New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-26
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
HOWELLSS POEMS.


po-,,,s Nv WILLIAM D. HowELIs 16mo. pp. 223
This exquisite little volume, i'll its lux nrouS ureSs
Mill Ina welcomed as a charming memorial Jha'
NAV seem strange word TO apply to the BOOK Oh an
author IN tue full flush of his fame and activity ou'
it is not amlss applied to Mr. HowellS verse,
He babe farewell to his several years ago anu
las since given himself with such absorbing ue'o-
ton and ca brilliant success 10 prose l'c''' io
that the general public whose memory Is snort n''
almost forgotten that he was poet Doloio n0
fonnd hisrirht work however, hoearned recognition
by yrics and other pieces OF genuine q"'ii'y
which marked him for distinction as a singer had
NO o,osor IN persevere in that branch of art That
no has the feeling OF a poet, reader OF his prose
needs TO be told: and once and again be returns 10
his early pursuit with voice as true as ever anu
manner more than ever assured and polished.
Mr. Howells seems to have been strongly attracted
bv the English heXameter, and the most slrIhlns
mems in his volume are experiments IN TINS ulInC"l
metre lie has not quite caught the grave ear
haunting melody of Evangehne "; DIS Fly tiiui
beats with too mOnotOnOus an accent; puV ~ mao
proved the adaptabilty OF the verse TO variety VI
nnrrosos-+o ouick narrative and concentrated feel
ING as in the fine dramatic " Pilots Story "hlch
loads the collection to lighter episodes OF sent-
,o,.al adventure as in "NO Love Lost which Is
entirely in the spirit of his recent stories and
,ovels. ard 10 picturesque sketches OF He ana
manners like "PordenOne' where vivid reproduc-
tion of a splendid past compensateS 1or the lack Vi
high poetic impulse In his miscellaneous Po0cs
Mr.. Howells ranges himself with multitude VI
American singers of Our own generation, Who dler-
ing preatly in an individual power, show, neVer'De
less substantial uniformity of tendency and taste
Tbey are landscape poets and they are the poets Oh
transient moods. Mr.. Howells draws some eAqu's
tie pctures of natural scenery he Is one Oh thc lo"
who have perceived and expressed III poetry some
elusve differences of tone between The meadows ana
,ivors of our midland valley district and tie
scenery OF the East. In many of his narrative and
adjective pieces the landscape background IS
HIGHLY important part of the composition. Some
times the accessory takes an undue prominence :;
md there are cases in which the poet seems TO nave
limited his purpose TO bit of Out-of-door descrp-
tiop dainty and well finished, but not especially
suggestive. THIS is second-rate art into whlch
the landscape school especially prone TO fall.
Asan example of the poetry OF moods We may TAKE
the second piece in the volume, to which, rom It's
no.ition we NAV assume that the author attaches
considerable Importance. Under tine 1OrDiuulhs
title - Forlorn." Mr. Howells presents remarkable
end, Of desolation-a sense of loss which is never
deadened. sorrow upon which there Tails no ray
Of hone The exercise is prolonged through twenty
civ stanzas and it is certainly an acute piece OF
ANALYSIS: but should not high poetry be something
more than that The anatomy OF a morbid state o.
mind having no spiritual signihoance' nor lhoeo"
any necessary connection at all with the SOUL 10
theme hardly worthy of Mr.. HOwellss powers
The next poem Pleasure-Pain,' Is open TO the
same objections. Regret indeed is SO often the
burden of these songs that We should take MI
Uowells for an unhappy man il we did not kno"
better Perhaps they are the songs OF his hISt
vouth. 1t is always the very young poets who
mourn most deeply their lost youth and broken
illusions.
There are some vigorous narrative poems hut we
are inclined to think that after all Mr.. Ho"cls is
most at his ease in the charming sero-comlc
pastoral Of Bopeep," and the series OF young
womens letters entitled No Love Lost" IN pnr-
pose they are not ambitious, but they have mature
and individual flavor which lovers OF the authors
prose will quickly recognize.