New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-25
BITS OF CRITICISM.

THE ENGLISH POETRY OF TIE prProp.-
Though the sheeytes like the WorisworthanS, are an
tre ana genuine greatest poet OF tie age tb Nc -, n
usagreed a. to hat are the peculiar teaching and tenn
and consequently the critical exposiiioils II shelley -
as various OF complexion as are the theological ard b
osophcal tenets of the critics. Yet perhaps tv We N
MISSED the word that unocks the door TINS vo-5
is. think. su1sn." II the beantinl al 6cc IN
tent underlying all the shows of things which sev
reads IN Natures face whether she smiles or frovps
" me Shelley lived however. his suhsm 70 have
I influenced no one. And afterwand Koatss shatspear
md Tf iyn sins 0Sei objective reresc NATION
language found in Mr Tennyson worker ae rs-r e1
lea, perhaps that Shelleys ailesoricaI noetn5 "a,
brought back 10 England for must never foret IA
poetry. with the sole exception Mr. William Morris
wD9d DC S GihSaI to point 10 any prominent poet
methods mas not had Less influence: and this
which Mr. Dante Rossetis sonnets are AZ sl hSs
Given character TO later poetry which marks II q
very sharply rom EDgish poetry Of any other period.
whe ther the period be aegorica in temper or realistic
Miss THAcKERAY's "MME. DE SEvIGNE.--
lure does not lie in snsth1g wScS 20 n'eTs
issccted by critical instruments. or decomSaea n
an aroma, a su9tlety of expression Which, al
p , oat me highest fails 20 render. Opie.
alttr gazing TOT some time IL picture
aud asserting implicitly TO the various eloios passed
upon Il, felt nevertheless vague dissatisfsciion and
swapping his fingers IN despair OF Ian eiae exclsimed
" IL wants hot! THIS ipdescribable something which
gesture eau define eiectualy as intellectually as
woro lust what Nine dc sevcnes writing possesses
anu MISS thacAelay lnteprets 70 and makes visible
ess by description and anaiysis than by mirrorke re-
Election The English novelist OF The ni,ete, CEN
Iy has mueh IN common With the French letterwrit
ms Marquise OF two hundred years ago. yet
literary individuality sufficiently Differentiated 10 en-
aole her TO gt outside of her srhiect survey in
The round Ihey bon treat life with a certain dainI
ness which throws into the background ali those ee
nents OF II which are too gross. too prosaio
most at home in the middle region OF sentiment wing
between the respectable soldes which furnish mate
rial Tor the most prosaie prose and the Revolutionary
ma o"th ave inc literary GIN which alone do JUS
lice 10 these intellectual and emotional idosyncraisos
II The Spectator.
THE LETTER AS LITERATURE.-VVe think of
the letter as 50 much lower trivial work Of
literature Than the poem the drama. or the essay,
The work OF the letter like the work of tho
omderi II Is not pure art. and may not be an for
ts nrS END is unitarian, and when utility attained,
adequacy, OF kind. Is attained with IT, But lust
building, when saturated with the ari-spr develops
into architecture. and gains Interest and an adj
equacy of another order. 40 leterwriting when the
writer inspired by tins spirit develops literature,
With aesthetic poentiaties similar
10 those OF the novel, the sonnet, the sOnggIhe
Spectator.
The RUSTIC TASTES or AMERICA.-In one OF
his essays " Poets and Hunoriss" "a the P0rlegesl
NJ. Andre Theuret his attention - Marx Twain.
NJ Theuriet struggles hard TO DE just American
nunorlst Dnt he cannot quite suppress groan over
conmon With Attic salt." III not his want
OF delicate fancy Mark Twain is much read than
writers of higher stamp, such as Wendell Holmes,
tastes OF the American public Despite all s primary
VIEW very rude and primitive soil, ouiy be enit,
waited by the application OF violent methods. 1hcre
childish ana halfsaVage minds not moved except y
very elementary narratives composed without art w
which bnrlesQue and melodrsma vnlgarity and eccei
uleisy arc sombined 10 strong doses And ihefeass
iects OF democracy upon htereturea wel-worn leina
indeed but which seems 10 possess for certain hen
their constantly professed disdan for all thai Is hae<
lneyed aud eommonpace-lPan Mall Gazette