The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
v T..

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VI.
The volume entitled "Tiresias and Other
Poems" was published at the end OF 1885. and.
four years later, whom tho author was 80 years
of age. appeared "Demetor and Other POEMS
With regard to the former volume, we read In
the manuscript notes that the prologue to
"Tiresias" describes Edward Fitzgerald as the
author had seen him in 1876. Fitzgerald did
not live to read the poem. Tiresias, 1t will be
recalled, was blind. and 1t was a pathetic coin
cidence that Tennyson's e~yesight, also. was
almost lost in his old age. Tho passage which
the aged author liked to quote from the poem of
Tiresias was the following:
But for me-,
I would that I were Gather'd to my rest,
And mingled with the famous kings of old.
On whom about their ocean islets flash
The faces OF the gods-the wise mans word.
Here trampled by the populace underfoot.
There crown'd with worship-aud these eyes will nnd
The men I knew. and watch the chariot whirl
About the goal again. and hunters race
Tho shadowy lion. and the warrior kings.
In height and prowoss more than human. strive
Again for glory. while the golden Tyre
10 ever sounding in heroic ears
Heroic hymns. and every way the wales
Wind, clouded with the grateful inoense.fumo
or those who mix all odor to the gods
On one far height in one far.shining nro.
As to the poem Of The Wreck" this. 1t
seems, was suggested by n catastrophe which
happened to an Italian vessel named Rosina.
bound from Catania for Now York. "One day,
at the end Of October. she was nearly capsizcd
by a sudden squall in the middle of the Atlantic.
All hands were summoned instantly to take in
sail. and all. together with the Captain, were
actively engaged. when an enormou wave
svent the deck NJ every living pcrson. leaving
only ono of tho crew. WIN bonncncd IN he he.
low. For eight days he struggled against wind
and sea without taking an ins,ant's repose.
when the Mariana. n Portuguese brirantine.
bore down on the sinking vessel and rescued
him" or THE Ancient Sage" tho author
writes: 1.-THE whole poem is very personal.
Tho nassapes about faith and the .passion of
the mast we're moro especially my own rsrsunai
feelines. This passion OF the past I used to feel
when a boy" OF Tomorrow we learn that Au.
brcy de We're told Tennyson the story: Tho body
of a young man was LAID ont on the grass by the
door Of q chapel in tho west of Ireland, and an
old woman came and recognized 1t as that of
her young lover. who had been lost in a peat bog
MANY wears before. The neat had kent him
fresb aud fair es when shc last "a, him" The
,i,ea "To Virgil, :, war. vri,tep of th. rocr.st
of the Mantuans for the nineteenth centenary
OF Virgils death. There was, at hrst, q curious
misprint IN the poem: Thou that singcst wheat
and woodland, tune ana vineyard, instead Of
'tith ana vineyard. rms recalled 10 Kenny
sons MIND the misprints OF earlier poems. ms.
for instance, In The Palace OF Art. Europa's
mantle blue for blew in The Talking
Oak Tho modest Cupid OF tho day for
"modish Cupid in Tho Princess followed
by a hundred hairy does for airy does;'
in "Guinovere.' TO where beyond these vices
there is peace" for voices"
Not many ara the n a GNrinf nntaa IN fhn
volume entitled "Dcmeter and Other Poems
The poem from which the book was named was
written, We are told. because the author consid-
cred Demeter one OF the most beautiful types of
motherhood. About The Ring" the poet OBJ
serves: "Mr. Lowell told me this legend. or
something ike II, OF a house near which he had
once lived The following lines Tennyson would
quote as giving his own belief that The after.
life is one Of proRress:'"
The Voices of the day
Are heard across the Voices of the dark.
No sudden heaven. nor sudden hell. for man.
But thro' the VIII of One who knows and rules
And utter knowledge is but utter love-
Eonian Evolution. swift or slow.
Thro' all the spheres-an ever opening height.
An ever'iessehih8 earth.
The noem called "Hannv" vaa suopested we
learn. nv A ouotation from an Acknowledged let.
tor. "At first there was n doubt wbether vivos
sbould follow into solitude their husbands who
were leprous. or remain IN the world and mary
again. Tho Church decided that tho marriap.
tie was indlssoluble. With n love stronger than
this living death. lepers were followed into han.
ishment from the haunts of men by their faith.
}ul wives" or "Romnev.s Remorse" the ar.
II read Havlev'a life NJ Romncv tha other
day. Romneyw wanted but education and read
ing to mako him a very fine painter; but his
ideal was not high and fine. How touching is
the close OF his life! He married at 10. and, be-
cause Sir Joshua Reynolds and others had said
that marriage spOilt an artist, almost immedi-