The Portland daily press., 1881-09-10
Recent Publications.
The Poems of Oscar Wilde.

MIR. oscar Wllu6 is Jne cOnSummate HOWsr Vi
modern aesthetic conditions, rose of the rose
bud garden of neo-romance, king lily and rose
in one, limpest, lithest, most utterly lank, lim-
Did and languorous of them all. And he has
no doubt laughed in the hanging medi@val
sleeve of the garment of him to see how the
people took him for natural and inconsequent
fool, caricatured him in telling sketches posed
him upon the boards of comedy, repeated sos
car Wilde's latest naots in the club or recep-
tion-when all the time, he whose wit, per-
haps not less in degree than that of the best of
his abusers, was wearing his mask with deli
cate aptness that disguised him perfectly, was
in entire accord with the tendencies OF his
time, even little in advance OF them, was his
own best parody, was living, breathing, run
ming commentary upon his day, was the very
genius of Advertisement. There is certain
grandeur in his self-election to the post Of
Court Fool. Some men are born fools, others
have folly thrust upon them, but Mr.. Wilde
has attained it by means of actual wit and
wisdom. Because he had the presence of mind
to dine upon glass of water made nutritious
by the insertion of lily-his poems are to-day
eagerly purchased, and Mr.. Wilde shall drink
WdG0r lI0l1 dS CootiJ BOuiOb 40 hO AAeJ ~hOooO,
and flavor his beverage with lilies at guinea
apiece; while literary folk who laugh at his
antics may we'll thank their stars if their So
berminded essays bring them the wherewithal
to buy their unimaginative and usual meals.
Mr. Wilde is genius, not perhaps of very
commanding power in any one department,
but with dramatic aptitude, an irresponsible
and facile faculty, a singularly keen and deli
cate perception and gift of comedy that could
not fail to be effective wherever his wandering
will might have led him. He had not the
severe and self-conscious dignity of the true
Briton, or he would not have entered society
in mask and domino 1t would have been
great pity if the supreme moment had been
lost, and the right man had not appeared to
accentuate the aesthetic movement, to lead 1t
with song and dancing to its extreme measure
of absurdty And how the aesthetics regard this
coming traitor in their camp, whether they are
grateful to him for giving form to their vague
fancies or whether they have seen his fine
smile as he lifted his mask for a moment-may
not be known outside the charmed
circle If Mr.. Wilde wanted fun, he has had
it; if this were a clever advertisement, the
chiefs among American journalists should
stretch out their hands toward Mr.. Wilde and
offer HIM the empery of all advertising columns.
Whatever was his motive-it was excellent
fooling Nothing more delicate, spontaneous,
rapid, unfailing and wholly artistic, could be
imagined in the way of parody. And If at
times he has lost himself in his assumed char
acter. if he has not been able to divide his art
from his comedy and his nature from both
this is Parodys crown, the final test of its SYM
pathetic and genuine quality. 1t is not posi-
Bile to burlesque thoroughly without measure
of admiration for the thing initiated, and such
sympathy with its aims and processes that
laughter may follow where liking leads.
AS a poet, Mr. Wilde is one of the group,
that with more or less natural talent and
voice, with well-formulated theories OF the
technique of verse, form the chorus above
which rise the clear and faultless song of Nor
ris the light and splendor of Swinburne's
voice, the strange and telling accents OF Dante
Rossetti yibratory between heaven and the
grave, the rich and flexible notes OF Symonds,
the pathetic beauty of the melodies OF Philip
Marston, and other singers heard through
sound or silence of lesser voices. Among
these Mr. Wilde will not at present be greatly
distinguished. He is, it appears at once made
prominent and yet somewhat withheld by his
attitude as prime aesthetic. No utterance but
is Just now little discounted by his actions
that outvolce words, his Tyre is strained with
tense strings to reach the pitch of his life. His
folly, that trembled deliciously on the verge of
wisdom, has toppled over; and Mr.. Oscar
Wilde must feel as man who dreamed OF
standing on royal tower and falling there
from, wakes to find himself safe, sound and
uudistinguisbed 1t was a very ingenious
method that Mr. Wilde chose to take the ear
and eye of the public; the means were apt,
leading directly to the literary field wherein
he proposes to labor. But the great public is
slow to catch and yet slower to loose hold of
Joke: and it will take some TINA and iteration
on Mr. Wilde's part and on that of friendly
critics before the general mind will know the
mask from the man.
This volume of his poems gives evidence OF
much earnestness, quick and warm feeling,
ready acquaintance with classic and romance
literature, and degree of actual poetic genius
which it is too soon to assay or define. 1t is not
improbable that the passion of his talent seeing
how light a thing is public praise, chose to
mock rather than cry out against the affecta-
tions of an idle set of men and women, hoping
later to win hearing. Now that tbs hearing
is won, it is fair to judge him simply on his
literary merits, remembering his past only as
the ceverest and most extensive comedy on
record He pleads for himself in the signifi-
cant and intense poem which he names Heaas,
and which stands before the verses contained
in this volume, like sigh to separate the mer-
ry mockery OF his first period from this later
venture. He says that his life seems like ga
twice-written scroll" 1t is quite possible
that third, fourth and yet again more manu-
script may be the fate of that scroll; moods
change fast, each ore genuine for the time, in
brilliant, versatile mind like Mr.. Wildes-
but at present he is surely inclined to work
WELL He sees largely and vaguely, credits
himself with having given away his 'ancient
wisdom and austere control-"a gift hypothe-
Gated from the far future. He also thinks
that with little rod he did but touch the
honey of romance whereas critics will agree
that all the humming hollows of the hill of
Hymettus would scarcely have afforded
enough for the honey-comb of clever conceits
which has made up the recent life OF Mr..
Wilde.
In his direct, serious and emotional work,
for instance in Ave Imperatrix and sonnets
| included in the same group of poems, there is
strong and stately expression and but little
touch of affectation proving that Mr.. Wilde
has sense of the fitness of things, and that he
will instinctively choose among the various
| modes of expression which are ready to his
hand His delight in the subtle setting. forth
| of absurdites should be for him safeguard in
literary work, and keep him, it may be hoped,
| from some mishaps possible to less humorous
| natures.
In defining the gift of a new poet it is not
easy to avoid CONF mparisons with recognized sing
| ers Keats an d Rossetti are the models which
| Mr.. Wilde's poetry chiefly suggests, while he
| has distinct note of his own that should
strengthen with practice. Here and there
reminiscence of his affected pose is to be seen,
| but the wonder rather is that he has shaken
| off so much of his olden habit. In the longer
| poems upon Greek themes occur some fairly
| exquisite passages, but it is to be hoped that
the clear and ardent appreciation which he ex
1 - r. hN~Wa