New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
RECENT POETRY.

,.,, mo .Nn COMETS BY DANTE GAflfH1nIss w.
sFTTI limo. PIP. Kill 800 HoD ..,,,rIe
Mr. Rossetti's reticence sets whoieso,h0 -
IN the modern English school OF winch "o ei 10 soots
times considered the master ihero az o"5 NH.
nj eouaI fame who have published so li''ie anu
,,shnd 40 rarely and few of any rank VINO nave ~
;ouonslv withheld their weaker verses Inc Pies-
-. .,o1r,na though somewhat imposing In siHe' Ior
n Is printed on thick paper in type 700 idse anu
too widely spaced for beauty, is soon read Se' II
4ains the elaborated, and probably the caiUI""S
selected product of many years.
ballads. q few short lyrical pieces, ana apouV
seventy sonnets besides the sonnets reprinted IRON
the volume published in 1870, make mp the sum OF
the poetry which Mr.. ROssett has now gwen 10 tne
world. But if his work has been labonouSiy poi
ished it must not be supposed that any OF Its native
yigor and earnestness has been smoothed away
The new book is superior to the old in. strength
puritv and concentration of thought, in auence OF
;maoination and in warmth of feeling. IL is IN TINS
last quality rs well as in the entirely discreet ana
poetical use of the romantic, that hosseIt' S'""'
farthest removed from the horde OF ms discipieS INC
Ruptbornes. Grosyenors and POstlethwaltes, who
have been disfiguring English literature with
rrotesaue antics and hdeous Alterations
The npest fruit of this collection is the sonnet
seouence - TO which the author gives the title OF
"The House of Life" Nearly half of it was pub
which were also included in the original plan. AS
the work is now offered TO us, complete and SYM
metrical il comprises sonnets alone. These are lOl
in number and they fall into two divisions outh
and Change" which deals wholly with love- ana
"Cbange and Fate touching upon various human
passions aspirations mysteries and sorrows nSplte
OF the frequent obscurity of the thought even the
careless reader will be struck by the elevation OF
tome the beauty of sentiment, the poetic glow and
musical cadence which distinguish TINS important
,gork--a work upon which we may presume that tne
anthor is content to rest his fame The pubhc,
which is rarely willing to make poetry an oDJect OF
study will be more attracted by the pallaHs' ne
descriptive word ballad Is applied to the three
poems at the head of the volume by pardonabe
license. Each it is true, tells moving tale in the
direct dramatic manner, but i'll imagery and sug-
ccstveness they all overpass the ballad style, and
the first and chief of the three, Rose Mary" Is
also elaborate in construction In " Rose Mary, IL
seems TO us the genius of Rossetti shines with us
brightest light The splendor of his Imagination
the romantic cast of his mind. his power IN dealing
with the supernatural, the strength and variety Oh
his language the captvatngiflow of his rhythns'
all combine to make this oIe of the remarkable
poems of our day. Nobody bat RosSett could have
written it, and Rossetti at his best. The Nhte
Shin is the story of the loss of the vessel In winch
the son and daughter of Henry l. sailed from France
for England and it is told by the sole survivor OF
that historic disaster Berold tic butcher of Rouen
"The Kings Tragedy " has for its subject the mnr-
der of James of Scots and the narrator is Cathar-
inc Douglas who barred the door with her arm
AGAINST the assassins and won by her heroic yet
unavailing sacrifice the sOubnquet OF Barlass Both
ballads are full of majestic movement, and the
second is sufused besides with an exquisite pathoS
info