New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-04
new PUBLICATIONS.
MIR. WINTERS BOOKS


iion lono pr. 40. James II. OsZood 4 CO.
THE TRIP TO ENGLAND. BY WILLIAM wIsTEn Sec
ond edition revised and ENLARGED Win Nust1t1 Vl
by J0Seph j 6ersou. 12nio, PIP. 1o1' james n W
good 4 Co.
Tile contents of the two alluring and charL logiy
aresse,, books. whose titles we have copied above
have already been made public either IN periodicals
or in separates olumes; but both Of them IN thew
new form present new points OF interest ne poems
include, besides the pieces put forth by Mr. WINTER
a number OF years ago under the tue VI
"My Witness a great many others now nrSt
collected and among the freshly gathered verses
.romprisnr about half of the whole volume, are
sfme of his strongest aud most carefully finished
productions The Trip to England" consisted
originally of twelve letters written to THE lRB
uNR Revised and corrected for the present edtion
the letters winch met with great favor on thelr
first appearance in our columns and again on the'r
renublication iu a pretty little book are now en-
riched by the addition Of paper on Inc
Home of Shakespeare" contributed 10
Harpe's Magazine, and Mr.. Jeiierson-a
master in more than one OF the arts-has mace ior
them series of pencil sketches which the puohSn-
eys have reproduced more or less successfully by
the heliotype process There iss distinct indlvidua
favor in Mr. Winters poetry. equally well marked
in his earlier and bis later verse, homogeneoushesS
in the quality of his writings as whole which Is
entirely consistent with variety of Thought ana
versatility of treatment in the separate poems
This naturallySresult from the fact that, as lie
states i'm his preface he has pursued poetry as
a design bat always experienced it as feeling 80
that his poems are the accidents OF lmpuise'
not the creations of artistic design they voice MS
personal feelings and his habitual mood is one OF
GENTLE and somewhat melancholy reflection. tor
him love is sweet sorrow, the beauty OF the worm
passes death is good angel, life IS hieu Win teu-
L., of
der and regretful memories Yet 1t would DC a great
mistake TO suppose that his poetry is somDre eI'he.
in the topics or the cast of thought. we know Oh
no other writer in whom pensive strain Of fancy
is so exclusively combined with pure delight ID
the brightest aspects of nature and the rareSI
beauties of the human soul His sentiment
IL often as dainty as that OF the sevenIeenth
century poets without their Alterations OF style
or their strained conceits. The fine grace oil MS
diction is perfectly natural and easy, ana Tue
melody of his verse is fluent as the song OF pI"
What could be moro delicate in their kind than the
following stanzag entitled, "At Peace" winch we
copy. not because they arc by any means the oeS'
in the book but because they offer in brleI space
GOOD specimen of the elegance OF Mr.. winters
style and the ThOlesome ana genuine sooI4e'S VI
bis customary mood
Green trees, ana quiet fields. and sunset light
With holy silence, save for rustng leaves
And birds that twitter o. the coming night,
These Flts haiti granted or q little space
To be companions of my pilgrimage,
Filling my grateful heart with natures grace
Not uurenemne red here life's glrish stage.
Mt tue wild city's uproar. nor the race
For gain aud power, IN which we All engage;
But here remembered dimly, IN dream.
As something trelIul that hath ceased TO fret
ud in he Woodlands heart. and forget
10 nOte It's music and Its silver gleam
Rut never. never let me cease 10 know.
o Whispering woods ana daisy'spr1hkled grass
The beauty and the peace tDat you oestOW
When the wild fevcIs OF ambition pass,
Aud the spirit IN ITS gloom ana GRIEF,
Sinks ON your bosom, and there finds relief
There are other verses which show the author
under tae influence of much more passionate emo
tons than govern him here; there are songs IN
lofty and very noole STRAIN, like his weii-hnown
"Voce OF the Silence; there are personal tributes
which seem to quite unrvallcd. in our day.
amongst such occasional pieces; and there are
poems of love and affection conceived in the most
winsome tenderness aud expressed with fascinating
del,cacy. And perhaps we shall best crown our
praises of the book by saying that no one can read
it without feeling drawn toward the writer.
Something of the same charm which pervades Mr..
Winters volume of verse distinguishes also his let
ters of travel, They are plainly the expression of
unaffected poetic feeling, ana we cannot recall any
similar pictures of English scenery aud certain OF
the aspects or English lite more attractive and at
tho same time more correct. This traveller crossed
the sea 'with heart full of affection for our OLD
Home and e mind well stored with its literature and
its history he spent there summer Of delights;
and on n theme which we thought threadbare
be wrote the freshest Uf books. Nothing could be
more unlike a tourists guide than The Trip to
England" aid yet There s no guide which can tell
the tourist SO well how to look at what is best worth
seeing. The proof of the worth of such book is
that it is valued most highly by those who know
best tho scenes of which 1t treats Nobody can
follow il without profit. and nobody who knows
England can read it without enthusiasm.