New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-12

.ho+ ,vo can follow Mr. Swnbune in his handling
nj its incidents and when we think we have fol-
lowed him correctly for page or two, VIC are sud
denly bewldered into doubt by his extraordinary
prestidigitation of persons and places and ELECTS
We see nothing distinctly in spite of the long de-
scriptions with which his poem abounds, aud II
we have more than a confused guess at what he Is
trying 10 say we are lucky indeed. If he has
meaning he is generally prevented from reaching
il bv the blooming nexactncss of his vocabulary
which resembles nothing much as the uxuriahco
of n tropical forest The same defect markeu tno
tentative career of Keats while he was "Il'i"S
EndymiOn," the sense of which often uePen"'
upon the good bad luck of the poet III iihuine to
necessary rhyme, hut Keats outgrew IL 30 rapiuiy
that in little more than year after the compile
ton OF Endymon he began Hyperion anu MS
perfect Odcs. Mr.. Swnburne wanuers as aiiiiicSS'S
in Tristram of Lyonesse' as II he had sciec'eu
"Fndvmion" as q model,--a model when he mas
fallen shert of IN that lie nowhere reproduccs that
exquisite sense of poetic luxury, and that tIenoIlne
sens,tiveness TO beauty. which Is vital in all that
Keats wrote. even in the bits of doggcrel which
Groom ont brokeny in his careless letters. what
ne probably had before HIM in writing lIlstram
of Ivonessc" or what he read before he sat down
TO write it, was q amia" the music oil whose
heroic lines as varied and strengthened by occa-
sional tripets and alexandrines, appears to have
impressed Him but not powerfully, for he remem-
bered il only az long intervals AMI then merely as
an effect which it might be well to try again, ana
in rapid succession. What Dryden and Keats IN
tended and accomplished by these departures from
the laws of tho heroic couplet he seems never TO
have perceived
We have read "Tristram of Lyonesse" with
more care than we shall probably bcstow upon
any future poem of Mr.. Swinburnes, and with a
desire to find something in 1t that We could praise
heartily. but we have found nothing. The subject
Is a tragc one in view OF the conflicting emotions
involved in it, and in the hands of great poet IL
might have been shaped into poem which we
could have read with interest moro than once
The relation between Trstram and the two
Iscults is full of dramatic possibilities which Mr.
Svinburne has missed, but of which Mr.. Arnold
had glimpse when he wrote his "lTlstram and
Iseult" That ne might have seized them once IS
not unlikely, VIC think for We recall his Chaste-
a1dn and the skill displayed there IN his portrait
of Mary Queen of Scots; and yet, on second
thoughts he might have failed as signally then as
now fer while he had historic warrant for every
touch in that portrait he had nothing but vague
medieval tradition to guide him in an attempt to
revive the faded features of these great sufferers
from love- doomed 10y the intensity OF their own
passions as surely as by supernatural influence. ke-
garled as an episode IN three lives, the legend OF
Tristram and the two lSeuts is only surpassed II
surpassed in tragic significance by the episode of
Paola and Francesca whose fatciul fall is told by
Dante in a few simple words which will never fail
to touch the heart of with plthos, nor to COM
mand the tears and praises of all time.
We have heSItated in regard to what we should
quote from this singular production, which docs
not offer much that is quOtlble. though it abounds
in single expressions of great force and suggested
n;ot Int that do Mr.. SWIM /
burnc no Injustice by the criticism which IRIS /
tram of Ivoncssc has drawn from we will copy /
his descfiptiOn of lscut OF ireland. which IS rs /
sood as ANYTHING that could find, and IS, |
moreover, fair example OF his manner Here 1t Is;
Past thought and speech her maiden motions were'
Aad a more golden sunrise was her nan.
The very veil OF her bright flesh was made
IS Of lGht woven and moOnbcam-colOre1 shade
More fine than m0onbeams white her eyelids shonc /
A. snow sun-sIicken that endures the sun.
And through their cuilcd ana coiOled ciodGS OF
Luminous lashe3 thick as dreams in sleep ,..,
Shone as the sea depth swallowing up the sky's
A. The waves sibtcr emerald is pierced through
With the utmost heaven, ineXtIicable blue,
And both are woven and molten IN one seight
OF amOTOus color and implicated light
Under III goluen guard and gaze of noon,
So gOwcd their awcss amOrOus plenllune
Azure and GOLD and ardent gray, made strange
with fiery ference and deep interchange
Incxplicabl of gorics multitorm
FoamlesS their bitter beauty grew acOid,
And now aiire with ardor of fine gold
Her fl pWcr-sOft lips were meek ana passionate,
For love upon them like shadow safe
Patient a foTeSeCn vision OF sweet things
dream with eyes fast shui and piumcess wings
That knew not what mans love or life should be,
Nor had il sight nor heart 10 hope or see
What thing should come, but chIldlike satisfied
Watched out its virgin vigil IN soft PRIDE
And unbiased expectation and The clad
Clear checks and throat ana tender tc npicS had
Such maiden heat as if a roses blood
Bat III the live heart Of lIly-bud
Ieavenward. and from slight foot to slender head
The whole fair body hower-like swaycd and shone
Moving. aud what her hight hand lrant upon
Grew blossom scented her warm arms began
10 round and ripen for delight OF man
That they should clasp and circle; her fresh hands,
Like regent lilies OF rciONlng lands
Whose yassaI irstlings, crown and star and plume,
Bow down TO the empire OF that soye[elgn bloom
4 silent hgnt as OF God content;
Save when, more swift and keen than love or
Some flash of blood light as the laugh of flame,
Broke 1t with Sudden Oeam and shining speech
As dream by dream shot through her eyes, ana each
OutshOne the last that hghtened and not one
Showed her such things rs should be born and
done"
The bnlliancy and spendor of this description is
unquestiOnabe but what does IT convey to the mind
IN reading and what does it leave there when one
has finished iti Ii contains, doubt, the compo-
nent parts of the fair Iseult Mr. Swinburn mag
ines her, but no tangible image of the fair lseut
herself whose separate charms each set forth
with such magnificent guencss If one wishes to
see how greater poet than Mr. SwInburnc
paint woman, he should turn to the picture of
Rose in :" The Gardeners Daughter of Tennyson,
and contrast that rounded and perfect figure with
this catalogue of items, and note there not merely
The figure of that vision of loveluess but the
ton which it created III the mind Of enamored spec
tatOr she stood holding up the stalk of the East
ern rose with the shadow of the flowers trembling
Oh her waist, a sight To make an old man young"
IL was III different fashion from that employed by