The Portland daily press., 1880-12-11
Recent Publications.

Ultima Thule-Professor Longfellow's most
recent collection Of poems Boston Houghton
& Mifdin; Portland: Loring, Short & HARMONY,
will be eagerly sought by wise givers of small
but precious gifts. In the graceful lines which
form his dedication, the poet says that he has
not sailed to the fortunate islands, but rather
to the storm-swept shores of the Hebrides and
has anchored his ship in the ultimate port
where the last land faces the great sea. If he
has not found the fortunate Hesperides-and
his own word must needs be taken for truth,
though his name and honor, rooted deep in
mems love, spreading wide and bearing fruit
age of golden praises would seem to fully prove
that he has lordship in the desired islands at
least it may be said that he is king of Thule.
who fills on festal days the golden cup that the
Lady Poesy gave him in his young years.
Again and again he fills the cup with the wine
of his songs and sends it around for the peo-
ple's gladness; and many year be it before
the cup, that no less kngly hand may fill,
sink below the gray sea-water.
Among the elegant editions of standard
poems which each holiday season offers, is to
be noted Tennyson's Dream of Fair Women,
which is now published in rich and tasteful
fashion by Messrs. J. R. Osgood & Co. of Bos-
ton. The stately and luxurious music of the
poem, varying in mode and key from its su-
perb prelude through many subtle melodies, is
the voice of "a Tyre of widest range struck by
all passion" The illustrations are numerous
and wall engraved. though they vary in merit
of design. Mrs. Mary Hallock Foote'S Rosa
mond is soft and graceful, and the grouping of
her Queen Eleanor is excellently imag-
ined. Mr.. F. D. Merrill's ornamental work is
effective, and Miss Martha r. Simpson, Mr..
Fredericks, Mr.. Moran, Mr.. Rix, Mr.. Shop
pard and Mr.. Gibson contribute fine sketches.
Mr.. Will Lows figures are affected and un-
pleasing with their hard outlines and ungrace-
full pose. The paper, print and very artistic
binding are all that could be desired for re-
fined and elegant holiday gift-book.
volume Of Poems by Mr.. Edwin Arnold,
whose Light of Asia produced so instant and
deep an Impression will be welcomed by lovers
of the highest and most artistic poetry. Be-
side the poetic temperament and power of ex-
pression-gifts undefnable as they are
needful-Mr. Arnold possesses great lit
erary tact. Not tho least proof of
this practical quality of his genius is
his choice of distinctly bounded territory
for his region of song. Mr.. Arnold's favorite
task has been to illustrate the legends and the
history of India. This is. with him, no ca
PRECIOUS choice; his long and thorough acquain-
tance with the literature and traditions of the
rich and little explored treasure-house of In
dia, has been solid preparation for the poetic
0f xul,tnh 10
capable. The principal poem in the present
volume is transcription of the Gita Govinda,
the Indian Song of Songs. Mr.. Arnolds preface
to this poem is of singular interest The song
itself, the work of the poet Jayadeya, is consid-
cred to be the presentment, veiled in poetry as
with fold upon fold of lghtest Indian lawn, of
the influence of earthly and heavenly beauty.
The elaborate and fanciful musical system of
the Hindoos, briefly noted by Mr. Arnold,
raises the corner of the curtained doorway
through which the devotee of music catches
glimpse of marvellous things. The science of
music was taught in India by oral tradition;
and thus it happened that the Hindoo drama,
like the Greek, preserves for us only its words,
with hints of its musical arrangement which,
it can readily be seen differed rather in degree
ehoA IL hAhu, AAOu tuo opera VI mOu6fu Tunes.
Mr. Arnold gives curious particulars of the
Hindoo art of music. 1t was fantastic and full
Of unreasonable subtleties. In their scale the
semi-tone was divided into demi-semi-tones;
the notes of their solfeggio were named after
the noises of various birds and beasts. Their
repertory of sacred songs numbered two hun
dred and forty, and if the hymn devoted to one
deity or occasion of worship were used in mis-
take for another, the critical gods were supposed
to turn deaf ear to the performance. Jayade-
deva, the poet from whose Song of Songs Mr..
Arnold's fine poem is adapted, fourished
about 115O a. D. "The Gita Govinda is"
says the translator, "to this hour very popular
in India" but is priced more, he admits, for
its picturesque quality than its piety, and its
musical verse than its morality. Mr. Arnold's
work is a free paraphrase rather than close
translation; and the superbly poetic manner of
his Light of Asia is ere fully maintained. His
style has received the utmost modern finish of
art, while it remains natural and free from af
fectation. His musical sense is fine and aeon
rate; and the warmth, delicacy and force of
poetic genius continually delight and i'm 1
press the reader. His minor poems,
contained in this volume, are marked
by genuine and exalted feeling, and
beauty and directness of words. His transla-
tions from the Greek are full of movements and
freshness; among them the Incantation of the
Bird may be mentioned as model of the re-
vival of antique dramatic art and admirable
handling of metre. One closes this volume
with the feeling that whenever Mr.. Arnold
contributes to English literature it receives
gift as lasting in value as it is attractive. A
word should here be said concerning the just
and generous policy of the publishers, Messrs.
Roberts of Boston, who give a copyright per-
centage to the author on each copy sold of
their editions of Mr.. Arnold's poems. Pur-
chasers of editions of his works other than
this authorized one, deprive him by SO much
of the well-earned material reward of his la
bors. Messrs. Roberts edition is for sale in
Portland by Loring, Short & Harmon.
The Iron Gate and Other Poems, recent
volume of collected verses by DR.. Oliver Wen-
dell Holmes, Boston: Houghton Mifiin g.
Co.; Portland: Loring, Short g. Harmony is
full of those occasional poems in which DR..
Holmes is so irresistible and SO happy, and
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