New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-11
WILLIAM MORRIS.
RY1E wIDr,t OF HIS RANGE AND IT'S con-
TRACING; INFLUENCE UPON
HIS WORK.

POEMS. by William Morris octave PIP VIII
2N. Longmans. Green d Co
POEMS BY THE WAY-LOVE Is ENOUGH BY
William Morris octave, PIP Vi. SiS' l-ohg'nd"s'
Green d Co.
rHE EARTHLY PARADISE. A Poem. by Will VII
lam Morris In four volumes. octave PIP 'f'
49,. 5$, Az. Longmsns Green q 90
THE STORY OF siGTtp THE Nv %iisn,
& Co
THE LIFE AND DEATH or JASON. a. a Poem Poem
BY William Morris Octave PIP 80 Lo"s''"'"'
Ssreen Co.
Verse. BY william Morris. octave. PIP tx. 49,
Longmans, Green e. Co.
THE AENEIDs or VIRGIL. Done into English isl
Verse. BY William Morris. Octave PIP Ss'
Longmans, Green & Co.
THE WELL. AT THE WORLDS END Tale
BY William Morris In two volumes; octave
PIP, vii. 375: vi. 20. LOngmans. Green q co.
OLD FRENCH RoMANCEs Done into Enssh
BY William Morris. With an lnrodnciion p, by
Joseph jacobs. Octave. PIP. AXXii' lo'. 'ha'es
Scribncrs Sons.
In a discussion OF William Morris it is neces-
sary to speak of him in the present tense Tor
his death occurred recently that 1t cannot
withdraw the personality of the man from view.
II s no more possible now that 1t was week
ago to conceive o. him as detached from the
busy life in which he took so large part. The
beautiful new edition CT his poems TO which eX-
piicit reference is made above has hut just come
from the printer The press which he himself
established at Kemscott Manor House the
great decorative and Industrial firm with which
his name is associated. are in the full flush of an
activity which is the expression of his individual
views and character. He still figures in the i'm
agination, to all extern. not otter paralleed in
the history Of literature and art as living.
working entity. Regarding him in that light,
in the forefront Of the worlds aesthetic activity,
we must admit that ne yields to none in the
variety of his interests. tie was more than am
bidsxtrous He touched ife and touched 1t pro-
ductivey at hall "a dozen points He was
poet and a prose wiiter translator and
polemist. a socialist and an artist. decorator
and printer. In which character will he be
chiefly remembered? The very diversity Of his
gifts leaves him in ambiguous position the
fruits of modifying the value OF those
brought forth along other lines: and one OF the
most interesting things about q survey OF his
career Is Its discovery of narrowing influence
sprung from that expansion of his sympathies
which seems to promiss quite different results
II the reader will observe the order in which
the poetical works Of Morris are enumerated
above no may quarrel with the chronology. but
II will be perceived that the volumes fall into
just such d sequence the titles denote. Morris
himself preferred to oe' known as the author OF
"The Earthly Paradisc"-t is thus that he is
presented on the tite-page of his translation
from Homer, and very wide public has been
content TO consider him pre-eminently the
poet Of his longest poem But ii is doubtful! if
this Judgment endures. Morris has a more per-
sonsl force and seems most himself in his
briefest lyrics. Those were the product, too, of
his golden time t, q time when, young man,
he abreast of the youth of the Pre- Raphael
ties. THE Defence of Guenevere' dates from
that epoch. and it is his best book. The dedica-
ton to Rossotti means much more than pleas
ai;t episode between cl nlrades 1t points to the
core of his development. il places him in the
atmosphere which belonged to him when he be-
gan. which will belong To him so long as he fig
ures ut all in the world of English letters. The
whole secret of the man, the explanation OF his
life IN all it's phases may he traced back to the
inspiration of 1.-The Defence of Gueneve.e" 1t
was the same that lay at the root OF the Pre-
Raphaelite movement, the inspiration of Ro-
nance. II Is customary to regard the school OF
which Rossctti was the most conspicuous found
er, as which found all the reason FOR its being
In austerties of style which the members were
more or less disposed TO practise. Technically
Raphaelites deserve their title school strict
~ because they reverted to the pictorial methods
OF the Italian Pr Raphaelites, because they
concluded to tell the truth in their pictures after
the manner CT The earlier Tuscans instead Of
painting inspid conventionalities with the pop
ular artists of their own day. But this only
covers one side Of the Pre- Raphaete movement.
1t also great romantic outbursi.
Partly following the initiative of the Lake
poets, partly responding to the trumpe; call Of
the revolutionary French painters, poets and
novests of 1850. Rossett and his colleagues
We're doing far less in the fortieG. ffties and six
ties to recover an old ideal of truth than to ex-
plot all the fire and passion Of a new enthusiasm.
Romance may be old as observation-disclosures
himself has sought most Of his themes in ancient
times-but the spirit the ardor. the rapture OF
romance is the most youthful thing In the world;
and il is this spirit whch must be reckoned with
in the presence of Rossett.s occasional fury or
color. his ceaseless worship of beauty. 1t must
be reckoned with also in consideration Of the
first and last gift OF Norris his extraordinary
scnsuous charm. II may seem u somewhat ig-
noble conclusion. yet it is the only true one. that
the essential note Of Morris is one that appeals
purely TO our sense Of what is luscious and highly
colored in emotion and the accessories Of a poet
zeal situation Read "Rapunzei' The Hay
stack in the Floods" in the volume of ls,'s. Both
poems have inedent-the second more than the
first and both have dramatic paint; but there Is
nothing in either which fingers In the memory
through stress Of spiritual meaning or incisvc-
ness OF poetic thought The touch which yields
permanent delight in the work is such vague
touch as you get in the eerie cry of the witch;
Rapunzc, Rapunzel
Let down your hair!
The point is one which needs careful analysis
since il is not based upon mere verbal felicity
It Is really q question Of poetic magic; not The
wttchery of the great singers. which enwraps ar