New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-20
GOODWIN SMITH on HIS COWPER.f
AN ANSWER TO THE SATURDAY REVIEW.
Eyo,a Mr. SInitVs Litter 10 The Toronto Haa.

E,oyn MI Smiths latter 10 The Toronto FdH
Tho reviewer saws: Mr.. Goodwin Smith,
who And romache a savage woman whose nerce
wall Is really semEphy-cal AID scareoy CO. DIE OF
exact translation, and who imagines that Try can
never he the direct preston ~ emotion has larry put
himself 81 court as a poetcal cfl,lc. ~, ..,,,.
should certainly have put myself ou' OF conr han
said of the wall OF AnGrOmache tDat u Wa srphbsF
cal ana incapable OF ex CT TRANSACTION. bn ne save.
meDt of the reviewer Is fabrcatl0n ne "tirr tiat
has pnt himself Of court. The passage OF BOOK
to which bis criticism has reference, - ~ IyoNs
:" Whatever the chronological date o. me homeflc
no@ms may be- their political and psychologlcal dats
may be pretty well liked Policly, taey Dc,ons a. ne
enso of Tner-tcs shows 10 the rise OF 0enocacy and
In ts first collision with afStOcraey winch Vuet re-
CARDS with the feelings Of Dafa WHO ,T ib ts
Cratic halls. Psycnoogically thef Oei"nR 10 to the
when IN ideas and language the moral was Just usan'
gaglng itself from the ph' sIeal III me wn 81 Aa1to
mache for instance, ddinon ePoS weh rope IinDro,e,
mo sadly dear" and C0wp r, with better Ia,e AZ az
events renders precious u reaily ~ sisa ana
unnroducbe past like the fierce JOY which 10 tne some
wall from The seyase woman 10 tne u a Oh h her
desolation at the thought OF the NUMBERS "nom hes
husbands hands had slain" 80 ,
10u W." eyacrD TRANSLATION are applied not 10 the
sneech as the SAYS, but TO me snge andPe.
Guitar expression dd1"on epos hIrSt a. acreen.s
savage in eatlon 10 part cul"t ot.se ~, -, ~ -,
Nohodv can doubt that VITA the ber0sD ana ht endrr-
ness OF the Homerc characters there mingled ptni-
,vs savaGerv which kills the wounded and defenceiess
on the neld Of battle, revels IN the most helu ueas
of carnage. and slaughters capiyes az Tue pe
The words poetry never be the direct Expression
of emotion are divorced from the sentence 70 Shcu
they belong IN way that reGdeIs me revewei pre-
sntation almost unfair in tins case as ia the oibeE.
rhe passage in nv book 49, p" Inc DESPAIR WhcI u Us
ven IN verse Is hardly despair Poetry can never e
T. rect preston of emotion; II must DC he pOlnet
Of rcd cton combined with the eXercse o. t.e tieuy
r''nposition which IN itself Is pleasant oiy Oh
Nv or a grOaD is the direct expression OF eno'l"h Du
the emotioa Is expfessed bi r can IN
scarcely go along with intense agony. such as 'nan
must feel under the Immediate pressure OF an intense
belief that he is departing to eternal Woe
Again | am accused OF " considering h.EuaSe no
bv,on of the Latin Church the best not be- ausethey
are better poetry than tue rest bng Decse tnrr ah
guage Is the most son0rous" sonorous lan guage IKE
the aim is an advantage TO wTlIer or hymus, but t
does not 10 me, confess TO DC OF me essence or
poetry. At all events, he reviewer must nave known
that II was only sound OF language, not or Ian
guage the sense of expression ina, spSe. ne bro,
cecds 10 pour Ills scorn upon VI tor nv ,ets h
praise that have gwen TO the Olney H'mBs on Whch
be Pronounces an 9qHa n Gentbs brnw the Sors
failures OF such writers as TOplady api Efskne: wen
ne speaks with sucn contempt OF Iop"d Goes &c hno"
who wrote &" Rock OF Ages'I
nor has any omission of consequence been brought
home to In COwpers letters, numerous aS tey are
there is much that Is available Tor naridt,Se oI
this kad. The biographical portions or Hayleys ne
are utterly disappointing. I migbt have gwen the
fuller details, which Cpwper himself mas turnsIei OK
they are Immateral well shocking ana ny the COM
parative space which they w0ud nave 2ecupei. tho
oyerchaI ged. pave been told tnat ought 10 nave
dated on the connections between C"wper ana rope,
Cowper AMI DOnne but as there was no connection IN
either case. should have been adding 10 e Ou'k o. my
volume the expense OF ITS eetness vas not see
to write history Of In gish poetry, but NE OF cow
per Between COwper ana Churchill there WAS CON
necion, about when nave said what seemed needhl
The reviewer thinks that though Sensational
Life OF Aher Alfred de Musset might be easily writ
ten to write a sensational Life OF Cowper would require
raler gifts than mne L dare say II wOuli, Dls
| have a strong suspicion that the taste Tor
sensaonalsm aud dlthyrambic exaggerltion Will pass
away My 10 give simple narratYe,conainIng
Nil that was essential TO the understanding ana appre-
citation OF COwper's work, VITA adequate specimens
have connected him, more distinctly thah previous
writers have done, with the evangelical movement.
and whatever IS connected with special inOYcnent
must, less, snare its trdnsitory character
could not treat ms religion bograpber OF his Own
religious school could nave done but an sure tbat
have said nothing OF it irreverent OF unsynpat1etc
Much as love his works. could not claim for hD
plac. he first rank OF poets bis memory would only
suffer by sucn exaggeraIOn; and had disguised the
weakness of his character should not only baYe de-
waited truth, bur have ruined the patDOs OF TIE
story and traduCed what Is worth more 10 nnDanty
than even the best OF his poems the memory OF the
sacrlfi ces made for his sake by heroic affection.