New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06
BITS or CRIT[CISM.

TIE DRAMA AS ART.-The fact is, 70
doubt that the dramatic form is as highly artlnIs!
FORM of art as il is possible to coneeivess artificial as
sculpture itself which separates outline aud curve anu
figure from all the other accessories o. the human oody
and ATTEMPTS to recall by single set OF characer>tcs
what most men are accustomed TO associate Wlth a.I
of quite other characteristics. Drama, In the same way,
attempt TO make character and a9ve emu renss
| 10 succeed in this.]tlhe Spectator.
GRAY.-Gray created a style in English
poetry ho was perhaps most cultured tngll nnGh
his generation; he interpreted lcelandic Iltei,ne
he heraded the romantic revival; he Iet Tue beauty %
Gothic architecture he revealed the wonders oi laAo
and crag in Cumberland and Nestm0reahd ne sus.
tanned classical learning IN ms ani,ersiy ne ade x Ho
many lives, that OF Gray may almost deserve 70 20
Sann ,IIant defeats which, compared with such
a. bia ook like victories After all contentious 10 tDo
non our minds that Gray failed work
nossbilies nature that but for some eneryans
Onst have ~arred him much farther than they cuiy
did-(EGward Dowden In Ihe Academy
Dickens AT HIS BEsT.-DIckens, as we think,
was quite at his best he was freely nyentDg la-
morOs variations aud carcatnres OF the eheos "hol
Ma ouck and laughing had seized variations and
caricatures which were not In the least dramatic, bat
rather imaginative extensions oil us woe anu quslns
experience Directly he tried To tie himself down 70 tell
ing story In dialogue, Ee became either poor 'eepe,
and conventional disagreeably excited anu neio-
dramatic 1t said that actor he was maryel0usy
earnest" which means, OF course, ldat ue tnF'M ~
whole mind into the attitude OF the moment Aud that
we can well believe Blu. then he so often threw us
whole ind into u thoroughly unreal and Affected Az
tude that this is no evidence At all OF craatlc ca acy
AZ an author When, instance, nc makes flOiohCo
DOmbey throughout whole conversation lhaiss on -
snnnIIy addressing the old mathematical ms ruinent
maker IA Walters Uncle the reader Is posiitey OuT
RACED nv the intoe. able sentnehtah OF uIs iueiv,
rnatic e1rnestness - and no doubt, II Dickens oouia
acted rs part, he would have lnsisle. on tuis
oooeeiG with supreme "earneslnoss i"e SpoS
tatOr
SwINBURNE's NEW PoEM.-fIom the metricai
-" NJ Jew there can be doubt thHt fristrad ot
yonesse II an important addition To our poclca h'i
- The iutroaction OF tIe Drtuenc tfipiet ~"
90 however Is bold. but not Always succcssiu.
,v, think The triplet cumulative ana cnmacterle IN
~ ratrica Effect and Dryden Always manASeu uiss
49, sbNuld br an answering cum ulitiN ana c"aEro
-, In he matter Mr. SwinOurno is not Always 80
oaretuI ma tuis adjustment; ne VIII even ihtouu'N
Vs,t oench,d by An alexandrne into the mast ora
rtencs when the ear impersuvey demands rssa. oon
syq4r,nrdnary Huenoy OF Mr. Swmournes nhos. DI'
$500 49, mr., ms The heroic cOuDlet become 50 nr.N,
N.Y. Sefore has II allowed itself such freedom IN s.e
of anapsestlc bars, and never peiote na
n ,hle to achieve completely the hueht oontihuy
y, uE y,rae That this lovely freedom ana tsfie3
y. achieved by skllful Vowelelsioh We nose
arlv say yeC e must be admitted by the most aruons
irya III MI swim burnes magical ELECTS tust ne, ".
oasion attempts vowelelision which 10 ho
Sevs by a scansion arbitrary and unhaeuia4-liAS
Aihenieuin~.