New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS..


.r;orrorbv written in the right spirit is one that
6. written 10 show its subject and not Ills at'noi
T., ,his snrjt Mr.. Underwood has written the L'o
81 Iorgfeloyy. The book is charming, from Tue
frs, word 10 the last. There is not an error Oh '"s
IN II. and 1t does not leave untouched S'ie"'
noint in Longfclow's career. The reticcnt Neu n''
barren simplicity OF its style is matched ny ''0
candor aud gentleness of its mood A'o""'
knowledge of every topic that is naheu SUI
itself with steady aud satisfying force, 'hrouS"oU.
the narrative and the vein of criticism 'h" iu-''
thro,ch it--o criticism that seeks to appreciate
with intelligence, and 10 state cohc'"''p,'
cleorucss and attractive grace-is marked ny o1"i
.r. sorse and a manly intellectual grasp 'h''
.iinle,s ~ III resnect. Ii is an excellent ana ADM"
oll, bool, aud there snot lover Of Long'eu"" ~
he hords IL may come who VIII not Weicoho
and prize IT. 49,. ,,,o ,ir.,n,.
H. I-rdcrwood states in his Preface. TIE crcun-
s+ances uuder which the book was written lie n"u
nrepared sketch Of James Russell Lowell anu ''"
't,;t.d tho nroof-shcets OF THIS work 10 the SUI
,,or,,s;o, of Louqfellow as the intimate personal
4rio,o NJ tbat other eminent author. LongiclloW
Ile3 t,c sketch. and said So and with the simple
frankuess Of Priscilla in his Puritan romance i''"-
mated that he would be pleased to nave one Nit'c"
nj himself IN "A similar spirit" ms was mort una"
a wear ago Encouraged by his APPROPRIATION,
aais tte b,oyrapher q began collecting materials
a,1 ,,aI-inc such studies as could of his separate
y,orl,s Only fortnight before his death
s,c,,t an evening in his library, and submitted TO
him M, notes and data. | intended to 90 again
,,,in n few DAYS but soon learned that ne was Sc
,io,slv III His death followed. Having spent
nearlv all NV spare time for year in PREPARATION
:, onncared propcr to complete the work aS soon as
u could he done Uuder these circumstances 'heie
has been less time to give completeness ana hhisn
than could have desired resided III Gam
bridce from 1894 to 1859 and enjoyed the friend
shin aud often the invaluable converse OF Longle'-
low and Lowell and, as was the protector oil me
4faptic Moathy, and had been the means OF gather-
ing the eminent literary men who mace i' le-
nowuod | came 10 nave personal kno"I-
edge of The great writers o. our time. ana nave
felt that il was something very like du'y lor me
10 put on paper. before age should overtake me- my
early impressions o! that renrAapIe group VI mon
now sadly broken"
Mr. Underwood's Preface is dated az Boston, April
o. 1850. The poet died on March p. AZ thor
ouob niece of literary work. produced within very
lif neriod this memoir especially impreSscs by It's
sustained energy and nervous power The conden-
sation is remarkable. Mr.. Underwood iniimates
the intention to write companion sketches OF Elmer
son. Whittier and Holmes His sketch of Lowell
has already been published, and it was received
with cordial favor
This Life of Longicllow is both chronicle and
anaIysis 1t rapidly recites the facts OF ms career,
and. with a light touch and admirable intuition,
traces the development of his character and genius.
The two strands Of narrative and Interpretation are
twisted with deft and adrOt skill, so that the bog-
.aphy is easy to read and possessing no element OF
todionsness. leaves no sense OF fatigue. The noble
and gentle preseuce of Longfellow Is kept steadily
before us and when we lay aside the book II Is IN
a reveric of pleasant thoughts and feelIngS,-as IL
we had Just parted from the poet himself aiter an
hour Of kindly talk, in the beautiful nome that DIS
uresence has made sacred. Mr.. Underwood has pre-
sened brief critical Judgment of each of the chief
works of Longfellow, viewing them as the success
s;vc denotements of the divinely gifted" and
constantly expanding nature that produced them
I'm. he has done this without obtruding himself or
etandinc between his picture and the light. There
are few biographers of whom as much can be SAID.
The volume contains thirty-nine chapters, or sec
tons and a copous Appendix, of Six parts, closing
with a photography of Longfelow, and 1t Is en-
bellisbed with twelve illustrations inclusive of the
borse IN which he was born and that in which he
lived and died future biography, authorized by
the Longfellow family, will, OF course, present the
illustrious subject with more ample mlnuteness'
embodyng his correspondence, and giving, as a
hockornnnd the picture of his times. Meanwhile
tbe thoughtful reader of Mr. UnderwoOd's sketch
will possess the essential facts that illustrate the
lovely and gracious life OF the hrst ana greatest o
American poets.
The narrative is opened with sketch, at once
accurate and concise of the state of literature i'll
America at the time when Longfellow began 10
write. This instructive passage is not only excel
lent for what it contains but for its indication of
the writer's familiarity with his subject. He wastes
no words; he writes ont Of a full mind; and he
gives the last results of his learning and thought,
without tedious processes of argument or the lum-
Der OF illustration. The sketch Is as follows:
LITERATURE SIXTY YEARS AGO.
Iongfellow's first poems We're written almost
SIXTY years ago, Robert SOuthey was then the Eng
fish Laureate, who as poet is now wholly neg,
lected and almost forgotten. Keats, Shelley, ana
Rvron had only recently passed away; Scott.
Wordsworth Moore, COleridge Campbell. Hood,
Iandor and Leigh Hunt were still living; Jenny
son and Browning were soon to appear; and these,
9Th Their Immediate predecessors were to make the
nineteenth century hardly less ilustrous than the
EhZabethan age
ouence such as prevailed IN the eighteenth century,
however compact. witty. and musical, IS not neceS-
sarily poetry. Pope might still be called poet, but
his terminating influence had ceased lie formal
heroes were obsolete except that. like other depart
ing fashions they fingered IN provincial districts.
Poetry in England was occupied Win noble theines
and had become once more thought ethereallZed.
he attention of the British is rarely turned upon
their colonies except as fields for trade, and as
naCes for Lettering the fortunes Of younger sons.
Their calm concert of superior ty has long been re
marked AID one may be sure that the writers of
Tie United States i'll no danger OF being spoiled
by English fattery.
FifIV years ago the British had heard of DR..
Franklin they had read the Declaration OF indie
pendence at least their statesmen hadl; Washington
irving with his Sketch Book had made pleasant
Iipoe in London society; theologians had heard of
J6ratban Edwards and that was about all. Some
low Isons curious in the literary annals of an Oh
scure people NAV have read the "Thanatopsis IN
Ih1 North american Rerier but the notion of the
exIseuce Of American literature, especially of Amerl
can poetry would have caused derisiye roar from
Abrrdeen TO Portsmouth. And the literature of the
Iri,ed STATES fifty wears ago il must be confessed