The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-22

IN. hills slope down TO the valley, the
creams run down 10 the sea-
And my heart. my heart, o, far ohe' sets
and strains toward thee. -
putI ONLY the feet of the mountains dio
felt by the rim OF the plain,
And the source and soul OF the hurlylHs
stream reach not the calling NAM
Tho dawn IS sicl, for the daylight. snd
the morning yearns for the noon
And the twilight signs Tor the evening
star and the rising OF the moon,
But dawn and the daylight never were
seen I'm the self-same skies
And the cleaning dies Of ITS own 0esie
when the moon and stars arise
The snrinetime calls to lie summer; 90
,ninele your life with mine;
And Summer to Autumn piaineth' 10
'Afust the harvest be only timer
Rut the nightingale goes when the sWal-
low comes, Gro the leaf IS the bios
And when toe autumn sits on her golden
shcave. then the reign Of the rose IS
dead. LIZA
And hunger and thirst. and wall ana want
are lost in the empty air
And The heavenly spirit Nalniy. pines ior
the touch of the earthly falr
And the hills slope down 10 the valley
the stream runs down 10 the sea,
And my heart. my, heart, ., idl one sets
Alfred Austin.
That Mr. Alfred Austin is now Laureate
of Great Britain Is universally Known,
that prior 10 his appointment ne was
unite linbeard Of. is also universally
known and. judging by the above emu
sion, his laureateship could not have been
won by Ills poetry.
10 give an analytical criticism Of Mr..
Austin's Longing would Involve vast
expenditure of time. Analysis, however
incomplcte would result I'm the discovery
of ideas and accidental expressions con-
veving meanings OF which the bard was
perfectlv innocent. That II Is musical
embodiment Of succession OF more OF
less pleasing sounds INTO the form anu
semblance of a poem, cannot be denied.
There is a harmonious smootnness 10 the
closing line Of each of the first TWO stan
zas But the corresponding hne OF the
third comes stumbling IN with an eAeres-
cent And when" prehXed 10 d., ana Inc
Lass line OF all fingers on pauses, instead
of ripping over syllables, as did those
preceding II.
sisnt into the esoteric laws Of nature, IS
TOO automatic for criticism. In the next
the expression sets and strains toward
thee" deviates widely from the lines OF
beauty, and is too suggestive OF mems aHo
egg-laying 10 be poetcal. by TINS time
the hills have grown TO mountains IN our
hard's imagination and the valley turns
out TO be plain with a rim around -
aCatn reminding US OF uupptAiAdi
spectacles, wheels, plates and such other
things as have rims" about them
Without dwelling on the uncontroverti-
bic truth Of the last line, reach the next
stanza.
Passing over the vulgar use Of the un-
pleasant word sick" and the unique idea
of cool forenoon ''yearning' for meridian
heat. ] wonder why Mr.. Austin omits the
afternoon and goes from noon 10 tWllknl
at one leap. Probably because he couldn't
work IL in his stanza without ovcr-run-
ming his sacredly observed number OF
| lines.
/ must pass without comment over the
rather puzzling third line and the aXag
gerated sentiment OF the fourth. The
third stanza Is harmless enough II We
except that bewilderirg phrase. Ere the
| leaf Is the blossom fed and the para
! dox Of q reign" exercising the ruler 5
prerOgativc OF dying.
Now. without reason or relevancy the
| poet rushes from a rhapsody on nature
| to a single meaningless line on human
| woes. totally at variance with his theme
and thence 10 the absurdlty OF an ange
pining for earth.
Then his mountains shrink back into
hills DO reiierntcs the statement thai
water follows the laws Of gravity and
while his heart still sets and strains
for the far one" he closes
II IS not surprising that Mr.. Austin''
appointment IS not popular in England
lie may make a passable Laureate
! though he was not horn poet
FRANK J. CRAIGIE. JR.