New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
POETRY.

90 IISr GooDALE and DORA READ GooDAIb' AoAHO'
IN Vii oO4 g. p. Pntrams SONS
r,, p' >,,CRocosM. and other Poens. By ABRAHAM
COILS. MD. LIZ D. svc' Pr 94e' ~ App''''H
poENs Bv ROBERT X WEEKS. 12mo. Pr. kill So3'
henry holt Il co. ,o
rho clever Goodale children, who put forth some
time aCo two Volumes of verse, entltieu' hppio
blossoms and " In Berkshire with the WIN
TloveIs' are presented to us again IN coilec'ion
which includes the whole of their secono puoio"
ton and q large number of new, or at any Tate au
ditional pieces. Their previous ventures III ii.o'
lure attracted good deal OF notice. anu ule" rtou
srrions critics great deal Of cordial praise lheSe
1;,tIc Girls mad acouired marvellous facility and
accuracy in verse making. and command Oh 'he
.mp,e, forms of poetica expression very rarely AZ
+oirod hv children of their tender ycaIs-lt Woulu
lao rash 70 call it unprecedented they showed
charming fondncss for nature, and quick Percep-
tion OF the beauties of the fields and woods IL was
q rare pleasure to hear children singing SO simply
and 80 daintily about birds and fowers' buo 'noso
who are responsible for their training shouio oe-
ware of assuming that they are already enroheu III
the great choir of the poets. The precoclous uI'oi
ances of the age of innocence are quite uis'inC1
from the imprisoned OutpOurlngs Oh genius. ~
vopd have been better to let the celebrity OF the
Young pcople rest upon their earlier songs ana 10
remember not only that the surprise of the first
listening to the little veIse-makers is rudcly
checked when it appears that they ere making meI-
cbandise of their talent for lispng in numbers I'D
the main the contents of All Round the lear
must be described as nothing better than merchan-
disc AS the poems are not dated We cahhoC ''Ii
which are new productions and when arc gle"hihs'
from the infantile portfolios. There are SOHO
rather ordinary pieces of purely domestic interest
which probably belong to tile latter class mere
are other compositions referable apparently 10 Inc
callow period of adolescence, when the NINA IS
prone to dwell inOppOrtunely upon the problems OF
existence, and passion, and mute sorrow anu
we must say that there is something niue comic
in the earnestness with which these misses inform
us that g we struggle upward through the darkeh-
ing years." If the Goodale sisters hereafter make
for themselves place in literature. they will no
doubt wish the present volume could be destroyed
and forgotten and they will lament the lnJulclous
partiality which encouraged them to commit IL 10
TYPE As a whole. it shows no distinct progress
The bossc has lost its freshness, and we are not
s,re vet whether or sound fruit VIII 1olo"'
Pretty fancicS and neat phIaseoogy, both appa-
rently acquired in great measure by the haolt ol
reading poetry, however interesting they mas be IN
n child. have no permanent value of their own. 1t
is too to look for poetic thought ana orlginal
expression in the Goodae sisters. Until they have
vate their talents in private.
DR. Coles is an author of very different class
from the GoOdae girls, and vet like them he mas
made the mistake of publishing at least one book
too many. He made an exceptional reputation Dy
his wel-known TRANSACTIONS of the Dies lre and
the Stabat Mater" and mperiled ii soon after by
printing the didactic poem of "The Microcosm''
which occupies the place of honor i'll the present
volume. We fear that the other poems now col
Iected will make an end of his fame. They nave
the same favor of earncstEcsS, sincerity, and deep
religious feeling which honoIably distinguished his
previous work; they iIreproachable in senti-
ment: they have a certain metrical sOnorOusness
which sometimes answers we'll enough IN place OF
musical cadence; but, alas, they are destitute Of
the true poetic spirit which ought to give life to all
the rest. POus medtations inspired by the seasons
of the year, hymns, patriotic songs, paraphrases
Of a Psalm Of David and of the Lords Prayer,
newspaper Carriers Address" etc, etc. make mp
most of the miscellaneous table of contents. With
them, however, are thru versions of the Dies
Ire" which Dr. Coles proposes to the thirteen
others be has printed in volume by themselves.
o MIR. Weeks who died five years ago at the age
Of thirty-ye after printing two volumes of verses
and prepa ring another for the press gave forth in
MS lyrics no uncertain note. The best Judges were
quick in recognizing the poetic character of his
work the finish OF his StS le and that understandable
sympathetic quality in his songs which carries them
home to the heart of the listener. There arc no
new pieces in the collection now before u.s. 1t is
merely a rearrangement of the old ones, with the
authors latest revisons, and with various early
poems omitted which his ripper judgment decided to
exclude Although the first essays of Mr.. Weeks
promised more than lie was spared to perform, he
aived long enough TO secure place on the roll of
the poets and lovers of literature will be grateful
for this best memorial of his powers.