The Portland daily press., 1881-05-14

Treasury of English Sonnets Edited by
David NJ. Main. New York: r.. Worthington;
Portland Loring, Short & Harmony This
very complete, elegant, aud-in the highest
sense-critical volume will be welcomed by
students and lovers of verse. 1t is copous
collection of representative sonnets from the
time when this form of verse was first impsrt-
ed from Italian literature to become the fair
wrought setting for the brillants Of poetic fancy
that sparkled in the regal splendors of the fif-
teenth century, and which vein our time
peculiarly appreciative of good gifts of olden
fashions-take gladly as precious descended
heirlooms. The preface itself, clear, modest
and TO the point, speaks as surely of the famil
iarity and adequacy with which Mr. Main
takes up his task, as the wandering arpeggi
and rapid, strong chords with which Ruben
stein or Won Bulow tests the touch of the
pianoforte, prove the fingers of the musician
before he has entered upon his theme. 1t is
only to be regretted that the editor, because Of
certain prior occupations of this literary field,
concluded to omit the essay upon the sonnet-
form; out OF which, he tells US, grew the plan
OF this volume, and which, we assure ourselves
would have been exceedingly valuable, as set
ting apart the unnecessary and merely formal
rules OF the sonnet from those which preserve
its spirit and shape. The sonnet is a delicate
instrument, and is played upon, to the dis
comfort of ears finely tuned to the music of
verse-by many a writer who fails to under
stand the spirit of the sonnet though acquant-
ed with the technical rules for its recurrent
rhymes aud is aware that neither thirteen nor
fifteen lines go to its making. The italian
sonnetists lwho created the sonnet and per-
fected its beauty were devoted more or less to
their conceui of phrase and form; and they
surrounded tho sonnet with little prickly
hedgerows Of petty difficulties, curiosties of
technical treatment, such as were greatly fa-
vored also by the musicians Of that time, fairly
bub5ling over with experiment, ingenuity and
copious invention in art. Poetry, like other
arts, has become enlarged and set free in our
latter times; has added the superb scope of the
orchestra with color and contrast of timbre
to the counterpoint which almost alone sup
ported the melodies of an earlier epoch.
Mr.. Main favors degree of relaxation Gt
would be interesting and useful to
know his specifications in most of the
rules that governed the original SON.
net-form; aud which, it may here be OBJ
served, were less irksome to the very flexible
and elastic Italian language with its great
wealth of rhyme, than to our own speech. He
would retain in all their binding force, the
two necessary rules, without observance of
| which sonnet ceases 10 be Il sonnet; that it
consist of fourteen lines, not more nor less,
and express but one mood or thought. The
number of sonnets included in tho volume is
very large, but is carefully indexea for the
readers convenience Mr.. Maiu's notes are
full of interest and worth, evidenciug entire
acquaintance with his subject, and his observa-
tions are as charming in their apprecative
| imagination as they are sound and scholarly.