New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-31
RESEMBLANCES IN VERSE.
ALIKE by ANCESTRY OR ACCIDENT.


tepsiops TO genius and novelty are charged with
merely copying each other some poets are SAID u
| thrust upon the world certain tresome piatltudes
about the cOmmonest sentiments; 10 exhibit only
transmission of known images and tn snow plereiy
the same respectable, old familiar truths varnlshed
and decorated anew, according to the prevailing
fashion.
Bruyere insists that We are come too late into the
world 10 produce anything new. that nature ana
life are prccccuped end that description and
sentiment have been long exhausted. Inc
allegation of resemblance between authors Is
indisputally irne it is certain that an auh'r ~
| tempting any common topic Will INA uneXpecIo'
coiucIdenccs Of his thoughts with those Of other
writers. This want OF OH giDahty IN poetry arises
not so much from TIE barreuness Of genius as from
an ilylncibe Necessity and the nature Of things.
DescrIptIons that are faithful and just must be uni
! form and alike Tie first COPPER has the advantage;
bui the succeeding ones ought not certainly to be
! condemned Tor plagiarism.
the simlafitjcs transcribed IN this article may
possibly entertain some curious and critical read
crs some Of the plssaroa which are evidently toT-
rowed are improved in he second using. md others
nave not farrd So well in the trausplanting In
marking tics, rcscmbanccs no limitations OF the
anceu;s aIe alluded 10. the critics seem agreed
that II is ~ meitorous TO enrich n compost
ton wi. he continents and images Of Greece
and Ro,nc, as 70 Is 20 adorn our homes with tAeiI
| STATUES.
~ doubt Bou'dion bed thorough knowledge
of classical II ciatlc when, us an undergraduate ot
Oxforl Poo made himself famous 10y hs eight lines
On Light" which begin:
THE night Las q thousand eyes
TIC q but one;
Y. the u0n, o. ,ho right world dies
s.. .u tie dying sun.
Brf got jn Greek or Roman imagery can be found
SEQ probable % source for The beautiful thought. as
exists 90 the works Of the Swed sh ror., Icerer'
who, tu flo oallr part Of orr century. published
p.cm containing t.o,c words:
IIou.ritc KING! Ic. one man rate with might,
d.. bath Lu; ONE eye. many hItl the uSd.
Tie coueei- o. B3urIlon Is .iy thai of f"e-
ne one UoWcrtu. agent is superior 10 nuDberlre-
weak ones. The similar disposition of the words 40
each au Eor also ASST. ~ str,ugt euing the rcse'-
ulaucc. which, thouqh marked boy ne accidental.
Twice in a. same poem Icuuy,on gives cXnr,s-
SION 10 u thought which the world bass welcomed,
ADMIRED and rcp. @,od times without number:
Ii, better 10 have lowed and LOST.
than never to have loved at ALL
But prio. 81 the appearance of " In Momoriam"
Lrrd fIouohton had given 70 the public little
poem call Il " Parted and Met" lne last verse OF
winch embodied tins iavorite Idea o. Icnnyson
lie who Cor Love has undergone
Tie worst dat can ieialI,
l. happier tholsgad-fod than one
Who never loved N all
IfTeuuy.ou Ia. not improved upon the labor OF
ihs rival In tfo instance just quoted h certainly
did eliot e. his idea Of true NOBILITY in more beautiful
language IAN shat In which Lewis dressed a silni
lar thought. Lewis said:
WIZ though no grants If royal dowcrs,
with pOWpous utle- grace ouf blood;
Wen inc ~ more 1bstaatal hoaOrs,
AftI fI In O. q
Much less laborod j. Tennyson's
H1wGor II b., it seems to mo,
'lis on nOol' to be goOi;
Kind hearts are more than c0ronps,
And simple iatth tIan Norman blood.
But no stronger words were ever written than
those in which Burns has given expression to this
same thought: Goethe has quoted them, Beranger
ras approved thcm aud every foreigner thinks OF
Buns as the man who said
Tho rank is but the cunca-stamp,
The mans the gowd for n that.
Is 1t not Dante to whom Tennyson is making
gracious ackuOwle gncnt for the truth this coupet
contains:
That n sorrows crown of sorrow.
Is remembering happier things"
Dante has expressed this in language which adj
mts of no Improvement;
No greater grief than to remember days
or joy, when misery is at hand!
Two Scotch poets have expressed in charming
language, the same luea ABOUT times pONcflul IN
nuence upon the sentiments of the he ut, and it
would be hard TO choose between them. In his
world-rcnowued verses "To Mary in Heaven"
Burns says:
Time but tn impression stronger makes,
As stream. their channels deeper wear.
These are MotherweIps words in his "Jcanie
Morrison"
The fount that first burst frae this heart,
Still travels on ITS way;
And channels deeper as II rms,
The love o LIES young day
Motherwell was the later poet, having been born
in the year Of Burns's denth Among other works
he edited the :" Life and Work OF Burns" and his
decease occurred when he had reached the age at
which Burns died.
In the early part of the seventeenth century,
Sucking gave 20 the world many poems of great
vIvacIty aud wit one couplet from the Ballad
upon a Wedding" is well known to-day In record
ing the Projections and beauties of the bride, he
says:
Her feet beneath her petticoar,
Like little mice, stole in aud out,
As If they feared the light.
Herrick who fourshed during LnckIing's short
life, was not altogether different from the
latter in his STYLE of writing aud in his
choice of subjects. IIerrck was not want
ing in originality, bat who read his lines,
"Hcr pretty feet like snals did creep little out"
and not think that he had the poor to appro-
PIRATE and garble very pretty thing belonging to
Luck lng'
The latter half of the verse just quoted from
Lucklng alludes to the old superst ton held among
the English pcasantry. that the sun danced on
Easter morning, ard runs as follows:
"But Ont she dances such way!
No sun upon yesterday
J. half fine a sight"
The same superstition is touched upon by con-
temporary of Luckling in words not widely differ
eut thus:
"Whosc beauty makes the sprightly sun
To dance a. upon Easter-day"
Winters worship of Nature" contains
some lines that are SO like parts of old
-,,nnnn calInl ,.ILc InnLl. of NatuIcv il IL