New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-20
SnTVBTRNE on KEA1S.

SULNBURNE on KEATS.
From his Aric,e in ne neo rohae Qf me Encyclopaedia
Britannica
In his first book there was htte ioretaste OF any
thing greatly genuinely good; but between the
mar7ny ann sandy Hats of sterile or fhtle verse
there were undoubtedly some few purple patches Oh
floral promise. The stgle was frequently de'e'I-
abie-a mature OF sham Sptn>crlan ana MOCK
WOIdswUfthlan. alternately hord and aria. hl7
second book. EndymlOn, rises IN IT'S DeSu pas
sages to The highest level OF BarnIeld and or Lodge
/ tine two previous poets with whom, udd ne pun
lsned nothing more. Ac might most properly itNe
been cias,cd and this among minor mu-tIels' Is
10 uuenvIajle place. His third book raised hm al
once 10 a iorcuOst rank IN the highest class OF Eng
hsh pccts Never was any one Ol them but shelley
50 litle Of marvellous boy aud so suddenly re-
Vealed as "A marvellous man. NeYtr uls any pocO
suffered 80 much from the chaotic Acknowledgements
OF his poems IN every collected EDITION. Inc
rav.e.r and raukest rubbish OF lis ftfu spring Is
! bound mp IN one shcat with his Ip'st ears huhR
into one basket with the richest iIuIs, 0i ms SUI
den and splendid summer. The "Ode 10 Nleul-
in.,tlc" one of the final masterpieces OF human
work IN all time and for all ages, Is Immediately
preceded III ali editions now current by some Oh tnc
most vulgar and tni,Ome doggerel ever T3lhpcitd
bv a Vapld and cicmlnate ThYHsscf III the slckly
STAGE of wheiphuud Shelley. up to twenty, had
written little or nOJhing that would nave done
credit to Il boy of ten ana OF Keats also 1t mag be
SAID that the merit of his work at twenty-five was
hardly bV comparison more wonderful thln It's
delerlt AT twenty-five. His first book Tell a. nat
as il deserved 10 fall; the reception OF ms seconi'
though less COnSlGerate than on the Whoic IL ue-
/ scr, ed WIS nDt more cOntemptuOuS than tHatJ OF
UNNECESSARILY better hooks published about the
same time ny COlcridge, Landor ana shelley.
critic exceptional caTelulues, anu caudor might
have noted III the first book 80 singular ai example
I of a stOrk among the cranes as the famous ana
noble sonnet on Chapmans Homer a Just Judge
wonld have Indicated a partial advocate might
have exaggerated, the Yalie Oh such gOlden SIIlu
amid parIsh harN est of tares a. the hymn u ran
! and the translation INTO verse OF lllih
bacchanal which glorfy the weedy wilderness Ol
Endymon.' But the hardes: tnng SAID o. that
poem By Inc QndrtrB reviewer was unconscl0usly
hocd by the future author of AdOnals, that II
was all but absolutely III possible to read through;
and the Obscurcr Insll.nce OF the DldckUOOd$
Uf,d inc ~ Lander aiterw"rl very justly labelled
IT, is iucA plcaDle thUugh certainly not eNtuhtble
/ # ,y, glance back at such passage that where
Endymlon EXCHANGES fuieo.uc and uquOrlsh en-
dearments with the " kuONn unknown prom mt0m
his befnq sips Sarh dGriHg - ces.ncr such nau-
seous aud pllui phrases 20, hcre, ana certain pass
/ ages in ms correspondence. make IA understand
the source Of the most OnCnatvc lnputatOnS or III
/ Situations lcyced against ;he wnteIS manhood;
and, whlle admitting That h"i'htr ms ioN0SeI'oI2
nor the last pitcOus outcrles OF ms walilug ana
siIriekiug agony would ever haze been llade puplic
/ bv tucTc,lul or respectful editors. must also
admit that. If they ought never 10 nave oeen pup
! hslrd IL H. 40 less certain that they ought never
To have been written; that e lnanlm KIND OF man
or even u manly s.It OF boy IN ms lovrmaking or
IN his suffering VIII not howl ana SWIVEL after
such a iamcntable fashion. One thing hitherto
IneXplicablo IA very slight and rapid glance at his
B anIatory correspondence Will amply huihce 10 ca
plaln how II came to pass that tho woman so pas
siuuateiy beloved bl 80 great u poet should nave
Thought II tho hopeless attempt OF mistaken KIND
ness to revive the memory OF "A man for whom The
best thar could Ice wished was complete and com
| passionate oblivion. For the side OF the mans
nature presented 20 her inspection, this probably
vas AL that charity or reason could have desired.
But that there was inner side TO the man, even II
considered apart from the poet. his correspondence
with his friends ard their general evidence To his
character give more sufficient proof than perhaps
WE might have derived from the gcneta Impression
left Us bs lls works; though, Indeed, the pre-
face 20 End ynOu itseT, however illogical in It's
OBJ iOusiy implied suggestion that the poeu pub
shed undeniably unworthy OF publication.
gave proof or hint at least that after all ITS author
was something Of man. And the eighteenth OF
his letters Miss Browne stands out III bright aud
brave contrast til such rs seem Incompatible
with the traditions of his character OH lts uanllcr
side Bat II must he said that he lived long enough
TO give assurance of being n poet who was not
born to come short of the first rank. Not even
hint of such probability could have been gath
cred fro his inst or even from ms second appear
ance after the publication Of his third volume 1t
was no longer u matter OF possible DEBATE among
Judges of tolerabe competence that THIS lluprob-
ability had become certainty Two or three
phrases cancelled. two OF three lines erased would
have left us in Lamia' one of the most iaultlesS
as surely one OF the most glorious levels In the
crown OF English poetry. " Isabella" feeble ana
awkward i'm narrative to a degree almost incredD ole
in student of Dryden and pupil of Leigh Hunt,
Il Overchaiged with episodlcal tHccts oil spIendld
and pathetic expression beyond the reach OF either.
" The Eve OF ST. Agnes" aiming nj no doubtful
success succeeds eVaGiug all casual dIinculty IN
tho line of narrative; with no shadow OF preenee
to such interest rs may be derived iI0m stress OF
incident tpth of sentiment, 1t stands out among
Ill OilcT ldlliOus pOclns dS II cIlcCl anu uuoulVto-
able study III pure color and clear melOdy--a study
in which the figure of Madeline brings back upon
the minds eye, II only a. moonlight recalls sense
of sunshine, the nuptal uguGe OF MarOWcs Hero
and the slcep ping presence of Shakcspeares lmOgcn.
Beside tins poem should always be placed the less
famous bat not less precious Eve of st. Mark, "A
fragment unoXcelled for the simple perfection OF ITS
perfect simplicity, exquisite alike IN It's suggestion
aud accomplishment. TIE Triumph OF" Hyperion"
is a. nearly complete A. tine failure OF Endymlon y
yet Keats never gave such proof OF manly
devotion rational of duty To his art rs IN
his resolution to leave This great poem unfinished;
not may gather from his correspondence on
the subject. Tor the pIttnl reason assigned bN his
publ that of discuuIagemcnt ut the reception
given TO his former work, but on the solid and
reasonable ground that MiltonIc study had some
thing in IT. very scheme and nature too ARTIFICIAL
too siudiOuS Of foreign influence, 20 he carried on
and carried out az such length n was implied by
his original design. Fortified and purified - 10 had
been a fist revision, whcn much introductory
aeVorv and much tentative cHuSiCn OF nOnOTOus
and supcrluons verse had been vigorously clipped
tanned spirit enough 10 support or inform the
-iadOwy body al subject 20 littlr charged with
iaugi ole significance. Ihe faculty OF assimilation
rs distinguished from imitation, than which there
can Ice no suTor stronger sign OF strong and
original genius, not more rYIucnt ia the mBSt
AlItonlc Passages of the revised Hyperion than
In the more Shnhespearean passages of tho unre-
Vscd tragedy which no radical correction could
have lett other than radically incoIrlglbie. lt Is
no conventional cXaggetafiun. no hYpcrbOlical
phrase of ilitt'ly WITH more sound than sense in
IT, 20 say that IA this chaotic and puerle play OF
"OthO the Great" there are such verses AZ Shake
speare might not without pride have signed nj the
ago when he write and even at tho age when he
rewrute the tragedy of Romeo aud Juliet"
M fls INN leo In kr.lls nv