New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-13
, POETS TRIBUTE TO LOWELL.
GREATEST OF AMERICAS LITERARY CRITICS
WORDS OF PRAISE FROM EDMUND C. sTEHMAN-
-,r,,r,rr-r, AND ORIGINAL GENIUS.

In vOrEinr pdssaEC
Lowell was the president of the Copyright Assoca'on
and Mr. Stedman the first voe-presldehI "'
now becomes the officer in charge.
In Mr.. stedman's volume on the "POets oi -A''o'
,cas he cave an elaborate criticism Of the WORKS
~ Mr. Lowell. Probably there is no one VINO Is nlo0
able TO estimate the works OF Mr.. Lowell ana MS chi
octer than is Mr. stedman. He was seen by a IT'D
mo rnortnr last evening at the Century Club. ana
when asked to say something about Mr.. Lo"eh nc
said ,,. ,oo,.,
His death came as a shock to me. did not learn
NJ II until noon to-day. | back from the coun
fry and found Boston in the Office VINO tou in'
Dir. Lowell was dead.
Mr. Lowell unqueshonably the heah Oh ''io
literary profession in America, and when you sd1
bo was al the head in America, rs allround man
of letters, / think you will have TO include uIeaO
Rrltan also. When he went abroad "a our upio
matte representative every writer and scholar ioi'
that he was as much the minister OF the American
literary guild as be was of the Nation
"Lowes governing instinct was literary any
one who knew him In his home life at Cambridge do
sociates him with shelves of books early lHios
and all things suggestive Of scholarship and literary
investigation. At the same time he also hai '.'0
genuine New-England character ana never couit ~
contented to figure mere bookworh' nc wv"
the greatest interest in suman life, ana was pO'u "
touch life at all points. You might say thaC TIC ""'
born with convictions to which he continually addeu
he applied in Fable for Critics to Emerson apples OF
all men In the world TO himself: he had "a Greek heao
on right Yankee shoulders Hence he was III
state would not say of conflict, but OF perpetual
change between his ethical bent which look Oh
polemic FORM and his taste and love OF 6eanty' LUIS
you can see constantly in his poetry and other aeS
thetcal work.
The fine thing about Lowell" added Mr.. e'edhlah'
was his plentiful and original genius. This was 50
rich that he never was compelled like many writer's
TO hoard his thoughts or be misery with his brlghe
savings When warmed by cOmpanonship ana III
talk he gave full play 10 this spOntanclty, anu s'i"
enough witty and epigammatic and poetic lhhSS +"
set up dozen small takers or writer's In liis par
tlcular he presented a strong contrast TO MI Long
fellow, for example.
"lf Lowell had been poor and provincial away from
scholarly influences and the centre Of things. he sui
would have been a genius and perhaps more III
domable worker though no one could nave risen 10
higher position than his in his profession
"Pcrhaps the only Englishman Of modern tunes
between whom and Lowell you could draw PaFuei
after the Pmtarchian method Matthew Arnold
Each consciously or uncOnscously became lie leiu''
TO the younger members Of his craft ana perhaps
Arnold was regarded with more devotion by MS
Younger associates not to say pupils, than was LOWELL
But Lowers genius far more original dnu H'
command. Arnold had wit, and so Idd Lowell ou.
Lowell in addition had never falling huhor' anu il
mmor is strengths richest superiuity ne "ds ny 81
much the superior. There is not trace OF humor III
Arnolds noctry. but it is always flashing out In
Lowells from the first to the last, ana even en
HANGING rather than iriuring its deality.
Il want TO say that both were in dead earnest SO
far as their convictions were concerned Edch was NV
hest critic of his generation and country but Lowell
was more various in his interests and in his gifts III
courtesy tact. conversational equality ana personal
charm the American was the superior
DIV faIr n.
English men Of letters in the universal sense With
on doub he was the greatest literary critic this coun-
fry has ever produced. lie was wellequppeu
scholar In the branches Of learning to which ne was
devoted In modern languages of course, and especially
in old English early English literature ana DOM inc
| curious and standard literature of many tongues.
| GAS a poet while very unequal. owing to the con-
slant injection of his opinions on things local ana
temporal as well things eternal, into his verse; IL IS
noteworthy that he produced the best poems OF several
classes we have had. His BigOw Papers, hrSt aud
second series, placed him easily at the head Oh All
dialect poets OF his and younger generations Ihere Is
| no such mngling of pathos. humor, wit and ntel-
ectual force in any modern work OF Their KIND Again
his Commemoration Ode is. on the whole, the most
| noble and massive of American lyrics. And In such
| minor lyrics as In the Twilight lie reaches
a music of dthyrambic quality almost un'
| anproachable. / should say at the same
| time. no single volume of his poems. as whole
eoualled the first book Of poems put forth by Emer'
son, as long ago as 1916
| Probably as many young Americans have been
| inspired by Lowell to devotion to letters as were
| influenced in character and methods of thought BY
| Emerson
| Il should be an migrate If I refused to talk about
| Lowell at this tme for owe more TO his influence
upon myself years ago, direct and Indirect thah
to any other teacher. 1t was popularity OF Lowers
character that he Judged entirely for themselves
| ny
by acquired regulations in the least.
| 81 can tell you the first time was ever
| privileged 70 meet him. AS l have sald' ne
| was perfectly unconventional in his nkmSs
| for men, and would much sooner have been on goOd
| terms with an Adirondack guide than with PIhh-
| istine Of established reputation fears ago. "heil
he was editing The North American Review put
| forth a little book Of poems which attracted his
attention. and received appreciatve and dscrml-
| mating notice from his hands. soon after nc was
visiting New York and looked me up of his own &C
| cord / was living in modest lodgings, but he soon
| made himself and me perfectly at case. remember
bringing ont my decanter of wine, upon which lie
asked me IL had any wine of the country. and when
brought out some whskey he said he preferred the
| American drink. then. offered him a cigar. and
he sald Haven't you any pipes and tobaccoP l
| produced them and We were soon blowing
clouds together.
".Now,' said he, If you ever OWE pound Of cigars
| weigh them out against pound Of Virginia tobacco
| will engage that the latter Is As much better an
article as ii is cheaper. weight for weight
| "In my book l had or two elaborate pieces on
classical themes, upon which had expended good
deal of skill and upon which l great store. lie
had heartily praised few of my stinctivcy american
lyrics, but said not word about my ambitious new
antiques l ventured 10 ask him what he thought OF
the latter. lie said:
".Oh, they are very well done. but do you thinl
you can do these things any better than they have
been done by Keats, Tennyson and Lander? Wher
YOU write American ballads YOU are OH your owr
ground, breathing your own air, and have touch o
your own
He said many other wise things which l hav,
never forgotten shi 6. the zest AID hoI
which his voluntary visit let with me.