New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-24

.,s death of Bryant there is wegh'in'ss
vhch Mr. Stedman reveals in as Tree ana d.
.,,,.,e manner as tina, which marks his light
:, mems Some Of his most characteristic pages
~. among those consecrated to just such themes
a this and although, In few cases, az IN inc
nres read al the opening session Of the sum
mer school Of philosophy al Concord, IN 1881
the metaphysical burden lies heavy upon the
wrists wings ne usually escapes ooscuritS ana
,suains. on his lof,iest plane as on his least
exalted, a singer with sympathy, msigh'' Ell
,husiasm and a swift. clear voice II the more
solemn chords he strikes fail 10 touch the ear
with as rich a sense of delight as flows from
the lighter lyrics. il is not because they spring
from less poetic impulse, but because thsS
eayry the reader 10 a region OF severer thought
where pleasure is not the first thing 10 he en-
eountered We have referred 10 one division
Of this book wherein a new note Ifs sounded. Ihat
sthe division entitled The Carib Sea, and ded
kated 10 the singing OF pleasure pure and sim
pie. That is TO say, the poet surrenders himSf
in these lines 10 the sensuous glory OF the South
.m waters on which his argosy goes drifting
The poems are all Of summer skies and Of sea
So wondrous blue
That your footballs trust it might almost WOO
We're il smooth and low for one to tread
When the human motive enters il is wrapped
n colors appropriate To this radiant theatre
The issues are hotly dramatic and the types
selected are OF the fervent kind associated
With our most romantic dreams OF the SOUTH
Here too, there is pathos even tragedy, and
IN Castle Island Light" well as In cap
tain Francisco" the sombre key is touched
With notable adroitness and power. THE Carib
sea" as a hole will stand for a deep passion
ate phase OF the poets experience The burn
ng Of the tropics has got into his blood, these
lyrics seem TO declare. and they throb with
unmistakable fires. How engaging II IL, 100
10 find that no matter how exotic the material
may be. no matter how imperious in its call
The poet treats il with unfailing clarity and
With repose Of style which blends admirably
With his quickened emotions. "Sargasso weed
IS warm but lucid, and the ballads Of Southern
NE and drama are as concisely as pointedIy,
swung into line az any of the songs dealing
With those figures about whom the hard white
light Of New England beats increasingly
We have indicated the main lines Of Interest
IN this book There are others upon which
the reader will dwell with hardly less attention
Mr. Stednan's classical preoccupations come out
again and again in these pages. The man OF
et,ers warming TO themes not only OF Greece
but Of the whole realm Of poesy, reveals himself
u poems like the delightful Eye Tombe OF Ye
Poet Chaucer" There is nothing more charm
ing in this book than the following fragment
Abbot and monks Of Westminster
Here placed his tomb. in all mems view
Our Chaucer deady'-King Harry said
"a mass for him. and burial due!
This very aisle his footsteps knew;
Here Covers henedictiOn FELL
Brother thou were and minstral trewe;
Nov slepe thou wei.
Criticism might pause with qualification, too
upon the hearty address 10 Walt Whitman, and
on the more subtle. more graceful lines to the
painter Clifford But here the book may be
reinquished with last word on It's happy
spirit, its noble tendency it's purity and grace
Of construction and Of dct,on In all these things
Mr. Stedman is a man Of his time, a poet IN
whom one feels that the experience and culture
a modern life are met.