The Portland daily press., 1892-11-23

initial course of lectures from the newly
instituted chair last winter Now they
are published in a handsome volume.
The spirit, matter and form of poetry
are studied in three chapters with we'll
ordered and precise research and deli
nitions Nothing vague or trite escapes
Mr. Stedman's pen; with him poetry is
very nearly an exact science as well as
divine. He discusses the question, What
is Poetry; avoiding all falsities or mac
curacies of definition, however brilliantly
they may have been uttered by critics
antique or modern. His own expression
is serious, clear and mastery:
Poetry is rhythmical imaginative language,
expressing the invention, taste, thought. PISS
sion and insight OF the human soul.
Creation was the antique office OF the
poet; self-expression is that of the mod
ern. The Hellenic zest is departed; the
newer civilization sings often in minor
notes, or in major key of conscious
heroism. ''Could Durers Melencholia
speak," writes Mr.. Stedman, "she might
indeed utter the sweet and brave, yet
pathetic, poetry of our own speculative
day." The moderns, however, in their
revolt from the classic formulas, have
discovered beauty in strange DISCUSSES.
The legend of King Cophetua and the
beggar maid has been repeated often, OF
latter days, in the history of art. Truth,
imagination; and the faculty divine in
its components of passion, insight, gen
ius and faith-are studied by Mr.. Sted-
man. The book is worthy of the chief
of American critics. A full index adds
to the convenience of the volume. The
frontispiece is photogravure of the
Melencholia, recognized by Mr.. Stedman
as the Muse of the end of this century.
Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.; Price
$1.50.)
At Shutdown. By John G. Whittier.
A beautiful and consoling message to the
world that misses the beloved poet, is
this volume of his last songs on earth.
In his verse there is such warm vitality,
expressive of strong and human atfec-
tions, that it is impossible to doubt that
his voice, unaltered continues to sing
wherever he may be, among the infinite
spheres. These poems-excepting few
of more recent date-were printed two
years ago in volume that was made
gift by Mr.. Whittier to some of his per-
sonal friends. Now, by his own desire,
the circle who may read and enjoy the
poems is enlarged. And, indeed, there
are thousands of readers who never had
the privilege to meet Mr.. Whittier face
to face. who are in spirit his loyal and
unforgetful friends. The poems o. this
volume are representative of the genius,
the art and the ranges of theories char
acteristic of Mr.. Whittier. The exquis-
lite mingling of earthly and heavenly
beauty in The Christmas of 1883, when
suInmer-miracle in our winter cline
God gave perfect day.
has the effortle spirituality of its au-
thor's sentiment. The patriot, rejoicing
in his dreams fulfilled, speaks in the CEN
tennial poem for the day of the Vow of
Washington. The energy and piety, not
untouched with humorousness, of the
New England character, is dramatized in
the fine ballad of the Captains Well-the
story of the maintaining of a solemn
promise to the Lord, made by thirsty
wanderer in the s'waterless Orient" The
trustful and tender meditations of Burn
ing Driftwood and The Wind of March,
the kindliness of the words to the girls
at the poets Outdoor Reception or to
his longtime friend, DR.. Oliver Wendell
Holmes-all are the natural and perfect
expression of great heart whose whole
creed was Love; who gave it freely and
received full measured return from the
world that his songs enlightened. Dos
tom Houghton & Mif1in. Price $1.50.)
1t is question if time spent in the
study of grammar and rhetoric as taught
in textbooks be not time wasted. Per-
haps no man, from Lindley Murray down
to Goold Browns latest successor, has
bettered the speech of people by gram
mar book. Probably no one, from Hugh
Blair to the present professor of rhetoric
at Harvard, has ever made great writer
or a great orator by his methods of
teaching. In the widest fight of fancy
we cannot picture Ruskin as studying
rhetoric with the purpose of mastering
the characteristics of good sentence, or
Glanstode porting over grammar to dis
cover the distinction between ''will'' and
''shall." Men do not learn to talk cor
rectly by studying text books anymore
than they learn to behave correctly by
reading books of etiquette. They learn
| from the living model.
But if these textbooks be of little
value as educators they may do us use
| full turn as entertainers. Blair's Rhetor-
| ic did and does. 1t is very readable
| book. So is the work by Professor
| Adams Sherman Hill of Harvard Uni
versity just received from the Harpers,
Foundations of Rhetoric, in which the