Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-03-20
NOTEWORTHY POETRY.

THE CONFESSIONS OF HrRMEs--and other Poems, |
by Paul Hernes, Philadelphia David Mckay, |
1t has been said that II n collection of the |
pretty verses that go floating through the
newspapers without an apparent owner were
made, 1t would form library at once unique
and as interesting as the works of the STAN
dard poets. The truth of the matter is that
there are very few poets who have written
many good things for the reason that the di-
vine fire can only rarely reach its point Of
most intense heat Tennyson has written
some very beautiful and some very wrctched
poems. His pretty verses cast a reflected
light on those that are bad, making them en-
durable The bright minds that are engaged
in the analysis of the poets productions bring
out beauties that are sometimes surprises to
the authors themselves. The anonymous
poem has no such adventitious aid TO pros
perity. II stands upon its own merits, and
must run the gauntlet of much harsh critI-
cism before 1t may obtain "A resting place in
any poetical collection IL Is a wild flower
that If good, lends its odor unconsciously To
the careless breeze.
"The Confessions Of IIermes," now Great
ating some stir in literary circles, does not ap-
pear to claim any particular ownership Paul
Hermes is very probably David Mckay,
but whoever ha is, he has launched some
pretty good poetry on an age that has beer
bears on il marks of its machine make.
The longest and most ambitious poem of
the collection IL " Hermes" in which the
spiritual development Of modern man is
recorded in his various stages with the final
result
40, to return to chiidhood's simple faith !
-Twere better worship superstition's God
Than trust In none w
The description of Youth is quite Shake
spearean.
| He knows the calls OF whip poor. W III and quail
| He wadesa sacross the tail, wet meadow grass
| Toreach the brook where tiger-lilies burn;
He coveteth the orioles gray nest
| That like cobwcb ON the dropping branch
| of elm or willow bobs beyond his reach;
strange names he gives to animal and bird
| His scheme of Natures not disclosed I'm books,
quilt of truths, half;tru,hs; absgrditics--
| guess audacious going bail for fact.
What can be more quantity beautiful than
the following pastoral gem, entitled enid
summer:
| o to lie in the ripening grass
That gracefully bends 10 the winds that pass.
| And TO look aloft the oak leaves through
| INTO the sky so deep, 50 blue
o to feel as utterly free
| As the rice bird singing above on the tree,
| Or the locusts piping their drowsy whirr,
or the down that sails from the thstlo.burr!
| o to foat like the cloudy drifts
| Changing hue AS the sunlight shifts,
| Or Fastening gaiy into the West
| To follow the blushing sun to rest
| n t,r,ho ,oo,o, -, ,,,,,,,,.,,, ,,,,,,.,,,
TO drain the JOY OF the present hour,
. to work and glow in the sun!
oU e'oSp "neh 'n1 u's i' uo"o
'"o ioiio"ihS hoioiS NcrscS on anne
have warlike rush in them, betokeniul
| tboir ,utbor nc M ,,,,,our 4, martial ,.o.,o
49, ~ % -" ~ Ai i''"' val '''''
" Better than aught Il fame he said
"'Tis better than wealth or wine
| To see the pOpUIaCc sway its head,
| And to hear its shouts combine :"
|