The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-06
rHE AUTHOR OF "THE SONG OF
THE SHIRT

like u n14tC III vi
a~ffectionately called. at much length
filling columns. Now we can only
glance at this most meritorious au-
thor. He is one of England's writers
in the last century, so rich in men ana
women of genius, h names were
not born to die" The deprivation OF
much he wrote in verse. ana some
things in prose, would be a positive
loss. He was rarely gifted, and, In
some particulars, superbly endowed.
Like other men of very
parts. he died in his mental prime, at
46 years of age. Some Of his sweetest
and best work was done near the close
of his suffering life. Hood was a
gentle. loyable a II chad SINGER
ity and deep and intense feeling. He
was an humorist, and in some sense,
a trifer, a writer of fun n nonsense,
full of brilliancy expressed often In a
rollicking, unhampered way, with
fancy and even power. He was a comic
poet as we'll as an exquisite lyrist. He
was overlooking with laughter and
tears. He was a creator Of puns in
Vulnerable, and many of lasting fame
we hope, for they are of delightful fun
as we'll as of hidden meaning. His
heart ran over with sympathy, bound
less and most tender. A fine, gracious,
sweet spirit was his.
His productions were rapidly thrown
off under trying difficulties, were of
much variety and, of course, of I'M
equal excellence. When inspired he
wrote like an angel might have writ
ten. He produced little prose tales,
both profound and 1udicrous, and his
comic poems were extremity clever and
replete with incongruities and absurd
tiles, n yet rich in sustained power
of the kind he needed. Mr.. Henley,
b English critic. says that his poems
are 1.-The classics of verbal extrava-
gance." He mentions the regularity of
the amusing rhymes, h a they have the
tragic element-that his "most riotous
ballads are the ballads of death and the
grave" But Hood was most success
full both in the serious and romantic
kind, and several of his short poems
- SNAAS u OSoo(yB oLNSLA
ing for splendor and powerful concep-
ton. A careful reading of him will re-
veal to the appreciative mind melody,
simplicity, beauty, artistic excellence,
healthfulnes, purity, marked natural
ness, grace and true-heartedneSS.. Hen
ley thinks that 'at his highest he was
very high" and that his immortal
narfc MIGHT ho ovnroSco6 into q Gin olo
tiny volume" That may be true, as it
is of other poets of greater FAM if not
more genuine inspiration. The great
Thackeray liked Hoods passion better
than his fun, and SO do we, for his pas
sion is noble and genuine always.
Mr. E. c. Stedman, the ablest of
American critics of verse. with per-
haps the one exception. of James r.
Lowell, in his capital work on THE
Victorian Poets" published some TWEEN
ty years since. has a very sympathetic
and a~ppreciative discussion of Hood.
1t fills eighteen pages. and if the read
er would have a proper view of Hood,
without making a special study of the
whole field, it would pay him we'll to
read Mr.. Stedman's delightful and
graceful paper. We have not read what
he says lately, but remember the pleas
ant impression it made Upon us who
have been a reader and sincere lover
of Hood since our boyhood. Many of
Hoods most charming poems-his lyrics
should never be overlooked. Read the
more serious poems among the longer
observation-disclosures. the C~entaur,"
The Plea of the Midsummer Fairies
THE Elm Tree" THE Haunted House.
the Dream of Eugene Aram,' 1.-The
Two Swans" that are so rich in "airy
and fantastic imagery" are so peculiar
and virile, so full of melody and pow
er, and 81 rich and satisfying In metri-
cal composition, and still n above all
so fervid and wholesome with their
rare spirit of humanity and sympathy.
These are well sustained throughout
but not without vividness combined
with sweetness. His immortal "The
Bridge of Sighs' and the 1.-The Song OF
the Shirt" are perhaps of even a no.
bier strain of immortal music. Their
read that most charming and simple
lyric, Fair Ines" the Time of the
Roses" and his most pathetic, perfecr
Last Stanzas," and live to love theil
builder. Said an English critic of NOR,
than a half century ago.. and a goot
and felicitous one Thomas B. Shaw
writing Of his most pathetic and world
moving lyrics, "such things are no
only good works. but good actions; an
the triumph Of having made genius
minister to philanthropy is a glor.
worthy of the friend OF Lamb and tn,
nrst humorous writer of his age" MI
stedman says Of 'The Song of tn,
Shlrt-No one lyric ever written ha,
at once laid such hold upon the fines
emotions of people of every class O.
nationality fh~roru0bo,,f +haL,