The sun., 1884-01-06
SOME NEW hooks.

FIRsT ARTiCLE-THE P0gT.

FIRsr AGTiCIE-THE PoET.
, Since Thnckcray's visit to this country no
Englshmnn Of letters. possessing such high
md manifold claims to honor at tho hands
OF cultivated md thoughtful Americans us
are incontcstably possessed 10y Mr.. Matthew
Arnold. has been seen In tho United States.
Among living English poets ,horc nrc several
who aro moro widely read among us than the
author Of Empeiocics on Etna." and OF
Sohrab and Rustum." just as there was Mt
loast one contemporary English novelist who
could count more American readers than Mr..
Thackeray. while among English essayists Of
this or the preceding generation. tho writings
Of Carlyle. Macnulay. and Ruskin. and oven
those of De Quincy. aro more generally known
than the Essays in Criticism" md the ro.
marknblc papers on " Culture and Anarchy"
" Literature and Dogma" and God and tho
Bible When NO bear in mind tho
level OF our normal culture II is to
be expected that Dickens would find
dozen readers whore Thackcray would
find one: that Tennyson and LonRfeilow
would delight many to whom Wordsworth
seems fiat. Browning unintelligibe. and Mat
thew Arpoid austerc; that tho rhapsodes OF
Carlyle and Ruskin. tho commonplace glitter
OF Mnchulay and even tho showy crudltion OF
DO Quincy would often dazze and impress.
and weighty uttcrance OF sounder. rircr. and
moro csoteric teaching would fail unnotced on
the ear. MIR. Matthew Arnold's reputation has.
indeed. this in common with Wordsworth's and
with Thackeray's. that. even Mt home. 1t wns
not quickly or lightly won that it was made. in
the first instance. by fellow artists and fellow
thinkers rather than by the reading commu-
nifty at large. To the cursory glance such
reputation may seem less imposing than
one in which the uproar OF popular ap-
plnuse stiles the still. small voice OF discrm-
mate approval. but it will not prove the less
durable because primarily built on tho deib-
crate homage OF the men best qualified to dis
ccrn literary merit. Observing the place OF
eminence to which, In his various functions OF
poet. thinker. and reformer. Mr.. Matthew Ar
mold has attained in his own land we recall
with satisfaction the fact that hero too he hal.
even from the outset OF his literary career.
some appreciativc readers. " fit audience
though few" and that the number OF them has
grown steadily. II not rapidly. until his in
nuence on men who are themselves looked to
for guidance and instruction has become
greater than that exercised by any other Eng
lishman now livina-greater. indeed. than that
exerted BY any Englishman, living or dead.
on the present generation since Cnrlyle's be-
gan to wnne.
1t Is not unusual for poets to suppose thom-
selves competent to discharge tho critical as
well as the creative function and although the
assumption sometimes leads to grotesque re-
Suits as in tho instances Of Victor Hugo and
Mr.. Swinburne. there are really more exam
pies OF a combination Of the requisite powers
than might at first sight bo imagined. Not to
go beyond recent times and to mention only
conspicuous illustrations, We observe that Dry
den was an admirable critic. that Coeridge
was n nhilocophpr that VOltnire Vns perha
more distinguished as an observer and teacher
than as a maker OF verse. that our own Eper-
son will be remembered Mt once as n poet and
as a student and seer: and that. finally. the
greatest figure Of the last hundred years.
Goethe. is almost equally majestic and llustri-
Gus on the rutiocinative and on the aesthetic
side. Now. it seems to us that. so far rs Eng
lish-speaking peoples are concerned no man
since Goethe has come so near rs Mr.. Matthew
Arnold has come in these latter years to filling
place something like that which Goethe occu-
pied in the estimation Of the whole enlightened
world. 1t is true that in England ITSELF Mr..
Arnold's authority is not unchallenged. Yet 1t
is certain that with reference to those
TOPICS upon which he dwels most heedfully.
the aims and processes OF literature consid-
cred as fine art the social functions OF litera-
ture. and tho relation Of literature to religion.
Mr. Arnolds opinions may be safely affirmed to
have more weight than those OF any other man
now living. or late years. indeed. attention
has been go strongly drawn to his examination
OF the social and moral reflections and prob
lens OF the age that the merit OF the creative
work done by him. both In epic and lyric verse.
has seemed at times to be eclipsed. 1t is the
range and quality OF Mr.. Arnold's achieve
ments in the field Of poetry OF which we would
at this time remind the reader. reserving for
another occasion a survey OF the subjects
discussed in his prose writings. and OF his
characteristic method OF treatment. We must
expect. however. to sometimes recognize the
critic in Mr.. Arnolds poetry. just as the poet is
often revealed to us in his prose.
AS a lyric poet Mr.. Arnold belongs to the
school OF Wordsworth. and he has absolutely
nothing in common with his cOntem porAry
singer the author OF Ata!anta in Calydon."
In Mr.. Swinburne's verse We nre charmed
rather by the melodiouI vehicle Of expression
than affected and absorbed by the burden Of
tho song: Mr. Arnold never suffers us to lose
sight OF tho thought or feeling which he wishes
to express, and for that reason he chooses u
medium OF singular transucency and SIM
picty. Even by Wordsworth the Ars cetare
WAS never carried further. We do not pause to
note tho beauty Of the workmanship. the pio-
torial power OF certain epithets. the music that
results from certain 60 locations; we often foel.
Indeed the prtshnce OF such qualities. but they
are always subordinate to the authors central
aim-namely the communication Of n noble
emotion. the transmission OF IL generous and
fecund idea. Lot MS look. for instance at these
stanzas. which we find among the earlier poems
OF their author They are called ReQuescat:" !"
Strcw on her roses. roses.
And never sprny Uf ytwt
In luict siir rcliOrrH,
An! would Thai did TOO.
Her mirth the world required;
klIr bsil.d II IN .mrs nf gire,
But her ll'art W ~ tired, tired,
And noa they let ler be.
ur iifr was turning turning
In innse- OF heat an'i sound.
But for p'ar her soul WAS yrATniDg,
And now l-ace lap- h,r round
Her cal,ini. auIplr spirit.
II fiutirr,d aud inlicd Of breath,
Tanlghi II d", inherit
The ynsty hail uf d, aih,