New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-02
BITS OF CRITICISM.

POETS AND MODERN PEsSIMIsM.-Poets natur-
ally dwell with more passion than any other eiass OF
men on the disappointed desires OF human life, and
dwell on these disappointed desires all the
they have satisfied themselves that theirs are not selfish
desires but are ike the Utopan visions OF Shelley pas
sionate aspirations for the renovation or that suffering
humanity, which, In its present condition. Is, when you
get 10 the dregs OF It, "a hidrous as is miserable We
do doubt ut all that modern pessnism does really
great deal OF its ardor to the poets especially 10
GUS, because the same CHARACTERISTIC which maKes
them dwell constantly the gratihed or suffering
senses of men, blinds them that aspect of life ia which
lie that disappointment becomes tho condition OF
tue truest vision, aud that suffering IS transmitted into
the rarest power. For this is tile point Of view which
modern poets-and especially poets whose Imagination
seize 1t was because Wordsworth seized 1t, that the
great social catastrophe winch drove my poets INTO
ary power No poet of mere felt Words
elt, the true Significance OF desre-the world Of
power that is secured 10 men by tue control and defiance
and defeat of desire the higher uses and secrets VI
cravings that are never satisrei.-irhs Spectator
THE STYLE OF Dickens AND OF GOLDSMITH.
We cannot imagine two styles more opposite DcAeAs,
restless he Is Irenohant Is always AL luh stretca
and never, when ne describing restluI scene,
gives us the atmosphere or attitude Of rest Again even
when TIC is most powerful Ia description he is never
poeca-neyer gives the liquid light OF true poetry.
Goldsmith the very antthcsis or HIN IN both respects:
he resting as Dickens is iatsuhg as poetca III ms
wonderful iuyls rs Dickens is exciting and inelo-
dramatic There is not passage IN all Dckenss worAs
that man familiar wleh GOLDSMITH coald lstaAS ioi
Godsmitn's, not touch OF pahos that In me i5is re-
semDes the pathos OF Goldsmith Ia an uhusuapy rest
less period his life, Dickens described hInseii as
free-and-easy sort oil supetlOr NagaDou N
too. had OF the YabuOOnu ways aDvuN uiia, anu
knew what va gabondage meant. But what ulHefchs
capacities for vagaDouuage theirs were Goldsmith was
the going freshman OF genius rei adapting MN
self 10 every tang met while Dickens was no
sharply restraining London sahilh, au"p'"'s o'e' S
he met to himseII.-lIhe Spectator
PorrIC SoRRows-if the poet has not
"liyea largely" man of acton or passion ho mus
have lived largely as u ulan oI meditation Anu 10 tus
kind of qualification it is quite futile Tor any Wet 70
pretend VINO 1t not lie Dctrays himself III mo
iu.nt The words love" and DEATH Tor Instances.
about which Opo rhyme ghDy, aro rea ulhelons
words when used by the lncNpenehccd Nershst iivn
what they are used by men anu women VINO haSe
really fell and really suffered from the IaNsses y.
death IL is tho same with the word "sorro" MOST %
the soealled SORROWS ana DISASTERS VI the NE poetic
are lust the sorrows ami disasters OI oVno1
Afe-f.noliul and foolish Woes born OF tnaI curVus
erenoe opinion which has been az once sho 10
AGENT III mans deyelOp anu the mann soaoo "a '
folles and his criines.-Irhe Atheneum.
SSoBgIsuNEss IN AMERICA.-It is too hastily
consisreI tnaI snoODlshness L. the parasite on o az
society IL would DO more historically nA
phicay correct to say that II s essehsly uoiv
cratic certain yicinagc and sonHhs1 u
arisIocraoy 10 bring IL The great difference OF
Wealth, VI race, iie Like which eASt IA sae1'