New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
IoIrN pOYLE O'REILLY.


ITO. Roberts Brothers. .,, -, .
We find genuine poetic characterin M " heinS
verses They are Of very unequal MERIT anu ,iioS
offer strange contrasts of temper some are gonioii
ssutimeut refined and even dainty IN expression
others are crude aud rugged; hers ana thefe' oouS
cnoneb the author seems 10 have beeh uhcohhciouSS
;na,,euced by Mr.. Joaquin Miller but the volume
ntains lit lie that is commonplace and little that Is
weak The topics that oftcnest inspire Mr. oReiLy
arr, the more spiritual aspects of amorous passion
md exceptional forms Of heroism. lie wohld h''
be n true Irshlnan 4 he were not devoted 10 io'e
and lighting. Many Of his COMPOSITIONS "SO az
deeply tingcd with the sombre tones char"o'oii'0
of the melancholy Milcsian muse VINO llouriS o'oi
ruiped greatness and is confronted Win tnc eNsi
preseut spectacle Of misery aEd oppression ms
- b,,rever. though they touch NJ times upon
patriotic themes. offer the strongest poSslOo oo"
tras, 70 the swinging and supcrhcaed lyrics OF the
ao,,,eut;onol Bard, of Erin The difference Is well
illustrated in the poem which gives its title to the
book. The Statues in the Block" -Four persons
stand before block Of marble in a scupters studio
and each sees in TIE uncut stone the image OF ar
frent sort of loyc which flls his heart lie love VI
country is the ougroas.ng passion OF one Oh ''ie
eokers into whose mouth the poet puts these ami
mated lines;
il love Of. woman still may tnIn TO nate
AS wine TO bitterness. as noon 10 llgnl.
lint swcefer far aud deeper than the love
or flesh for flesh. is tie strong bond Of hearts
For suffering MOtherland-to make her lIee, h;..or
Loves joy is short and Hates black TRIUMPH oi'er
And loves and hates are scliish-Saye for thee'
o chained aud wcepingat thy pillars loot
Thy white flesh eaten by aecuTsed Janus
NO'loyc bnt thine can satisfy the heart,
For love of thee holds IN il hate OF wrong,
And shapes the hope that in9ulds nnm mann yyel
NOT mine your passions, yet weigh thelh we'll
who loves greater sinks all lesser love,
who hates tyrant loses lesser nate
NV Land see thee in the marDle 9oWen
n. Al "A
Thy garments rent-thy wounded shoulder pare
Thy Chained hand raised 10 ward the cruel b pi9w-
And powcrless to shield thee-but boy
wound ii round thee, dearest and man i,;,o,
drew il close aud kissed thce-Mother, whe'
For tLee the past aud future days !; for thee
The viii TO tranple wrong and strike for slaves;
For thee the hope that ere niue arm oe WSSA
Aud ere my heart he dry may close the stile
IN which Inv cOlOfs shall be borne through MT
And ali thy l1iefs washed ont in manly blood
and shall see thee crowned and bound WIN low,
'rhy strong sons round thee guarding thee. y star
That liahtens desOlation, DER her beam,
Nor lot the shadow of the pillar SINK
Too deem within her till the dawn rs req -,
OF that white noon when men shall call her queen.
A passage still more Characteristic of the spnt
and quality of Mr. OReillys poetry is found at the
end Of the same piece The last speaker has found
in the marble the features Of his dead child:
So one day bowed in woe beside the grave
The weight grew deadly, and called aloud
That God should witness q my life III rum. .
And Gods word reached me through the little grave
Where i'm the grass my face was buried weeping
His peace came through II Ike pent up DIedtu
THAT rolled from some great world whose gates htd
AU9 Lie,v mon nv wild and hardened heart,
And swept my woe before II like leaf;
NV dried heart drank the meaning OF the peace
True love shall trust, and selfish love must die'
For trust is peace and self is til Oi pam
hTise and heal thy brothers grief; his tears
Shall wash thy love and it Will hive again.
little grave thOngAl twas i sCySo Had died.
/ ace nv darling in the marble now :,
Nv wasted leather kind eyes smiling iOhdiy'
And through her eyes sec the love Dey0hu,
The bidng light that moves not-ano know
That when God gives 20 us the clcaiest sight
He does not touch our eyes with Love- Dut SorTo"'
Tho Mutiny of the Chains is a terribly impress
sive piece of narrative and descriptive writing
which relates an Incident of an Australian penal
colony the convics including number OF political
prisoners;
Woe 10 the weak TO the mutineers!
The bolt OF their death is driven;
A mercy waits on all other tears,
Tut the chains are never forgiven.
Moe 10 the rebels their hands arc bare,
Their manacled bodies helpless there;
Their faces lit with n strange wild iightl 49,,
A. If tbey had fought and had won the fight!
No cry is uttered-upraiscd no band;
All stiled to muscle IS qulNcr
Ore line on the brink OF the elm they stanu'
Their shadows flung down on tc UveT.
The quarry wall is on either SIDE,
The blood-rcd flag high DER them
But the lurid light In their eyes dehcd
The gathering guards before them.
No marley is held when the Chains revolt:
Iriinly silent they stand secure
On the outward lip Of the embrasare
Waiting ierCe-cycd for the fatal bolt.
A voice from the guard, in monotone
voice that was cold ana hard a. stone -
Make ready! Fire"
O Christ the cry
From the manaclcd men /! not fear 10 die;
Or whine for mercy rcbclled they stood,
Well knowing tho price of revolt was blood;
Well knowing-but each one knew that nc
Would sell has blood for his liberty!
I,pwarned by a word uncaled. unshriven,
They dare by q look-and the doom IS gwen
Z 'They raise their lrOws in the Wild revolt, :,
: And Gods wrath flames III the herce Oeath-boI;
Gods wrath s--nay mans God never sm0te
A rebel dead whose swelling throat
Mas full with protest. Hear tneD smile;
Gods justice weighs not sdrleks thc llgnt'
MAKE ready Fire."
Tic horror and shame for the deed acenrst
O. cry of the weak, as the hot blood colis >,
Prom the burning wound, and the stricken fails
With his face in the dust and the strong one stands
With sc0rnful lips and cnsang,uned hands
O. blood of the weak, UnbOught, unprlce9
Thy smoke is piteOus prayer 10 christ
They stand on the brink of the clif-they bend
no the dead in their chains then rise, and send
10 the numbering muzzles defiant eyes
MAKE ready. Firelp
They arc still on the face Of the chh-they bend
Once more to the dcad-they whisper WORD
To the hearts in the dust-thei uhdeteII1u'
They raise their faces. so grimiy set,
Till the eyes of SLAYER and doomed have met.
q Iuercifnl God. let thy pity rain
Ere the hideous lightning leaps again A., ,;.;.
They have sinned-they have erred-let the hVlng
They have dared and rued-lct thy loving hand
re laid on those brOws that bravery face
Tie death that shall wash them OF All disgrace!
Re swift with pity--O, la,e. too ate!
The tubes are ievelled-thc marSsmen walt
For the word of dO0m-the spring u presstn
8y the nervous fnger-the sight Is straight
Nal readV ~