatis s and sends Zailir with an embassy
70 her father loaded with splendid gifts, demanding
her in marriage. The embassy fails, because the
beautiful Odatis her fathers only child and the
last of the royal line. is to be welded TO