New-York tribune., 1900-04-15
NEW-YORK TRIBUNE MLUsTRATED slppLEMENT

Houp' when this poem Of occasion was read at
a public commemoration the nun is hardly
worthy OF print.
br van Dyke occupies himself with moral
lessons and with the beauty Of nature in his
book Of poems. The little sermons are in
Eenlously developed The descriptive lines are
tiear and sometimes vivid. The rhythm on
1he other hand. is wanting in ease and music
Inc rolling Of Felix" is acceptable merely as
narrative but il has poetic charm, and the
absence of that precious gift is even more
houceable in Vera" poem admirable enough
IN conception to merit better execution. The
slender value of the book is the more regret
table IN that the authors fishing sketches and
other prose writings so frequently possess the
delicate qualities which would serve to enrich
his verse. His prose is spontaneous These
poems fail to deserve the epithet
The rather romantic and decorative title of
PROFESSOR Peck's volume might easily surprise
the particular Muse at whose feet the author
sits She has a way with her that is neither
decorative nor romantic. When Professor Peck
reflects upon the present state of Rome she
moves him TO an utterance like this:
Where Claudia Knocked the rabble rout.
And laughed its helpless rage to see
Now E1ggles she fits about
some pert-faced mink from Chicopee:
And where great Cesar passed in state
And where Catullus kept his tryst
Now potters with uncertain gait
The bear-eyed arch&ologist.
From certain lines in long and wearisome
study IN HeXameters.' in which the hard facts
Of the age are recommended to the poet as the
subjects with which TO appeal to his contempo-
raries We surmise that Professor Peck writes
IN this fashion for definite reason.
Blossoms that bower the earth with SHOWS Of
odorous beauty
These have been done to death their scent will
sicken the reader.
he confidently declares: and he protests that the
man who sings such things
Proffers poeticaI pap to a grim, carnivorous
giant.
No doubt it is not desired that this should be
taken TOO seriously. but, unfortunately. there is
much else in the volume which suggests de-
hclency IN taste and in humor The antithetical
fooIng IN the poem Rome is not in the least
1uhny, nor Is the panegyric the buckwheat
cake deserving of preservation. ''HeIiotrope" is
pretty IN idea and is pleasantly written. Victor
and Nanquished, "Unter den Linden" and
Love, 1t Is Night have elements in them
selves agreeable, and welcome furthermore as
counterbalancng TO some extent the bad effect
OF lines like those about the mink from Chicopee
The group Of new editions and anthoIogies be-
fore Us IS interesting throughout Mr. Buffers
new edition Of his poems viii be valued not sim
ply because it gives handsome form to his best
known production. Nothing to Wear" but be-
cause II brings together many examples of his
genial hUmor and graceful wor kmanship which
had fallen out Of sight. The volume of the late
Richard Realfs collected poems contains rather
more verses than the reader cares to have
He wrote some poems that are good and many
more that are Of doubtful value. But it is pleas
ant 10 have this book, with its useful memoir
Of Realf The little reprint of Gray's "Elegy"
and the Eton Ode is worth having because it