New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
HELEN OF TROY.

s"' Iono;s, Of the Homeric song The legend
10 oho0o may he viewed in several aspects, all
of them proper subjects for poetical treatment an"
Afr Tang has taken that one which suits inc o'"A
80 f his muse In his version of the story Helen
% not the guilty paramour whose crime is punlsneu
nv the gods. but she is the blind ana iinio00n'
instrument of fate, used by the relentless uiNii,
ties as the means for wreakmg tnen &c.
against the devoted city. The poet SEEKS " ,
ms with tender admiration OF her peau'y "nn
tleness. sympathy for her misfortuneS' 49,
sweet saint in heathendom'" un,o"'"o~ ESQ
shame and sin which an oyer-ruline power "N'o
$50 ,r;tI' bor life and Mr. LaDgs application Oh
the myth is plain enough from the las' S''iN" 80
book: o,n, er,>n.
In desolate Therapne; none the me l eSS ursecn.
Her tb fse sam nS% OF ali iSovnes
or Beauty ever stainless in the stress ,
nj warrinc lusts and fears land SUI. mViho'
still ready with immortal peace 10 oless = ,hr,ro
Them that with pure hearts worship ~ noi ''''"'
Tho ,oe,n opens with charming description Vi
The coming of Paris to the palace oil MeheiauS -
Jocedpmop. where the son of Priam, being royaiS
Toasted and welcomed, tells the story OF MS e' o
award of the apple, and the prize whch Api'o -i,
has promised hlm, the faireSt woman III 'no - -
Helen is with those who listen 70 ms '"io D"Y %
from loving him. she trembles at the nlen',on u
J'.o -,h tho dread of coming evil, and when
A. yoddcss appears TO her at night she oeats h0i
Nod unou the ground and means and prays' hno"
inc that the thing she feared is upon her' AZ '"'
she @..oodr,
rose and faced the goddess steadiiy'
TIL even the laughter-loving laIy h bar ave
Half shrank before the anger OF neI ~,
Aud Helen cried eith an exceeding exec, ding cry cry
"Why does Zeus live If We indeed must 10
No more than sullen spoils Oi destiny ,,
And slaves of adulteress ike tnce
prt tbo inexorable Queen of Love is touched by
-. ,,uo,-o~s nor reproaches Helen is to he
the toy of gods" an instrument wpere"i'n m'
al sbaI lac plagued or blessed only TINS gnu H
granted her, to be blind to the future anu
Of all the past and to bear in each new lor'un1 ."
inpocent forgetful mind She Is cast lhVo us
deem sleep, and when she wakes the pasO n,' ~
blotted ont her heart is ready torneW JOY suo go
forth 10 the garden. oOllvious OF husD""u "
child and home There is Deanthul pio'uio "
ber meeting with Paris there in the Iesh 'o' n''e
..,1 the Giqbt with him to the shore tha happy
VOYAGE and the Joyous coming 10 iiV! Lam
hoSt oualitles of Mr.. Langs art, his Keen
roI;sh for whatever is dainty and elegant
md refined the purity of his thought, the muSicai
oodonce of his verse are amply illustrated In inc
tIroo hacks of the poem through which Ems hrst
mort nc the story is prolonged. Though Ills halia-
tive of the siege and fall of Troy cannot DC siu ~
ripc verv loudly with the clash ana Jury "a o"'i',
II too embraces some VIVID scenes. III inc epi'ouo
Gnone the lack of real tragic power Is ou' i''i'oi
entlv supplied by the element OF pathoS' linus W.
ore conscious of q disappointment wheh the i"u'ou'
Of Gnone at the pyre of Corythus Is aoIup'i5
broken off by the coming of the ArglVe heeV anu
still more decidedly does the poet 1a snort Oh Ills
.narl, IN tbe scene where the wounded Paris IS
horne TO Enone on the mountain, ana taken
hack again without the exchange oil
,yord On the Other hand. the Staying
of Corvtbns nv Paris, IN Hclens bower, is treated
with great vigor and ingenuity. In the hour OF Urls
traoedv the cloud Is rolled back from Helene
,nomorv and she understands for the first time her
sorrow and shame;
Rut slowly Paris raised him from the earth, ~
And read her face, and knew that she knew all;
No more her eyes. In tenderness or n mi
Nay Love had fallen when his cild ora Ian fe, rcd
The stream Love cannot cross ran twlXt then rcui
No more WAS Helen his, Whate'er pSitII
Not though the goddess drove her 10 n's oeu'
The death of Paris is described in the following
tender lines: the wounded prince is returning from
the fruitless visit TO Enoue and Helen walks be-
side his liter:
Rut Paris spake n Helen "Long ago,
Dear we were glad who never more shall be
To .ethcr where the west winds FAINTER piO"
Round that Eiysian island OF tne sea- boo fra,
Nav kiss me once, II is weary While.
Ten weary years since thon hast smiled on me-
But Helen say gOodby. with thine OLD smhe!
And as the tying sunset through the rain
win flush with rosy glow mountain helght
Even SO at bis last SMILE a blush again
pas ID over Helen's face, so changed and whlte
And through her tears she smiled, his iast deHSnti
The last OF Pleasant life he knew. Tor gray
The vel OF darkness gather'd, ana the nlght
Closed Ger ms head, and Paris passd away.
ITpon the fall of the city Helen is cast again into
n deep slumber; the memory OF all her lie with
Paris is effaced she wakes in the hut OF Menelans,
vouna and beautiful az when she fell asleep III
Iacedamon and when her lord has been enlight'
ened by Aphrodite, the pair return together happy
and LOVING, into Greece. and dwell there in peace
and honor until they are both translated to Ely
sum.