The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-19
or WRITER'S AND BOOKS.
an ADMIRABLE REVIEW OF WIZ
LIAM vATsoN'S POEMS.
PHILIPPE Brooks Last work-Fetter's
Southern Magazine for February.
other Recent Publication.

The nineteenth century has been so de-
voted TO the investigation of universal
truth that art has been regarded by the
serious-minded as worthless amusement
an idle pastime. The material aspects
OF the laws OF force and matter have so
fixed public attention that their poetic
bearing has been lost sight or This age
is distinctly that OF the scientist, not the
poets age. The men of action-those de-
tormined 10 conquer and control the ele-
ments themselves-are held 10 be the
worlds great men. People, athirst for
knowledge. overburden their mind with
facts. Eager devotees crowd about the
shrine OF science. while the Tyre lies I'M
touched. and the sweetest songs remain
unsung. The result IS inevitable With
all OF our culture. we are a dull mate
rial. overworked. overrushed generation.
Our perception OF beauty Is not clear.
In most lives the need Of less prose and
more poetry is very great. Writers cul-
tivate tresome methods of inyestiga-
ton. 1maginativeness, poetic conception
more Of art and less OF learning-these
pre-eminently are the needs OF the day
Even the poets. with their sympathetic
natures, have caught the spirit Of the age
That lighter touch born Of fancy, dis
polling shadows and cares. making the
poor student
"Owner OF the sphere,
OF the seven stars and the solar year"
is seldom felt in the poetic works Of this
era However good the literary product
OF the poet, nothing can compensate for
the lack or imagination-for him II Is
absolutely necessary-the one gift upon
which depends the quality OF his work.
Along the horizon OF the English literary
world a new poet-William Watson-is
hagaVsNtrser
sessed OF many superior faculties, the
most notable Of which is Imagination.
At present Mr.. Watson is much talked
or, md his poems are much sought after.
Is this true. because Mr.. Gladstone was
thought TO favor him as Tennyson's
successor. or because the public heart is
beginning 10 be touched by the sweetness
the grace, the freshness OF his song?
The critic. of course. is conceded TO be a
constitutional grOwler, otherwise we
would not dare suggest that our own
observation points 10 the former reason,
painful as this acknowledgment may be.
For the past few months rumors have
come from England TO the effect that
William Watson was confined in the
2oehampton asylum, hopelessly insane.
To those who have become familiar with
the beauty and the melody OF his poems
this Illness was felt 10 be a serious blow
10 the cause OF true poetry; consequently
II is with much delight that we note a
recent poem from his pen. written on
New Years Eve. and published in the
London Daily Chronicle Of January 2d.
The edition OF Mr.. Watsons poems.
Uubiished recently by Macmillan. con
tains some charming verses. dignihed and
elevated IN thought. rere and beautiful
IN expression. rejecting that subtle sense
Of relation so essential 10 poetic percep-
ton. the whole directed and controlled
81 81.
Mr. Watson's preparation for his work is
evidenced by his intimate knowledge of
the best English poets. The thought and
spirit of them all seem 10 pCrvade his
utterances. ard his apt phrases. such as
''Shakespeare's cloudiess. boundiess
human view show that his discriminate
ing faculty is very fine. That lie is con-
scious Of the unique position OF the poet
Of the high order Of his mission. and of
the lasting quality Of his work is easily
read through all his lines-it is noticeable
especially in the following passage from
ms "Lachrymae Musarum," in memory
OF the dead Laureate;
The seasons change, the winds they
shift and veer
The grass OF vest eryear
Is dead; the binds depart, the groves
decay:
Empires dissolve and peoples disappear:
Song passes not away.
Captains and conQuerors leave a little
dust,
And kings a dubious legend Of their
reign,
The swords os Caesars. they are less than
rust;
The poet doth remain.
Dead is Augustus. Marc is alive;
And thou. the Mantuan of our age and
cline
Like Virgil shalt thy race and tongue
survive.
Bequeathing no less honeyed words TO
time,
Enbalmed in amber Of eternal rhyme.
And rich with sweets from every muses.
hive:
While 10 the measure of the cosmic rune
For purer ears thou shalt thy Tyre attune.
And heed no more the hum of idle praise
In that great calm our tumuts cannot
reach.
Master who crown 81 our lmmeloulous
days
With flower of perfect speech"
Much OF the dignity of serenity which
characterized the poet of nature re-
Elected In MIR Watson's "Wcfdsworth's
Crave; something Of The grandeur OF
those "far-reaching mountain soiitudes,
among which he dwelt is felt in these
lines from that poem:
Il hear II vouched the muse is with us
still:
II less divinely frenzied than OF yore.
In leu Of feelings she has wOndrous skill
To stimulate emotion felt no more.
Not the authentic presence pure that
made
This valley vocal in the great days
gone!
In his great days. while yet the spring
time PLAYED
About him, and the mighty morning
shone.
mo word-mosaic artifcer-he sang
lofty song OF lowly veal and dole.
Right from the heart. right 10 the heart
Il sprang
or from the soul leapt instant to the
soul.
"He felt the charm OF childhood, grace
Of youth.
Grandeur Of age. insisting 10 he sung.
The impassioned argument was simple
truth
Half wondering at its own meiodious
tongue
'Impassloned? ay. 10 the Songs ecstatic
cOrei
But FAR removed were olangour, storm
and feud;
For plenteous health was his, exceeding
store