New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-06

of the attack upon the Palace OF Westminster;
SIZE is exhibited growing more and more cruel
and fanatcal under the influence of her passion
for Philip; and there arc several scenes pa
thetc, yet at the same time repulsive. IN wnlcn
the hot torrent Of her love beats In vain against
tie granite heart OF the Spanlard. These scenes,
are only manifestations of conduct; first in the
excitement Of exceptional danger, and afterwau
under the sway Of morbid PASSION Mary Is noI
so much q study OF character as or mentaI
disease All the others are faint sketches; Phlllp
is partly described by others. but never dIscioscs
himself; Elizabeth moves through the last patt
of the drama like a shadow; Gardiner IS
rhetorical, but, like Pole and Cranmer. he is
ind lstinct. Events follow one another in the
poem, not because such personages would natn'
rally express themselves in such or such actions,
but because there Is historical record that those
particular events did occur; and they do not not
converge toward a climax; but when Inc acSo ORE
throuSh the first act they disappear from the
drama and are forgotten, and when Mary Is worn
away by her d,1Fder she dss ana and me y
are extracts from the history or England. splen-
didly illustrated with portrait outlines p pictures
Of life and manners, and sketches Oh Inc p9puaoo'
hut destitute of the dramatic movement when re-
suits from the action OF character upon C haL-
nctcr, and Of the complication oil incident WHICH
forms an effective plot
IMPRESSIVE LYRICAL POEMS.
In 1880 Tcnnyson published volume OF Lyrical
poems under the title Ballads, and Other POEMS
H. contained number Of fine and impressive
pleces. such as The First Quarrel, The village
Wife, Rzpah," THE Revenge and " Luck
row. or ore of these Mr.. Stednan says: Inc
passlon and lyrical might of 'Rizpah' never nave
been exceeded by the author, nor, thlnK, by any
other poct Of his day" The same critic considers
The Revenge" and Lucknow to be "ragnii-
cent ballads" In 1885 appeared "llresias, ana
Other Poems The title-poem in this volume re-
calls "Tthonus," but while containing many
beautiful passages it is as whole not equal 10
the earlier poem. Several admifaolc lyrics, such
as The Wreck and Despair and hnal Ar
thurian idyl balm and Balan,' generally
thought inferior its predecessors constitute inc
most important poems in this volume, whiie Inc
Ancient Sage" shows the persistence IN the poeu
mind of that vein of profound speculation on INC
unknowable which has been the source 0t SO many
of his serious philosophical poems, ans mas
snccally differentiated him from the sensu-
Gus. superficial and mainly materlallst schooi OF
roctry which a newer generation has produced.
Ia the same year 1850 the remarkable poem
Vastness' appeared in periodical pupnc loiVn'
Dealing as il does with tie contrasts Dct"een .llc
grcat phenomena of tie Universe ana the pe'tiie''
Of mans passions, ambitions ana course SehtiSiS'
IL naturally failed TO satisfy critics who hhd Deei
reared upon diet of magnificent Vcrolase' anu
who in TRYING TO escape from thc pressure vi o'ic
ipcn problems OF existence, nau ldilth n'" -"
OF artihciaisn busying themselves with techil.aI
perfcctio and subordInating TO that an "eigh,,
of thought and force OF meaning s us,neS,,
However, subsequently publshed 10 ieanS SS "
yolume Dcmctcr and Other Poems usS9J, II
production Of singular power pregnant Wild
thought, expressed with great energy ana o'iSe
Demeter" showed the natural. and perhaps
inevitable trend Of the poets mind rs old age
exercised il, SOLDERING influences, toward those
qucstonings which must become NOR ii''s Th;s
yolnmc contains number of poems which testify
70 the continuance of Tennysons powers, VINE
revealing an added solemnity OF thou9hC. ~; ;
love Of classical subjects which was one OIL h,e
earliest characteristics shows itself here in scarcey
diminished strength. His lyrical genius Is once
more attcscd by several fine ballads. 10 .he
last his dramatic qualities held the asccnaah,. ~.
Here. too. the mannerisms which IN his MIDDLE
neriod threatened to mar some OF his WORK are
found " have disappeared liking loI uIInuyy
still appears in poems OF the North'rh lii,
type and there is certainly less polisn anu ssev.
mess In his verse. What they may nave los, III
grnce of form and finish. however, is more than
Compensated by gain in force OF expression ana
dcpth of thought. His latest poems are douot-
loss worry different from his earliest, Dit ,nere -
in them no indication of waning ih'eiiec'u''
capacity.
POETRY OF PERMANENT VALUE
II ye consider the works OF Tennyson as
whole and in so doing enceavor 10 AVOID the olas
~ that changing spirit OF the age which usually
,cvolutiopizes the standards Of public taste twice
mr. thrce times In n century. we shall nave 70 ao-
knowledge that for substantial importance per-
fcction Of form, range and clearnesS OF thought'
and permanent literary and ethical value, no such
body OF poetry has been produced during the VIZ
,orion ero The moral qualities OF lcnnysohs
poc,rv moreover, are very remarkable ana IL Is
unhappily but too apparent that one cause OF 'nc
decline in his popularity OF late years mas oern
the growth of q spirit OF impatlence "ith' anu
almost dislike 10, high ideals such as ne ni.ih-
tanned with noble perseverance throughout MS me-
rho distinctly sensuous tone of the later Englsh
roe,rv contrasts too sharply with Tcnnysons pure
and almost austerc genius not TO rouse IN admir-
rs ~ the new school feelings toward the venerable
,oc,,s work approaching hostility. In effect his
noe,rv condemns that which they prefer. Where
bc nuts Duty foremost they put Pleasure Inc
sincere religious character OF his MIND shames 'he
vacillating agnosticsm which renders their the2-
rios and practice alike more ana more matclia-
istic I'm this hc may hc said 10 have out iVeu Tue
cana abilities Of his age for approaching nm puo
from those who have studied ana loVcu MN tne
I.inf cunnut b. taken that 10 poets ialle res,
,,nnr n snrcr foundation, and that lennyson VIII
bc an honor and an ornament to Enshsh ii'cra'uIc
So long rs the language endurcs IN WHICH III h''
EXPRESSED himself ,,, ,
ositv Which was never fully gratihed. HIS now
inc hair and full tangled beard. his easy, uhcou-
we'll known and were often described
Buchanan Read compared him to a ,o Oh,
hpiIatcd Joyc But stunning socictv .,ot,
%pn o,.ar ,vLcn society began TO discover that
hn ''W WAS worth searching ont, dreading above all
things TO be made lion, and impatient OF IN,
rcrtinent intrusons there was tt, IN ms pfiwn,e
r nr ''i in Is5o to Miss Emily Sarah Scllwood,
sister Of his brothsr Charcss Mi ana ina n hlS"s
Of Sir John Franklin. he established ms Ms, nome me
m Frc.hwntrr. in the Isle Of Wight, calling ms
nlocr Tnrrinrrord For the sake OF greater
nrivacv Inc built another house in 1862 AT AID
worth. near Ilaslemcre. in Surrey Although m
'ccnssihIc 70 strangers he delighted in entertain
mo his friends and the most DISTINGUISHED men
Of the day shared his ample and refined hospitality
HIS LIFE At FARN NGFoRD.