New-York tribune., 1888-03-25
MIR. LOWELDS NEW POEMS
THE VERSE OF THE POST MERIDIAN.

MIR. LOWELDS NEW POEMS
THE VERSE OF THE POST MERIDIAN
HEARTsEAsE AND RUE. BY JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL
l2mo. pp. 218. Hsughton, mniin Co.
Mr. Lowells new volume Of poems contains o
number Of pieces which have been published pre-
viously In periodicals., together with many hth-
erto inedited poems. II Is divided into four
parts: Friendship, Sentiment. Fancy, Humor
and Satire The lines, however are not at all
sharply drawn, and in not a few instances the
classification seems capricious The opening
poem, "Agassiz,' Is a noble threnody, instinct
with emotion, solemn, stately and musical, and
having many lines which haunt the memory.
Yet here, 6 so often elsewhere through the pres
ent volume, the poets years speak, as Tcnny-
sons years spoke but the other day, with an
unconscious, pathetic lament, not merely to be
counted as fault, but reminding the reader
sadly enough that the fire of the singer begins
to burn low. Here is an Illustration:
"Yea truly, as the sallowing years
Fall from us faster, like frost-loosened Ieayes
Pushed by the misty touch OF shortening days,
And that unwakened winter ncars
'Tfs the void chair our surest guest receives,
'Tis lips long cold that give the warmest kiss
We count our rosary by the beads we miss
To me, at least, 1t seemeth so,
An exile In the tAnC once 10un0 01Vlnc,
While my starved fire burns low,
And homeless winds at the loose easement whine
Shrin ditties Of the snow-roofed Apennine.'
Again and again, even in the more cheerful
poemR this note recurs, and reminds US that we
have no longer to do with the poet In whose
young veins the blood Of spring courscd so mer-
rily; whose vigorous vitality took toll so avishly
Of all existence whose sharp satire and lambent
humor SO enlivened and pointed all he wrote
To-day the old prodigality Of energy has passed; 4;
the ambition has declined and while the melody,
the mechanical perfection, the grace and light
ness Of touch are conspicuous as ever, 1t can
not be said that they compensate for the with
drawal of verve and power. The majority of
Mr.. Lowell's poems IN this volume indeed recall
the observations Of Henry Taylor upon the verse
of an earlier generation. 1t was characterized,
be said, "by q profusion Of imagery, by force
and beauty of language, and by versifcation
peculiarly easy and sdroit.' But he pro-
ceeded to ask, " from this undoubted indulgence
in tho mere uxuries OF poetry, has there not en-
sued want of adequate appreciation for its In
tellectual and immortal part?" In the case OF
Mr.. Lowell the analogy must not be pushed too
far Certainly 1t cannot be said that he lacks
appreciation for the intellectual and immortal
part Of poetry; but 1t may be thought perhaps
that In taking from his verse the fire and forcc
which distinguished 1t in his youth and ma
turity the incxorable years have not given 1t
compensating qualities
Mr. Lowell has earned the right to rest, and, II
be 30 chooses, to daily with the muse With by
no means numerous exceptions, his present vol
ume must be considered mainly record OF such
dallance. Besides the poem on Agassiz there is
but one serious effort namely, Endymion.'
The Letter to George William Curtis Is indeed
somewhat long, and so IS the STORY OF F1tz-
Adam" but the frst named is rhymins epis-
tie and the second q light and semi-humorous
though graceful narrative. OF the short poems,
which compose the greater part Of the new col
lection, perhaps two-thrds belong In the category
of vers de societe. A few, such as The Lesson
are gravely didsctic, and family recall Longfel
lows later style With the exceptions named,
and Q few others, there are no attempts to deal
with what may fairly be termed the great topics
Of life OF Love Mr. Lowell sings sweetly, ten
derly and delicately; but never with the passion
which can alone vivify such verse. His sldlfully
turned little poems never suggest emotion They
are the polished and technically perfect work Of
. finished artist but they are AZ cold os the nrst
state Of Pygmalion's mistress.
When Mr. Lowell Is in earnest his earnestness
is never doubtful. but here he is only so when
treating of loss and decay. What, for instance.
can be sincerer than the following:
Il see in vision the warm-lighted hall.
The living and the dead see again,
Anf ri. .qf that G s seem the dead sjey ali remain
I%mHra shansesss cS crsssrrss SrS Of he ns Sssn
In this sab abstraction S M it were light to deem
Tsey 'aS sr. sbe rca II things and the ghost
That Glide unhindered through the solid door,
Vainly for recognition seek from chair to chair,
And strive TO speak, and am but futile air,
Az truly most Of US are little more"
Surely that is almost sad enough to have been
taken from The City Of Dreadful Night; and
what profound melancholy and cynicism speak
from the last line" As truly most Of us are lit
tie more" Little more than futile air. that is
to say; truly @ somewhat pessimistic conclusion.
Yet here there can be no mistake about the seri-
ousness of the underlying thought. 1t Is wrung
from the poets breast by the pressure Of his dark
mood, and those who like the spirit Of 1t least
must acknowledge that 1t seems to embody
genuine feeling Again. In that touching and
beautiful little poem, Das Ewig- Weibliche." J"
there is more force and passion than In all the
pretty love-verses put together But the passion
which informs this poem Is grief, and lofty and
eleyating as the thought undoubtedly is 1t is
anything but cheerful. and hardly hopeful.
There Is happily abundant room for enjoyment
In the sldll and deftness Of Mr.. Loweu's art. In
composing brilliant, ielcitous verses about Celias
eycs or Hester's kisses he really runs Messrs
| Dobson and Locker very hard In satire, where
he WAS Of old % strong, he is less satisfactory
because himself less sapguine. The author OF
| the Bigow Papers and the Fable for Critics"
struck hard and deep. because he believed In the
possibility of reform. II Is that belief, common
to all the young, which insurcs che progress oi
the race The world is what men make it, and
they mould is desunies far moro by convic
. ton than By action. The new generation will,
tmprsvemenA and improvement appears Ths
old gener.tasn, having forgotten the victories o
its youth, and lost It's power Of rehabilitation