New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-08
MRS. STODDARD'S POEMS.
POEMS. BY Elizabeth Stoddard. d.mited edition
OF 1000 copies printed from type) Houghton
Nif1iin e.

OF 1000 copies printed from type. Houghton'
MifiiIn G. Co.
In this highly characteristic book OF MIS-. Stoo-
dard's verse we have the poetic harvest OF
woman's lifetime. Such volume coming from
ana whose other work long since made its i'm
rression has a significance which sets ii apart
from the books of verse issued at successive
intervals by even Justly favorte poet III not
disclosure It is at least a confirmation. Of the
au,bor,s nersonality. Readers OF Mrs. Stoddards
novels and shorter tales have been aware OF
the tense individuality which marks them. Her
noA,rv Is the more direct expression Of the same
,,oro,r speaklng with her own voice. and face
70 face. instead of behind the masks OF her per-
,o,ogos IF like a Photographic will, 1t were In
crr,bert To prove 1t entirely the writing OF the
devieor's hand. il would stand the test Here Is
,o,r,v tho author of 1.-TWO Men," The Nor
cesons" and Temple House" But to read her
verse is. TO get q new key to her prose. The
alton evaslve thought and circumstance OF her
ection become interpreted like the Old world
;rscr,nt;ons read by the aid Of some blingual
tablet.
All in all these are the poems of reticent but
most original novelist, who at times mas fouhu
nrose Inadequate for that self-expression winch
IN snite Of theories as to the common ground OF
art-anpears more essential certainly more nopie
and welcome In the case OF strohg woman
than in that of a strong man. Poems IKE Inc
Problem and in Memoriam sho" us 'ha'
thought of itself. is often SO subtle az 10 "iahe
speech rhythmcal. But the rhythm OF verse; II
useful to thought, is almost Indispensable 10 the
moro elevated states OF feeling. Hence IL Is the
glory and the charm OF womans verse that IL IS
s,hteo,ive while A mans self-expression often
drons into the weakness and eneminacy OF the
betrayed egotist.
Doubtless il is because in poetic language alone
the most dynamic thought and feeling command
a voice that the world cherishes many poets ana
tolerates Yet more of them. The artisuc unre-
ality of verse enables the most reserved nature
TO reveal itself without being abashed Among
the writings OF modern female poets the ecceh-
trio half formed lyrics of Emily DcKinsor-a
kind Of intellectual diamond chips-were OF
interest chiefly for their quaint expression
~ unexpected thought, But as much as feel
ing is deepe: than all thought the verse OF
Mrs. Stoddard is truer poetry. not to speak OF It's
saner Intellectually and purpose; to which eie-
ments the touch of art is added-of an art very
decided in so various and pathetic a lyric as
"Chrlstmas Comes Again. but quite exceptional
in the highest of metrical forms. that Of her
monodes In blank verse.
Mrs Stoddard's sixty or seventy pieces, APP
narantlv the selected verse of many years. are
arranged so as to show very well the modes
and moods Of work that is the more effective for
It's compression WITHIN a limited range. The
earlier division conveys its writer's memorics,
and il lmbueG with that path ,tic falacy' which
relates nature and even the decayinG structures
o. man to ones own feeling and experience. A
melancholy bred of the passing away of kindred
and of early associations. informs them Their
passion for nature is strong and true; and this is
quite In keeping with the secret Of The House
of Youth" and The House by the Sea-. IN
these and Throughout Mrs. Stoddard's verse. a
thought is sometimes directly. but not didac-
tically, stated and stays with the reader
through an instructive felicity Of word or phrase
In The House of Youth" she says
The wind beats at the door,
But never gets an answer back again.
The silence is so proud;
and agalr.
Man lives not in the past;
None but a woman ever comes again
Back to the House Of Youth.
OF November she says
The naked silent trees have taught me this
The loss Of beauty is not always loss.
The last line has its corollary in later refer
ence TO autumn:
While watching in thy atmosphere see
The form of beauty changes. not its soul.
In the poem hereafter given she speaks OF
nameess plants. perfect IN their hues,
Perfect in root and branch. their plan Of life.
As II the intention Of soul were there.
There are few objective. and even dramatic
lyrics in the middle of the voume-of which are
ION the Campagna." and the little pieces, full
of sensuous melody and color. "a Midsummer
Night" and Mercedes" These three. and THE
Queen Deposed," have rightly been cu!led by the
anthologists. and show that Mrs. Stoddards
lyrical quality much less dominant than her
husband's-who was a lyrist from his youths
at times spontaneous and compulsive. ON the
Campagna" the lines on the tomb Of Cecilia
Metella is the most imaginative OK the group
-wrough: In an unrhymed measure, with
stately inscrptiona effect. and az an objective
study displaying the skill and simple power that
Matthew Arnold strove for and twice or thrice
attained. AS 10 lighter strains. In a vein al
fected by owen Meredith such as "A Few Idle
Words and "vers &c societe." it cannot be said
tina: Mrs Stoddard is fortunate. Her tenn
permanent is too grave and deep. too genuinely
moved for the work of kind that market writ
ers turn off deftly
Where her power lies is. hrs has been init
mated IN her fusion of the spirit OF nature-her
familiar wherever she has walked-with her own
strength of feeling; and secondly, in the medi-
tations Of her blank verse. measure which
seems more adapted to her genius than that Of
any other woman OF our time. Her handling
OF 1t Is. in fact unmistakable 1t is but Just to
say that she is at her best in the stateliest
simplest and most difficult form OF English verse
With its varied pauses intervals and majestic
cadence. it be sustained only by the uplifting
power Of coefiicient thought and dlction The
slightest weakness at once betrays an incom-
potency. Nearly OF these poems In blank
verse occupying q third OF the volume. Of
an even standard. The style is Mrs Stoddard's
own, differing from that Of her husband-him-
self master of the unrhymed pentameter-n
the caesural method ard through its simpler
limits Of diction. The mental tone Is fraught