New-York tribune., 1891-03-08
MR.. dLDRTCHS NEW POEMS.

MR.. ALDRICH'S NEW FOE4h0'
THE SISTERS TRAGEDY WITH OTHER Poems.
LYRICAL AND DRAMATIC. by I%ioinss % baileS I
Aldrch. 12mo, PIP. los. liouehton' Mnhh W.
4 new volume of poetry by Mr.. Aldrch is always
TO be hailed with delight, for no living poet gives
MS verse which more perfectly unltcs eNquisl'e
finish Of workmanship with adequacy OF thought
and lyric beauty The marked restraint WHICH
distinguishes his productions Is, moreover a qu'-
ity to rare not to be highly appreciated. IL nus
given Iis a collection Of gems which SATISFY every
aesthetic requirement. 1t has also given MS dra-
matte sketches compressed subtly that less skill
full actist would have needed ten times the space
to express a 1.-THE of the meaning. very striking
example of this kind of work occurs in the present
volume, under the tite;" Act "" Here. In seven
teen lines. the poet has described, and in most
impressive way, a love tragedy, the motive oil
which furnished Browning matter for long dra-
matte composition. The Sisters Tragedy" which
gives its name 20 the volume, is short poehl'
but full of power, and the domestic tragedy whlch
il sets forth could by no means be more pathet-
ically indicated The situation is unusual Two
sisers-one married. the other singc-llve together'
The latter secretly loves the husband OF the former
The husband dies. Then through the sorrow oil
the women explanation and avowal come from inc
younger The widow is not revOltcd, but aston
ishcd, and after a pause she herself makes an
avowal. The closing lines tell the whole mel
ancholy story. 1t is the widow who speaks:
"Nay. but l will speak. 49,,
Since llc two souls at compt We % Secm TO Sond sraho'
Int look not al me: NobIc twas, and meet.
To hide your heart nor himg II at his feet nr,d.
To lie desDised there. Tins saved y0n our priao
And that white honor for which ears have died.
Ycu were not all unhappy. loving so!
Ny lord was he. II was nv cruel lot
Ny hell to love him-for ho loved me notl'
Then came a silence. suddenly like death .,
The truth flashed on thcm and each held her brcah-
fash OF light whereby they both were slain.
She that loved and she that loved in vanl
We know not whether to admire more the deli
cacv or the beauty Of these lines, but the CON
ccption is worthy Of the execution, and more can
hardly be said Yet we should not accord to " The
Sisters Tragedy the very front rank among the
verses in this volume. Another poem OF Ecarly
the same length, and also dramatic, " Pauline Paw
lovna." is very striking and noble: and of tine
shorter pieces there Is not onc-not excluding
those placed by Mr.. Aldrich under the deprcciatory
title Bagatellc"-wlich has not charm enough
10 compel rrrcadinc, and which does not elicit
feeling of satisfaction either by its grace polish,
deftncss or weight of thought.
AT the FGncral of Minor Poet is plea
for true poetry and an eloquent protest against
the vulgar dchasng naturolism which has gwen
a morbid tincture TO 50 much modern yricsm,
thus tending TO the degradation of beauty and
truth:
Tic mighty Zolalsiic Movement now
Ercro.>cs u,-a mia,nnt!c breath
iilowu from The -iums. We paint lIfc as It is
The h.deous side Of it.. with careful pains,
Making a god Of the dull Comm nplacc.
For nave we not the od god oyrrihr"wn
And, set up strdng'St idols We "oHh cEp
!magiuari0n'- wing and kill d"lght.
Our Solo art being to leave nothing ont
That nIdor- az offensive. Noi flr rs
Mid"una> leaning from ihclr starry thrones
lncr'.ilc. nor any h.aycn wrought dream
OF SCULPTOR or " pot We prcf,r
such nightmare vision, q, in morbid brains l.,
TaIr slpo and substance thoughts that faint the mir
And make all lie unlovcly. Will II hil
The whole though; of this poem is finely hrac-
iro The Poet Iaurrotc OF ENGLAND should he
proud Of the noble tribute paid 70 him by an
American poet in the verses 10 "Tcnnyson, and
these verses too, show clearly the height and
quality Of the poets standards.
Amony the so-ca;lcd "1ntcrludes' there are
many beauties. of which the " Echo Song" may
he named for delicate grace and melody "A MOOD
for in,roSpcctivc penetration. The Letter. for
tender regret. and the lines on Sargcn's portrait
II Edwin Booth for fccitous encomium Thre-
nodv" and Gualmus Rex" are not less deserving
NJ attention Under the head BaGatrilc are
Gathered some of Nr. Adrichs lighter productions.
and We are inclined to prefer that to which he
has given the first place, namely. the little pastoral
called " Corydon.' This is eXquistry dainty sweet
and fanciful AT Reading. The Menu, and
An Elective Course" are al md each delight
fnl in their way and 1hnlia" should please those
who do not write verses no less than thosc who
do Altogether Mr.. Aldrtch> volume is very
charming and prrcions. and it could be wished
that our younger poets would sit at the feet OF
this noble thinker and admirable artist and 80 win
from him something OF thc depth Of thought, some
thing Of the ucdty and something of the tech
pical perfection which characterize his poetry