Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-25

/ the latest and most perfect productions Of
his genius. After the term Of his residence
| at Bowdoin College, short season was spent
| by the poet in the law Office OF his father, a
| distinguished member Of the bar in Portl and
and senator, the Hon. Stephen Longfellow
but he was speedily appointed to professor
| ship OF modern languages in his college, and
! Travelled several years in Europe TO prepare
himself more perfectly for its duties. His
travels included Spain and Germany; and
an essay on the MORAL and Devotional
Poetry OF Spain" was published on his return,
In which he inserted his TRANSLATION OF
Maurigne's Spanish poem on the death OF
his father. In 1888 these productions were
! published in a volume in Boston, along with
translations OF the sonnets Of Lopez de Vega
and other poets. The sketches of his foreign
travels published in the work called "Outre
Mer" were also the fruit of these wanderings.
In 1889 the poet transferred his residence
to the University OF Cambridge, near Boston,
where he had been chosen as the successor OF
Prof. TicknOr in the professorship OF
modern laugu ages and literature. second
visit to Europe, and considerable residence
abroad, followed upon this appointment.
That he might return more eminently fitted
for it, he visited Denmark, Sweden, Holland
and Switzerland. Hyperion" a romance,
was one OF the prose-poetical fruits OF this
period of foreign travel, a work combining
truths and realities of personal experience
and history with much imaginative and ro-
mantle illustration. 1t was not, however, till
1889 that any oil Longfellow's poetical pro-
auctions were given TO the public in volume
The Voices OF the Night"-published at
Cam bridge, and containing his early poems,
some translations from the Spanish, and
some of the very finest of all the productions
Of his genius, such as "The Psalm Of Life"
and especially the Excelsior" This Is GER
tainly one of the most beautiful poems IN
the English language. In 1912 Longtellew
published a little volume OF ballads and
other poems, and few pieces on slavery.
The Spanish Student" was published in
1913; the "Belfry of Bruges," in 1876;
"Evangeline," one OF the most beautiful OF
his poems. in 1917. The "Belfry OF Bruges
contained those very beautiful pieces en-
titled '.Sea-weed" and the Rain in Summer"
In 1850 appeared "The Seaside and the Fire
side" containing that beautiful poem 'Resig
nation" and that on "The Building of the
Ship" closing with an apostrophe of admira-
ton to the American Union, and of conf
dence in its perpetuity, singularly and sadly
unfulfilled and disappointed. The poems on
slavery in 1912 had contained a prediction
OF probable ruin, published under the title
OF "The Warning" closing with the following
stanza:
- There is poor blind Samson in this land,
Slow of his strength, and bound in bonds OF
Who may, in some grim revel, raise his hand,
And shake the pillars of this commonweal-
Till the vast temple of our liberties
A shapeless mass of wreck and rubbish
lies"
In 1851 Longfellow published the very
beautiful poem, illustrating so richly,
quantity, and with SO much tender feeling,
the middle ages in Europe, entitled "The
Golden Legend" The play has much OF the
sweetness and tenderness of sentiment and
character exhibited in "EvaDgeline," and the
highest lessons and impulses OF the legends
of the early aud later monastic ages are
drawn out in the characters and incidents.
The manners of the olden times are exquis-
iteIy sketched; saints, scholars, singers,
students, doctors, princes, peasants, monks,
priests, devils, jewellers; the cathedral street,
and town and country life; the plays of
sacred festivals and miracles; all the striking
elements and features of the ages of supersti-
ton passing into faith-are revealed and re-
lieved in exquisitely beautiful language,
verse, and imagery. Deep and earnest les
sons of piety and moral wisdom are set like
fountains yelling in a quiet meadow,
sprinkled with violets and daisies. In 1855
Longfellow's genius revealed itself in an en-
tireIy new and original production, entitled
"The Song of Hiawathl," founded on the
scenery, traditions, characteristics, manners
and life of the aboriginal Indian tribes of
America, viewed indeed in their most poeti-
cal light, but yet illustrated with exceeding
beauty of truth as well as fiction. The ruder
coarser, savage traits of character and life
are not drawn, or are TRANSPORTED with the
beauty of poetic language and ideal senti-
ment; and the poem is a singularly beautiful
combination of Italian idyls, aboriginal
Arabian Nights Entertainments, a Greek
Homeric Odyssey of Indian story, with a
human being of supernatural endowments,
but a human heart and feelings, and social
loving life; and the growth of an Indian love,
and the coOe of an Indian wooipg and
wedding, and years of happy domestic en-
joyments, with tragedies of life and death
int rmingled-al exquisitely blended in an
atmosphere of imag ination and OF feeling, so
pure so elevated, so lovely, with lights so
strangely rich and glowing, that it is as if an
aurora borealis of shining incidents and
creatures were passing before the vision.
The genius that indited the rhyme of the
Ancient Mariner" and the poem of Chris
label" might have been employed upon
these pages; but, with wonderful art aud
beauty, the natural and supernatural are so
mingled together, in such childlike simplicity
of narrative and with such sweet, beguiling
melody, that the reader is carried along as
in delightful dream of wonder, quite will
ling to believe the story true. In the hands
of an inf rior poetical artist, the measure OF
this poem must have been monotonous with
out rhyme; but the style is so artless, the
rythm SO true and perfect, the language so
pure and -chaste, the i'm ginative quality so
constant, the images OF natural and rural
scenery so lovely and attractive, and the
changes OF the poem in landscape, event,
and character so original, varied, and novel,
that the absence Of the music and melody of
rhyme only gives scope to other elements of
beauty, while music and melody are in every
line. The genius OF the poet Collins in the
Ode to Evening could hardly have thrown
into language more beautiful pictures or
with sweeter melody, or in higher style of
pure poetical imagination. Gentlsness AMI
tenderness of feeling, an uninterrupted sym
patty with all the cheerfulness and Joy of
nature, a familiar Interpretation Of its mean
ing, a quiet ease, truthfulness, and accuracy
in description, minuteness OF detail along
with the perpetual light OF imagination,
characterize the whole poem-a poem of
legends and traditions, Wild and Maynard,
with the odors of the forest upon them, and
the dew of meadows, and the smoke of wig
vans ascending, and the human heart inter
preted. Hiawatha's childhood, Hiawatha's
lasting, Hiawathas friends, Hiawatha's sail
ing, Hiawatha's wooing, the Son of the Even
ing Star, the Ghost, the Famine, are exqui-
sitely wrought portions OF a work which Ger
tainiy has no rival in the volumes OF modern
poetry; there being no other attempted poem
of the kind in existence. In 1858 Long fellow
published 'Ths Couriship of Miles Standish,"
a poem in hexameters, full of character and
beautiful description, accompanied with
number of shorter poems, entitled "Birds of
Passage" OF these, the "Prometheus;" The
Ladder of St. Augustine; )" "The Two Angels"
Daylight and Moonlight" and "The War
den of the Cirque Ports" are perhaps the
most strikipgly beautiful, and the best ex-
amples OF the characteristic qualities of