New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-13
POETRY.
AN HARMONIOUS CHORUS OF MINOR
LYRISTc.

PIP 90. Boston: Copeland & Day.
LYRICS OF EARTH. BY. Archibald Lampman
THE ROAD TO CAsTALY. BY Alice Brown. oc-
tavo PIP 20 Boston: Copeland & Day.
POEMS BY CAROLINE DUER AND ALICE
DuER. Octave, PIP. g. New-fork; George H.
UNDERTONEs. BY Madison Cawein. Duodecimo,
PIP. 65. Boston: Copeland & Day
SOUL AND SENSE; BY Hannah Parker Kimball
THE PILGRIM AND OTHER POEMS. BY Sophie
Jewett. Octave: PIP %. New-iork: The Mac
THE LAMr or GOLD BY. Florence. L. Snow.
octave PIP. l2l. Chicago Way Williams.
POEMS BY EMILY DICKINSON. Edited by Mabel
LOOMS Todd. Third series Octave. PIP. 200.
Boston: Roberts Brothers.
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW BY Caroline Edwards
Prentiss. octave PIP. l75. New-York: G. p. Put
LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. BY
Anna NJ. Pratt. Octave PIP. 60 Cleveland and
New;York: Lemperly' F. A Hillard and Frank
MY ROSARY AND OTHER POEMS; BY Gustave
Kobbe. Octave. PIP &c. New-lork: George II.
Richmond & Co
OUT OF SILVER FLUTE BY Philip verriIl
Mghels. Octave. PIP 81. New-York: J. Sewin
TAFT g. Sons
ODES BY Charles Leonard Moore. Octave, pp l05
Philadelphia: Published for the author
THE GLORY OF THE GARDEN. BY William VIM
cent Byars. Octave. PIP. lsO No publisher
HERE'S TO THE HEATHER. BY Hector Mac
pherson Octave. PIP. unnumbered New-York:
The Scottish American Press
A little romance, more sentiment. a great deal
of landscape and floral painting. and as much
music as they can capture from the lyric in
SEPARATION Of gracious and lovely themes-these
would seem to be the elements out OF which the
best of the minor poets enumerated above have
wrought their best verse Sometimes there Is a
preponderance of this strain that. Mr.. Scol-
10 NJ We az
the meditatlve placidity which chiefly character
ICES Mr. Lampman's thin volume. and Miss
Brown cares more for the metaphysical side OF
things than does either OF her two fellowchOrls-
tiers. But they all belong Enthusiastically to a
chorus they are oil singing I'm tune. and out OF
the same enthusiasm for tenderness and beauty
II need not lessen the value Of the harmony they
produce II a test OF individuals produces no deep
satisfaction II no one of the group stands head
and shoulders above the rest. The true test OF
minor poetry is that II should be exactly charac-
teristfc OF that modest plain at the base Of Par
nassus. where young ambition nibbes diHidently
at the inspiration OF the gods This rule has
always been applied. as n matter Of course. to
such minor as has been known as "vers do
societe" TO the light rhymes OF Praed and Prior
and Dobson and Locker; but It has been Difficult,
20 gain for the hybrid work which IL neither
frivolous great the same urbane canon OF
Judgment. Possibly this has been because the
, scorner Of things frivolous. the vain strugger
for things great has 80 often insisted upon being
taken with the profoundest seriousness.
Few of the poets 10 whom reference Is ex
n,citly mado In the present instance may be ac
cused OF taking themselves in this way. Mr.
Clinton Scollard for example. In his Hills OF
Cong" has preserved throughout an artless at
rposnhere which keeps even his rhymed stories
nj. little dramatic episodes. from sinking into
~. .,nosone which usually belongs TO q poe