New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-08
RECENT POETR I.
COLLECTIONS AND REPRINTS.

BEFORE THE CURFEw and Other Poems, In ,I,l
Occasional Hy OLIVER WENDELL HOlMES'
16mo, PIP. 10 Houshton. Miiin a Co.
LOTUS AND JEWEL By EDWIN ARNOLD, {. : l.
l6mo, PIP. 2GS. Boston Roberts Brothers
porMs BY ROSE TERRY COOKE. emo, PIP. 400
William : Go,tShorScr
IpYI-s AND LYRICS OF THE OHIO VALLEY. by
JOHN JAMES PIATT. l6mo, PIP. 100 Housh-
ton, Miflln d Co.
A DREAM OF CHURCH WINDOWS, Etc. BY JOHN
JAMES PIATT a Revised Edition. l0mo, PIP
100. Touehion, Miflin q Co.
ALONG THE SHORE. BY ROSE HAWTHORNE la
TuROP 32mo, PIP. 1ol. Boston; Ticknor & Co.
To no other poet has it been given 10 write
fifty years and AZ the expiration Of that hall
century to stand without peer in the terms OF
poetry he has made his own; yet this when said OF
Oliver Wendell Holmes. is simple statement oil
fact We wonder at him almost rs much aS We
delight in him. and when his las: pretty little vol
umc comes to us. bright and dainty without and
within. we almost suspect that in his professional
researches he must have stumbled upon the secret
of eternal youth-,hat mystical fountain. perhaps,
which Ponce tic Leon sought 50 long in vain. There
can surely be no poetica exercise 50 itted to Try
the mcttlc and versatility Of even the most
practiScd IS the composition OF class poems
Aside from the inevitable monotony @. coH@.'ohN'
time must add each year Icw dSr,, tint to i"e
celebration. Year after wear Tie class grows th'A-
ncr and however stout-hcagtcdly the Survivors,
close their ranks to hide tie gays, tAcrc comes
rcricd when somewhat OF ghasthnc>s chilS the
reunions and when the concentrating verses
however cheerful and bright. must sound ar,lhclal
and pcrfunctory. But in these verses there Is
really no sigh II dccadcnce decline Of interest
slightly sobc7cr tone makes itself icit toward the
last, indeed The thoughts coniured by the oe-
casion would be wanting in senslhlty were tnrI
not chaStcncd ard digniecd by the rathos which
inhcreS in all memories q the PAST. Tue cht'"o-
tcristlcs Of the veteran rcnain unchanged how
ever. There j. the same mechanical lNrl'cuoA'
the same laShnc. delicate. lnclS!Nc wit the sumo
brllhan; ina gnaton. the same grace Of expression
Ii has been SAID that Holmes is an eighteenth con
fury poet. 80 be- il. lie then proves TINT Tie
eighteenth century lad a mach h her iI'al pad "
mnch more finished >cav9l az poetry tDaA many
lmt,cr-iay critics have boon willing 20 admit lie Is
not great poet. His p.oSc works WI outline
most Of his verse, though not all Of H. But ne has
done remarkable th!n- in that, revlv.ng NJ the
outset Of his career n neglected form Il verse. he
gave il vogue, stimulated whole school Of lml-
,u,ors and yet kept 80 easily At the head OF them
that to-day they have dropped ont Of SIGHT II i
y ease Of Eclipse first and the rcst u'NAcr'' IN
this little voldmc. which gathers w the verses @.
the INST seven G.. eight years tAcVc are ln',,d no
ambitious poems hut many luil oi charm aAd nc1-
oiv. The Morning Visit MEALS tie po,;os'S
carlicr manner. II j. viNaciCu$ S"at.ntor,. iUl
II the kindly shrcwtncS> 81 advanced years aHN
eXrcr;cncc At the saturday Club IS q l,'lc
MELANCHOLY h,.u. who,y retrospective. lHt i IS
only tie young whc can lock forward '~oy3rtr
and isnorc the pa>,. Dr. Holmes stands more
over Tor Boston; not exactly the Boston Of to-laF'
ha, that Ideal Boston which every true Amc-1c'n
loves and cs,ccn.S. cvCn while lie : pretending -
make fun Of IL and when he goes there Wall hc a
void not 70 he tllcd Let Us hope thar many years
may stu be granted him. ans shat lis Nus inlay
be faithful 10 the las.
Lotus and Jewel is q collection Of poems.
mostly ou Indian and Oscnal subjects. character
ircd hy Eiwin Asnolds distinctive igAlts Til, Poet
deserves to I've placed msa IN the >ecend Rank.
lie Is saturated with the philosophy and tie -
manticisn II the las. liz has possessed h.1.>,.t
u the local color @; llniu>tau o. no other Western
man ever did Mo,re'S Ialla RooSA' i The
mercst ar;dcc and dead mechanism beside the
warm hfc,ilsc passionate. lyrics u Nr Arnold De-
underlying tenderness AID ct-'cA. beauty O.! Tie
cid Indian philosophical poems and Tie l1!'y
ihco>ophy of them. arc WONDERFULLY TcpTo>.''>1 -
his verse which would d ~ do-oi Tx mon hiS j.
esteemed wc7c tbs scncraiiy OF c.i.c> ia1.-..As
Win the sources 81 lis Inspiration A. us
volume In an Indian Temple VII St..Ec m,>t
readers ~ remarkably beautiful. An od iFlt>i
q SILVA SITS II the temple and cNpo-n-> i"e
wisdom q the Vc,laS 10 an Ia, >aman while
Nauloh girl attached 10 the temple orcaN> II ~i'A
;heir grave discourse with pretty Pc,u.ance. a1d
s,nss loyc-soacS which illustrate raraN,AcA.y iAc
;op.o> under consideration some o.. these sous
Z. ! ari \ s..
Of tens j. = long pocn in which various rr>,ic-S
stones are described. with characteristic Ml>t.a-
lions the whole forming III a>.C>,,c- L~e
Queens Revcnse- Is y spirited lygic. lNr9.ss>eG
,r,,,n the Sanscr.t 81 the M-habha-atA Iacrc Axe
4 nunbes 81 shorter poems TRANSACTIONS ANA osisi-
nal and these arc ~ les equal merit. iAcu-A n~Ae
u Them : cntrc,y without t. NJ. Arnold hi>
a tue car and alySy> writes smooth AM har.len!-
ous verse He has been accused II employ .ns 80
many SarSeri, woT\S and perhaps be dos - o-'
~ ica>, he blends them admirably n tie ray'
and they inlurt = seniority and distinct ORIENTAL
flavor % his poc;-y lie las above a. shown WAX
,aa be done with Indian philosophy. tradition.
lc,yrl and fable II az ahcn lar-uasc and DC B.
,o-au.,llcl bo;h attention and admiration oy Tie
skill originality and enthusiasm o. his ren~eFin->
Ca,il the Light % Asa apVoared II MAY Amos
u, >ala tia. tic Western wOsld kacW noil-H- q.
The creative ,.ia sEatcn - manifested -- '-' --'
SucA Oriental i.alslat-on> - had tFe-
aselsp.ca previously. with Tie sinse eA'eq'l'H
II Fi,sscralds Omar hhayyara. had been Tep2.slNe
In their deadnc>s and o.GEl>s-cS>- EGw.n Armed
~ the ar>t time revealed ;he legend - RiadtA
- r,orllei and spirit uAised by Poc''c s'n.-s iaa'
Il, struck the world IN tie hsAs q new discover
:, also with lis later ,rars.a,ioaS iTV;a Tie hA-
.Avsa G.,a and the M&hahhagata- Hem lie p:'~
Apcea tie impression q . body - OE.eaial 'r''>-
t,oa. vicasO4> simple AMI majestic - ho2e'. ye'
informed with a sentiment almost mo1e.a n IL
refinement. tenderness an3 sae'lcty, and n s0ras
respects exhibiting an advance noi marked oy
Western civilization I. MS IDoA % have 80
conplisheSl tins; 10 have compelled Soeli-'a.
hemisphere 20 acknowle1se thai II 'he ions-co1-
ces.l,a literary archives - tie er>odlus e. -
archives scarcely hAG-eompg vhtRdc1 hy lie s'roas
e.. EnSl,sh Sau>criIs;S.Acrv wc-v trcsi.sss which