New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS
RECENT POETRY.

RECENT POETRY
.ovcs or THE SILENT WORLD. AND OTHER
p0rNs II, EIIzABETu STUART PHElfs' bos'on'
Houghon Mihiin q Co
POEMS. py MARY HUNT McCALED. G. T. fu'hams
Sons.
r,,r ,orr,c,r. WORKS OF LUCY LARCOM. House
mold Edition Bostol: iIoughton, iiihln Co.
. npr.M OF TIE ADIRONDACKs. AND OTHER
POEMS BY HELM IiINsDMr RICH. IT, T. putnam
= Sons
PICTURES IN song. by CLINTON scoLLARp' u T.
Patnam's Sons.
soSGs IN ALL SEASONS. BY JAMES b. KENYON
Boston: Cupples Upham n CO.
SONGS AND LYRICS BY GEORGE AMBROSE DEN
NisoN. q. p. Putnam's sons
A BRoKES SILENCE. Some stray Songs BY SAMUEL
X CONAN London: Marcus Ward Co.
RHYMES OF A BARRIsrER. Boston; Little, Brown
RUSTIC RHYMES AND BALLADS By MRS. T. J.
CoRBGIT. Howard Chalien
POEMS BY sroKELy 5. FISHER, v j. NJ. Columbus
ohio: g. L. Manchester
MARIANNE. QUEEN OF TIE JEWS. AND OIHEk
iOEMs. by Mrs SARAH BrniiNGAMk hANhiN' nce
LATHAM Cincinnati: Robert Clark ~ CO.
LIE MARQUIS DE LEUvILLE Poems and Aella IL
lustiacd American News Company
LAYS FROM OVER THE SEA. by WILLIAM H. BAD
COCK London W. stewart Co.
FAITH. TIE PERIODS. AND OTHER POEMS, by
joins MCDOWELL LEA,Ir Arson d. f. "anuo'f"
pLASraTIoN LAYS AND OTHER POEMS: BY
BriTpN O'NrAIL TOWNSEND. Columbia s. {. :;
CHARLES 4. CalvO.
rrpuRAsIA AND ALBERTA Poetic Romances. BY
JouS Ar THOMAS JoNEs Philadelphia; D. b. lap
plncott Co.
THE MoRNlNo BREATH OF JUNE Published by
A. NEWMAN LOCKWOOD
THE WAGNER or THE AL1EGItANIEs.
BucmASAS READ. Illustrated Phiadelphih' D. d.
Lprincott Co
FIsTIvAI poEMs A Collection for Christmas, the
New Year and Easter. BOSTON Roberts Brothers
ar
nhs2 S r 2E tvs pbra asA Il WIZ vtSAplF i6o
~. i32 Robert Clarke N co
The POEMS Of Elizabeth stuart Phelps here given
are AZ the title indicates. set In somewhat sau
hoy, The "Sones of the Silent World are aug
uastions, queries, tentative Efforts NJ calculating
Che great problem Of tho aiietliie nuch IN inet he
espeeted from tho author Of The Gates Alah" or
these hall myslie yefses Aome ATE Vet, tender ana
suggestive "fhe First Christmas Apart Ia eAhe
,ialy sn OF tho lyric pieces "t0neeaei laibof ana
.Gaiaea deserve praise, There are In Iced many
verses in this volume which only jusi iall snort OF
excellence. Poetic feeling Ii here, and mastery OF
the mechanism of rhyme, and an car for melody !
aud considering what the mass OF minor poetry Is
NOWADAYS we ought to be thankful for so much
perhaps But after ALL when the best Is said ior IL
that conscientious criticism will permit it is only
minor poetry.
Mrs McCaeb has true poetic tendencies. She has
dominant feelings. mostly domestic and maternal
which attest the knship of all human flesh. and
Tho artess passion that breathes through those OF
her poems which relate to the death of children will
find an echo in many hearts. 1t is mere that her
strength lies When she attempts more ambitious
subjects, and such do not stir her own emotions
she becomes fiat and thin. In The Little BOY
Lost" on the other hand there is a knowledge OF
the subter maternal SORROWS so sweetly expressed
e.. thorc ho nipya he
is not dead. but
The children living In their grave
Asleep be ond the ripping sea
The treasures that gave to God
Seem nearer to me now than lie.
The busy. rushing, careless world
Another its ranks has won
man to meet life as man.
But have lost my little son.
Altogether this volume is good enough to have
reason for existence.
The poems of Lucy Larcom form large volume
in tolerably close type There Is great number oil
them and they are not very good. This versifer re-
minds us occasionally of Wordsworth: but OF
Wordsworth in his Peter Bell mood. She is fond of
taking trivial subjects AID treating them trvially.
Sometimes she varies the experience by taking large
subjects but the treatment is generally of the same
kind Much of the verse is didactc, of the old
fashioned sort a story with a solemn moral OF
most obvious character. Some OF the shorter
poe,ns however, are not wanting in force and the
majority are smooth and clear enough. No doubt
Lucy larcom has many readers.
Helen Hinslale Rich is described in the introduce
ton TO her little volume one who Is scli-t&ught,
the daughter of pioneer. a woman whose maturity
has been devoted to liberal reform, and who has
worked in the lecture-ield and at the desk, besides
raising a family and looking after Il farm. Under
the circumstances not much would be expected from
so busy worker. yet she has produced some poems
which possess genuine merit, and when she deals
with lar own experiences writes ont OF her own
heart that is to sly-she has the divine aNlatus un-
mistakably Tamished," "Chri,tmas Eve and
several other lyrical pieces are full Of tenderness
md a ecntle pathos which is far removed from pain.
These are all the expressions OF true woman's
heart AM Of one who has lived and loved, and who
knows and can sing pleasantly of the bitcrsweets
OF existence.
Clinton ecollard appears TO have chosen for the
exercise of his poetic faculty the very much over
done ac-1rtncnt of what mag he termed decorative
verse: the constrained and often fantastic forms of
The balladr. trolct ronlau and madri93l Most OF
his terseg I'm the pic,cnt toluinc, entitled Pictures
An corrr are Of this character HEY are usually
,ratkel hr ncatnasS of comp siton The rhythm is
fenefall, ttrc Inc mechanical exc rti0n is per
~ p.. lte r1t'p' unfortunately rs t01 ton
,,sait i.eiriA ar1 t.'i ~ itlllaurt. commonplace
igiDsi rs itr rI-i Hhitt hrs' ~ -tiN.e sreh
{ffss. fef4 tN3r-A a q. thr t8i't5rrlis ~ p rrt
NfFi .ai-i. b-t - o. ,rwe'iiNte ''r~ 'h'' 'l'F
tpiishH s.nn9lt.r.s W e '4 .4r'- t.ta.'-. o.
tIeate4 4u..lDp,, 80 ,ne ha d tuaN itH NNYfeNit
outlas.uua a.ieelsMa 80 tre Nnd "a tt.a a'uea.
who Iuoiau.s hs cuii.es upon tha i1us-sUnellus
world plth ali ihe .el, uhaieaey oi clorned
laureate Mr scotland white, verses which mr Iu-t
l.... Ia %