The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-03-01
OUR LITERARY BUDGET.
CONTRIBUTIONS From THE FIELD OF
LITERITURE.

The Poetry of Mr.. Lewis Morris-A Vision OF
Saints, an Epic of Christianity, Great and
Ambitious Poem-Dr. Samuel johnson the
Jupiter of English Letters in the Eighteenth
Century.
After period Of silence, in an hour all too
barren Of poetry. the voice OF MIR. Lewis Nor
ris has been heard again. "A Vision OF
Saints" his latcr-day epic Of Christianity IS
among the largest and most ambitious poems
published during the last few years. With
the exception of "TAe Epic Of Hades," 1t IS
much the most conspicuous piece OF work
that Mr.. Lewis Morris has given us and we
are not. we think taking too much for grant
ed if we conclude that upon these two poems
their author would himself base any claim he
might possess to . lasting appreciation; 1t IS
not. therefore without interest at the mo
ment 10 take a short estimate OF the value OF
Mr. Lewis Morris work.
His first published poem appeared in 1859.
and thereafter for thirteen years he gave no
work 10 the general public. His poetry.
therefore. cannot be accused Of prccOclty. per
haps IF all English poets he developed latest
in life. His voice is no midnight sob Of
An infant crying in the night.
but the ripe fun song of maturity, rs II moves
across It's harvest field of life.
The poetry of maturity is naturally ap-
preached by criticism in spirit different from
that with which It would encounter the first
ESSAYS of boyhOod In the poetry of extreme
youth we expect a certain amount of imitation.
both IN manner and matter. The views Of the
author are rs vet undevelOped they are the re-
suit rather Of study than experience and ad-
niratiOn of single author leads to whole
sale adoption of his thought and language.
I; Is through this period of imitation that the
perfection of originality is gradually evolved.
But when the poet las gained an experience.
bis verse should gam III maturity; we may
then fairly expect that the ideas he suggests
will no longer be- the ideas of the master at
whose feet he sat as a boy. that he will have
constructed for himself an individual style
and an independent philosophy Of lie. Afford
ing us fresh material of thought, the creation
of his own powerful personality.
Any Just estimate, however, Of the poetry
of Nh Lewis Morris cannot overlook the fact
that in many cases whole poems IN his
volumes are indebted for their leading ideas
TO the works Of other writers. To Tom Hood.
H. Tennyson, to Arthur Hugh Clough. Mr..
Morris owes good deal more than Il passing
inspiration. Mr.. Morris Two Voyages Is
an almost exact repetition of one of the best
known poems of ClOugh.
Wordsworth. seeking repOse from the nm
restful revolution of Shelley. found in 1.-THE
unidcal aspect Of the fields "a fruitful source
of inspiration and delighted to draw from the
simplest Waysldc flower thoughts that do
often lie too deep for tears" Mr. Lewis Nor
us, turning from the day-dreams of ms great
ar namesake. and the Greek end Italian
model OF SWincburnc, sought among the
perils in the city subject for reflection and cx-
hor;atiOn He endeayOred to pass beyond
Wordsworth in the idealzaton Of the scenes
of simple life and 10 reap from fields the most
prOsaic a harvest Of new and earnest poetry.
H. % an.II CT
To some of the lowest cOmmonplaces of every
day life. in order to have i'll them an image Of
the heavenly life.
Now. there was. and still is, room for such
poet as this: for poet shall we say of the
commonplace any rate OF the normal
who would throw new light upon the weari-
ness of the more prosaic side OF existence, and
show that upon every kind of work attends It's
peculiar honor.
But Mr. Lewis Morris has failed, we think,
TO become a great poet, even of the common
place; and IN his failure 10 become great has
succeeded in becoming popular. He has fail
ed TO become great because he has so little To
tell us that is new: he has succeeded in be
coming popular because NE has SO much to tell
us that is old Nevertheless though we ques-
tion the artistic value of Mr.. Morris verse, we
believe that It's purely utilitarian value has
been quite considerable. He has not enriched
art. but he has helped life he has lived and
written with "a real influence upon the WIDE
CLASS OF lcduclN tldt nave DtNloNtu upon MN
popularity greater than the poetic worth of
his writing would warrant
Mr. Lewis Morris can never clam 10 be
widely representative, to have reflected the
current thought of his age. ~ Byron OF Words
worth, as Shelley or IennysOn have done
That IS denied him. But one phase of thought
he has represented, ana represented with
honor. He was born into an age of scepticism,
when the air was full of theories of evolution
and troubled with the clouds Of positiyism,
and he raised his voice against philosophy
which tends TO blind its followers TO the one
ideal light Of the world In the midst of
dark world Mr.. Lewis Morris raises the lamp
of religion. The Wanderer," one of the
best Of his poems; The New Creed"
"EvensOng." Confession" and nnumera-
shorter verses all breathe the spirit of re-
signatiOn to a will higher than mans,
and "a knowledge above the learning of the
ages. His voice is not of science rebuking
science, not always of higher knowledge 81
lenclng lower, nor can he always give us
sound reason for the faith that is in him. But
"a the poet of the religion of our fathers,
protesting against the attacks launched on
the old hopes and creeds by the younger sons
of the household be has spoken, and spoken
not in vain. For above all things he is full
of that sincerity which Carlyle considered in
dispensable to true greatness The very de-
termination with which he forces his thought
upon us u only another phase of his own be-
lief in the truth of the gospel he comes to
preach. And much may surely be forgiven the
man who Is genuinely sincere
There are those whose learning is not deep
who find their faith lettering they know not
why-when they hear of new creeds and fresh
PHILOSOPHERS; who do not seek arguments as
much as assurances, nor proofs SO much as
exhortatons. These are the readers, in Them
selves no inconSidemble number. who will
rise strengthened by the poems Of Mr. Lewis
Morris. Readers will not leave his poems
endowed with new knowledge and new wis
dom, nor enriched with any undiscovered
wealth of poetic thought but many that have
read him will feel a fresh comfort and conso-
jation which they will not Scorn TO acknowl-
edge, and for which. i'll , the secrecy Of their
hearts, they Will confess themselves thar kful
~Murray's Magazine for February.
"The Jupiter of English Letters"
Some one has called Boswelrs Ursa Major
the Jupiter of English letters with one satel
lite, which sounds very epigrammatic. hut is
not very true. The grand old primary planet
OF Bolt Court. who revolved about Fleet street
and the Temple IN the DAYS of the early
Georges, had more little stars in his train
than the naked eye could see GRANTING that
james Boswell was the first satellite-a stellar
body by the which Ia.