New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-13

/ phrase
failure in what we may call poetic tact Is Dut
.iv,, or q general declension from the standard
,b,ob is implicit in the subject. The heroine Oh
= cha noern Is described rather than realized But
tbe authors descriptive faculty is not to Do oe
! spised Though her book is hardly to Dc redu
! as q version of NEUROLOGICAL romance 1t Is ull-
! doubtedIy worth reading for passages ike the
| following. on the coming of Eros:
Next there did shine what unto mortal , eyes r,os
/ Had seemed star-wfite swan VIII silueu '--''
OF thinnest ivory. winged with g golden 1oF TnsS
IN n tbe warm arm aura Of his loveliness.
Peep and yet dered hair HIS own bright wings
Were lightly shut, nor did he be-, guloe MS OoA'
4Sat with III his radiance from within it slOVTed
Like to an alabaster vase wherethSF0 os q came
As though by subtle Instinct thus ag ps9d ana
Straight 70 me e pGc sbearfne the curded clouds
That ever froth and melt like noiseieSs l074n
us vans crisp rustiing, even autumn leaves
Made gold by frost on frosty breeseS ot
Against the glittertng paller OF ene wa fns
In H crimson spray about the cleaning PROV
T. &c rrettilv done The rub comes. IN
"selenA" when we look for more than pretu-
ness when we listen-and listen IN vain-for the
throb of that passion which so abounds IN the
motive that the Princess Troubetzkoys having
missed it is really surprising.
Passion is what we miss also in Dr. van
DYKES new volume Music and Other Poems"
Obviously music touches him, but he does not
tn+ernret the emotions it creates in his soul Win
mower enough to stir the reader. His opening
pages dedicated to the subject, are suave' &C
complished but strangely cold. The ADDRESS 10
Victor Hugo. and the poem called COO Oh 'Ao
Open Air" with the sonnets that follow are
equally well written and equally Disappointing.
But the two Legends" which come next in the
volume. are excellent bits of rhymed narrative
and the section devoted to lyrics contains sew
eraI engaging productions. Hide and Seek
and "Dulcis Memoria" are both charming. we
quote the second Of these:
Long. long ago heard little song,
(Ah. it long ago, or yesterday
So owiy, slowly wound the tune along NOV.
A melody consoling and endeaTt1ng; ,a.-,ns
And STILL in silent hours m 9 d not die
away
Long, long ago little foweE.Ma
(Ah, II long ago, or yesterday -
That something dear to me it seemed to
A Thought of JOY that blossomed into being
Without a word; and now I'm often seeing
The friendly flower that does not 1aoe
away
Long long ago we had a little child
IAh. was It long ago, or yesterdha day sn,u.a
lnIG Dc o1s love; warm in our arms he lay
An angel called! Dear heart we could not
Yet secretly your arms and mine infold him
Our little child who does not go away
Long long ago? All, memory, make IT clear
50 f Tas a nSf i so fbe age but ang So
Let not the song be lost the flower decay!
His voice. his waking eyes, MS gentle Sleep
The Smallest things are safest in thy keeping
Sweet memory, keep our child WIN US
Away.
Mr. Clinton ScoIards Lyrics and Legends
of Christmas-Tide' suffers from the fact that the
author assumed a handicap when he put the col
lection of poems together. To write thirty-two
variations the theme provided by Christmas
and % preserve spontaneity in them all is a task
which might well daunt even the most facile
rhymester. The task has been the harder, too.
for Mr. Scollard, since he is not by any means
disposed to rest satisfied with facility alone. He
is an artist, and his book shows it in the balance
of whole poem in the turn of phrase The
narratives are perhaps, the most pleasing. For
pfcturesQueness celebrity and a certain Old World
atmosphere, the Ballad Of the Eve Of Yule" is
altogether meritorious performance. In fact,
Mr.. Scollard seems very happily at home with
ancient Christmas legend. We would like to
transfer more than one Of his essays in this d.
rection to this place. Instead. however. we must
be content with three OF the four stanzas Of "a
Lover to His Rhyme"
60 seek her out, my rhyme,
Her of the cruel heart,
And with your softest chime
And with your blandest art,
Plead that this merry time
May see her frowns depart.
And whisper ah SO lowl-
(And mark ye IL she sighO
That sprays of mistletoe
Are plucked TO hang high,
And holly berries glow,
That Christmas-tide is nigh.
And If ye win smile,
speed ye hither swift!
From eyes cast down the while
The aching gloom will lift,
And in the orchard aisle
VIII flower the frozen drift.
DI AGEG IND PEOPI z