New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-25
MINOR POETRl J.
WITH SOME MAJOR REPRINTS.

|
Gale FOR example, Is trying dangerous experiment
I'm keepinp M so long his rrcmo1itatcd aressnc 81
His robins are wiser than they need be; one begins
10 have suspicions as TO the flesh and blood OF MS
dairy cattle; and his "pinky maids' ana cherry
lips and lavender and lawn and ribbons now ana
! then smack Of the limcl!Ght How ireSh ana ita-
grant and careesslv musical seemed his first little
outbu-s,s OF bucolic simplicity! I'ut the country
muse should remain an elusive sweetheart "he'
taken 10 wife she Is apt to become little prosaic
and tiresome Frecklcs 10 not seem beautiful "heh
continually obtrudcd upon ones attention. ana even
buttermilk may pail. We confess that the book OF
| Orchard Songs" o. i. Putnam's Sons) has peeh
70 MS a source OF some wearincss that we ma II
| in many places affected and in many other places
| simply silly; and that We do not think the frank
negs of Mr. Gales rustic. when displayed IN 40
nestle detail is really poetic NTcrthelesS icy US
say in dismiss.rg this beautifully made little
volume that a few Of it, strains are as s"ce'N
true as the song of the lark itself
Robert Bridges II primarily a lyrst. He haS h'VF'
| done ANYTHING better than his "Epthalemiun." or
than any ore e several song in his latest pubicn
ton. the Humours - the g urt and o;h"r Poems
| macmillan & Cos Bat Il f. the GO m'dy "hich mis-
two-thirls II this ume that makes the latter m re-
| than ordinarily welcome. and b:rG' Mr. Bridges
into The fcrcgr md q survey Il recent verse lie
shines In this work not brilliantly perhaps. but Ger
| tanly with clearness. 1t Is pleasure TO read The
! Humours = the Court 1t would undoubtedly be a
pleasure TO the for It's action Il rtn-
sistently and slilfu,v developed. and the SUMMIT
| rical movement # the play T. based. moreover. IN
Interesting Il mfnts ~ character. apty deineatod
Mr. Bridges observes that he owes his plot to Cal
deron. and has borrowed q scene also from l. ~"
This IS TO say that the Of his design
derived from old s:Cry wnich b. In H." Span
| ish drainatiss had handled lie has tllsd 'ut this
framew, rk and made II his own. after the fashion
cf many other poets = an older date. whose names
Il would be possibly unfair Mr.. Bridges TO recall
Yet he stan' sever MP ri"'n. J. Is ono
proof q, the poetic quality = "Tac Hurlo - n.
Court" that It has It's cncc. spte r deficiency
In style. Contrnstcd with Ii" musical and subty
coorcd lines f his lyri. n" - mis- COMEDY
leaves Nr. BRIGGS tliucs aln,s, prosaic. Yc;
his spirit remains the sprit E poet" and In mis-
t. prcserve his dial r. III anytaiHg lk, th"a'-
realty or rhet rical luSurianc" T. may h" ttet ficro
+, revealed nothing more than tho i'.pcrs nal fis-
tiious critical instinct which the pr due
ton Of all his " TX. II Mr EriGgcs X rockoncl
amorG the mirsr pots % tie day. as he commcnly
has been. T. + No. because q ninau:i'y his w,rN
lie IS ore = the riiI.yt ,ilcN,rs = Matthew
Araold. IA thpt g. strives Grcelsirry fDr lucdity.
poise ard equahlliy. ,iis p,,aa have q sererI,,
end fneness = - fkra'ship wr'ch M them ~
above the rage level % e.rt..up rlry y,rse an,
lend to the na,ur W rshp watch they frequently
illustrate sweetness IN r. ciass.c 'han Words
wcrhiln. Though hi@ pine is Mt 10y as g. DO
dizzy. though De- bar t-urh q Griib rate airnos.
4
poetic impulse
Another y,urg pot W., f-o's - modern ian,.or.
Ing for n" dram i'ic ru .s tlc Irlehrl1n V
Yeats. III the liitlr b.o. entitled "Thc Counties,
K1thi'e'. and Var 1' L.c nde cnA I.yr.cs'' az b.
er;s Brohers he pr w4-t Is 80 l.r. hls Prescott
liability & deal sur.eesfur Win rha, rioGc ~ *
preston. H. shoFt al,, q r-r, 50. fr tho l',,lc
lyric the winsome darling = erl.u-.. N..t rnus.-
cal. most melancholy. are ~. rumb.rs When you
are old' be s.ngs IN oft uiIerione-
W V.; yog are old aol gray aal f.ll - sccp
ana holding hv The fire. take down his book
Ana s!o"ly real and dream ~ the soft Loo,
Your eyes had once ana % tholr shpdowl deep
i 10Y many lovoi your moments Of glad grace.
AZ A.. loved you, heauiy with love falso true:
~, on" mn l'Ncd ~" PILGRIM soul 3D. you.
Ara loved n" sorr1ws ~ your changing face.
And bonding down h'7'de tho glowing bars
~ Mnr ,ia, a IttI. fal. "fr'n ~ NJ Love.
Ana ma his face amid crowd ~ stars
figure In Mr. lIamlin Garlands own priuitiv.lv
Western and outsloicn manner may not !n,;rrs-
priatcy be employed I'm referring - his prairie
Songs (Stonc Kiubalb There IL nothing
rhythmic I'm thom. They have IN" uneasy galt ~
The old "praric schooner" a vehicle I'm which Mr.
Garland probably secs more poetry than IN an,. -
the trim charo's Of kid-giovc civilization 50 IN
trained H. hs:devoton 10 the material Of ia"
West. There ts certain poct-y in H. OF course
and there t. poetry In al tn" pictures OF toll ard
patient courage upon which tho eye OF the traveller
In the far West rests There Is poetry. above all
in the boundess horizons OF the pral Mr. Gar
land. however, IS not the man to capture II and
crystalline. 1t In poetic moulds. His Is his
prose. cut up into lengths which are sometimes
even and sometimes not HIS prose. In his novels
and short stories has the merit OF laying bare the
elemental lines in scene situation II Is real
stic ana effective. 1t has the tingc Of poctical
Imagination. and TO read IT under the disguise of
verse is not In tho least holiday task Mr.. Gar
land seems to utterly misundcrstand the mission OF
the writer II h gives the rough quartz OF life h.
fancies he Is giving the substance OF literature
But the substance OF literature is so indssolubly
connected with the refining elements Of the latter
that 10 imagine one without the other is TO i'm
agine vain thing. MIR. Garland does nothing 20
transfgurc his strong types. does nothing 10
give his spacious vistas n fash OF magical light.
He does not wish illuminate his subject He
argues that the subject has inherent impressive
ness that makes the man the group self illi-
minative. This IL Ingenious pleading and 1t IL par
TALLY tustihabe. but subject. however poetic I'm
essence. spoke for itself requires the poets
touch to liberate the hidden fire Mr.. Garland Is
poet. The unaffected sentiment which gives
positive life-blood to Mrs. Platt's AN Enchanted
Castle and Other Poems N.ongmans, Green g.
Coz would be far less potent II tire subtitle % the
book, pictures. Portraits and People In Ireland"
were not fully justified These are beyond
cavil pictures and portraits." II the pathos Of
a Ike that celebrated in the poem OF fare
trang. Is because with the deftes and simplest
touches all the essential details WILDLY pre-
seated. The motive IL realistic. The treatment.
through It's taclt reliance upon the force or unex-
pressed tenderness. IS poetic 10 the pol3t OF
idcalty though neither fancy Imagination
would to have been involved to any ex-
tent That Mrs. Piatt Is content with vlgnettes IL
of the things for which che Is TO be most cor
daily praised She Is never disposed exceed the
llris OF the modest frame which the humble nature
Of her subject a rule. demands: and even I'm her
poems OF strange day-drenms. ike ~ Call on Sir |
Waiter Raleigh" "a Portrait AZ Youghal." AN |
Enchanted Castle" she p1uscs n well balanced |
climax. All her verses carefully turned. and !
tactfu as TO details. They might be studied with |
profit by her husband. Mr.. John James piatt who |
In two new volumes. Little New-WorlG idyls" and |
'Idyls and Lyrics Of the Ohio Valley" n.ongmans |
Green IL Coz. aims at portrayng In me,rical form |
American landscape and episodes In Western Amer- |
can life. Up to certain point he Is moderately |
81 L., t.,lr hoe Ia.