New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-26
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
WAIT WHITMAN.
WALL W HIIMAN
SELECTED POEMS BY WALT WHITMAN. lonio'
DID, 49, Charles l.. Webster & Co.

SELECTED POEMS BY WALT WHITMAN. 1Gmo'
DID. 40. Charles l.. Webster 4 Co.
A volume of the Fiction, Fact. and Fancy
series, edited by Arthur Stedman, haS been de-
voted 20 selection from the poems OF wait
Whitman. The editor has performed his task IN
such way 10 present the good gray poet AT
his best. and he has omitted all the poems which
in the past have provoked controversy. While
probably the out-and-out admirers Of whitman
may find fault with such an arrangement; may
even go far to maintain that 1t involves
misleading representation of their faVorlte-t
should at least give them pause to Know That INC
selection was made with the approval of the
author. With the advance of old age, indeed,
there can De no doubt that Whitman recognized
however reluctantly, that some of his youthful
work had been mistaken and injudcious. a
recent critic has emphasized the impression con-
veyed by those earlier poems by an exaggerated
indictment preferred against the whole body ana
tenor of Whitman's verse. OF course this crltl-
cism rests upon the Leaves Of Grass" as origl
nally published, and candid friends Of the poet
can hardly deny that as judged by that collection
as q whole there is ground for the impuation OF
egotistic materalism.
There are in many of his earlier poems an
egotism and a matcralism which are faGrant
gross and offensive. These defects are attributa-
bic part 10 the spirit Of defiance with which lie
set out. No earnest fighter against conventions
which he believes TO he false and faltering Is
likely to escape the pitfall of extremism. ouch
an one in his desperate efforts to be as different
as possible from those whose views and methods
he disapproyes, is always in danger Of violating
those social laws which have their root in the
fundamental strata Of enlightened human inter
course and which do not depend upon any artl-
fetal conventions. So it happened that walt
Whitman gave his opponents cause to accuse MN
of frank carnalisn, and TO say that his Darbarlc
vawpp was in no sense an evidence of progress.
but curious illustration Of atavism. Yet the
few dispassionatc critics who studied him were
not long in recognizing in his verse distinct
flavor of modernity. Barboric his spirit might
be. but il was barbarism essentially Of the nine
teenth century and containing no trace Whatever
of mediaevalism or antiquity. 1t might DE salu'
and not without truth, that Walt Whitman
ayailed himself Of modern enlightenment Tor 'he
purpose of decryng the very influences which gave
him the means of expression. The conspicuous ab-
sence of superstition-nay, almost of any belie1
other than materal-in his work, is of course.
purely modern Characteristic.
Materialism is not primitive. 1t is always the
product of civilization. So soon as men pegah 10
think and reason, they began 10 fear the elemental
forces and TO mytholOgize them. Whitman now
ever though he often seems 10 think That ne j
returning to first principles, always surveys en-
istence from the point of view OF an ADVANCE
civilization. Nor is the spirit which informs MS
later work essentially different from that whlch
moves more conventional poets. The actual olier-
once is that Of form. What he ascribes TO the
forces of the universe other poets endow Win
spirituaI aspect In tie end the purpose ana
significance are identical. What was original IL
Whitman WAS the wonderful expression of the
democratic spirit which breathes in all his poems
The power the coarscneSs, even the crudlty oil
so much of his verse, contribute to the evolution
of this, his main tendency and Inspiration.
genuine love Of humanity DISTINGUISHES him II
is so real that il never be suspected OF Pre-
tencc. II is so genial that ii draws the hearts
of his readers. In the structure of his verse
there is too frequently stiffness, rigidity and
an infelicty of expression which detract seriously
from the effect of the poets thought There are
so-callcd poems Of his which are little else than
rhythmically arranged catalogues But whenever
his democracy is warmed 10 the flowing point, il
breaks through all restraints of form, and the
true poetic spirit is manifested Enthusiastically.
Bat Walt Whitman is not poet to be pub
lished eclectically. Neither. in our opinion, is
Wordsworth who has suffered much because the
blind alteration of his admirers has insisted upon
keeping in evidence, side by side with his best
work. so much verse which sinks below NELL
ocrity In such a selection Mr.. Arthur Stcd-
man has made in the volume before Us, the very
best Of Whitman is presented. The editor Is
quite justified in rcmarking, as he does in a pref
atory note Il sincerely believe this little col
lection will be a revelation even to those who
know their Whitman Such pruning and dis
elimination bring into high relief those qualities
and those achievements upon which, if at all, tic
stability Of the poets fame must be established
Whoever carefully reads the verses hefe brought
together will certainly obtain new view of Wal
Wmtman's capacities, and almost certainly
higher opinion of him. and disposition TO be-
lievc that so much at least of his work is dcs
tined to endure.