New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-05
2CSKIN'S VERSE; MAKING.
"A CONCESSION APPARENTLY TO CoLLEO'
TORS NOT TO SERIOUS READERS.


TORS. NOT TO SERIOUS READERS.
THE POEMS OF JOHN RUsKIN. Vow arst con nsS.s
from ORIGINAL Manuscripts and Printed soT w.
and Edited in Chr logical Order C TIn Nd
biographical and Critical Fly w g. To- G2inf GSaros
Two NOumes PIP NY, 29l viii, 3oO' ChaIies
T. Merrill Il Co.
MUNEEA rULvERIs. SIX ESSAYS on the f Wts an
Introduction by Charles Eliot Norton. PIP Al 10
Charles T.. Merrill ~ co.
There Is a notable phenomenon In some OK the h'io
mature pieces of verse wIittA by Mi Kushh ocIorc
he wisely decided to drop ont Of poetry when mas
cscaped the minute attention of the editor OF these
volumes As the author himself has pointed oGt' many
~ the more important poems limitations oil Byron
Now all are acquainted with the gloomy nero "no'o'
darby nv steious yet varied criminal career hao -
exhausted his interest In life DR. to make dcath 'c o
thing worth living for In poem like that entitled
.s-r,o Broken Chain" ono of Mr.. Ruskin'S longer po
auctions there il something of the gloom the mystery,
the eashes of supernatural light the ghOsy htuhS Oh
uEcanny thinas. the graveyard and Its uneasy ten
altry and Of mortal hatred and vengeance winch arc
familiar 10 the readers of Byron. BIT the s'arth"s
part OF the poem is that the male characters are mere
layfgures. IT is the women, both dead ana aiNe'
who arc wrapped In Byronic gloom. 1t IS 'ney VINO
have strange confessions to make that chill the uh
blood Of convent sisterhood Ii IS theS WHO !" UNI
dscredt be said. have caused the ghosts 70 "dh'
The hero of the tale, it Is true. l. hcd III 'oul
ment by an airy antagonist. but the heroine is 10
IL
mortal foe deScends TO the convent graveyard ana ais
appears amid pickering flames.
Down % u c gate, by two and three
The sisters crept how fcarfully
They only saw. when there they cane
Two wandering tongues Of waving name
Ger the white stones. confuScdly stc"ed
Across the field OF Solitude.
This REGULARITY would seem to have been worthy OF
rrplanation Can It be possible that Mr. RusiRn III HIS
youth ml,nterpreted the placid exterior Of the modern
bac led
product of civizatnn-for the cloak of tragic mys-
ferry? In milder there is like turn even 10 he
love poems in these volumes. As general thhs' '"e
Youthful Ruskn shows himself more In sympathy WIN
things than with persons. Only once II o'ser'duon
fail not does he details in the description
of a real man. lie saw Southey at church., and thus
described him:
His hair as color at all by the way,
But half Of t black slightly scattered with grey
Hs eyes were as black Is a coal, but in turning
They nashed-aye much as tina; Cos does in onrhhg
His nose In the midst took small outward bend,
Rather hooked like eagles, and sharp at tie ena;
But dark lightning made Lin seem hal iHsi'feu
Or like his own Thaleba. venrefully fired
The description is better than the verse Is put H.
but then one .s to remember that this is the Writing
OF a boy of twelve That is the pity of the whole col
lection One hates to be always apoo2zng to himself
for what ne reads the ground that the author was
Just OF pinaforcs lie is conscious mentally OF ue
same hypocriticai smrA with which he listens to the
full babies whom hc would much rather hear OF than
meet
In spite Of the wilderness of commentary ana eA
PLANTATION at the end OF each volume, he reader VIII
find il hard 10 bridge the chasm between the initiative
poetry OF Mr.. Ruskin'S youth and the prose with
which he has enriched English literature. Even WIN
"PraetoIfta" in his hands suspect that The bodeS
most dextrois cvOutiOnst would be banned FROM
ansthor point of view, also. these volumes create ui
pleasant ancipations The strongest element III the
influence Of Mr.. Euskin's works is, if one may say
So their apostolic character. He writes as one
having authority All the force Of great intellect OF
earnest conviction of wide knowledge Of intense feel
ing of acute sensih,ty. Of profound insight Is MS
The truth he is intent upon shines with convincing
glow, even when could wish to restate II IN me
less picturesque terms II common life But TINS col
lection Oi youthful exercises. 50 carefully preserved
seems taclt confession that the apostle had in lum
by nature the tendency TO posture and to talk Tor
effect. suspicion Of arthcality will damage in the
long run the highest fame that depends on fidelity I"
the truth.
Another Issue Of the authorized American
edition OF Mr.. Ruskn's works is Munera Pulver1S"
with an approcative Introduction by Charles Eliot
Norton The volumes OF this edition arc very neat
IN appearance and handy in SIZE and ii IS attlacvey
named The ErItwOod.'