The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-13
NEW BOOKS.


We are friendly 10 poets. We would
undertake poetry ourselves II we had the
courage. There lie before us three books
Of poems We have osked ourselves In
regard TO these poets before us whether
they would be willing 20 be measured by
the standard set up and declared by their
predecessor whom we have quoted. Do
the bluest vapoB rise for those who now
come before us, for COMMENT IL there
any extraordinary mildness In the glow
Of the glowwom that glows for them2
Is there a pleiad that wrinkles for them
particularly
In Mr. W. j. Henderson's pipes and
Timbrels' Orchard q. Badger, Boston,
We find leading poem Of definite dramatic
power. In 'Tantalus' there Is a story
that will carry the reader along with In
terest and eagerness. Here Tantalus Graves
above all other things a drink. Venus
obliges him with a draft of water sweet
Nas from Castalia's spring. But no sooner
as Tantalus ass aged his thirst than he
desires Venus herself She repulses him
with sadness. She feels that he should
have desired her first.
Farewell. thou hast thy choice thou hast thy way.
Love fingers not for him who clasps II not,
when INST the bosom throbs with that dear thHn
That all the gods have wilcd TO be as one.
There IA no room In all the big round world
For AuEht TO be that Is as great as love.
For love shall live where nothing else can be,
Thou hadst Thy chece. Now, Tantalus. farewell
We will quote further from Mr.. Hender-
sons admirable volume a sonnet celebrating
the silence Of love
Sweet. shall ask thee why thou arr so stln.
Gazing aiar into the depths Of space,
With lows twilight on thy
And eyes that quick with dcwy moisture nilt
why ls thy daughters mellow ripping rill
silent and dumb1 What chrlsm OF perfect grace
Shall fall upon those lips and md place
To bid their accents on the dusk 70 thnni
Why ART thou volceless. love' All, speak 10 me
With speech that ever Into music grows"
She turns her eyes. that hold me IN their thrali,
As dark and sweet as night upon the sea,
Saying. while one swift look upon me glows
Love is unutterable and Ia ALL
These are good poems, fanciful, musical.
we'll expressed. They have feeling; they
hold us in sympathy with the singer. They
are lucid, and they have obvious result
no small recommendation 10 these days,
marked by 80 amazing an expenditure OF
effort 10 fade away In shadows. Readers
In health, normally receptive and respon-
Sive, will like Mr.. Henderson's poems. To
such We commend them.
Gamaliel Bradford, Jr. IL the author Of
q book Of poems entitled a Pageant Of
Life Orchard G. Badger, Boston. A
scholarly flavor attaches to this attractive
volume. Heraclitus, Epicurus, Meander,
Alexander, Theocritus Hannibal LucTetius,
Lesbia, Cleopatra, Virgil, Epictetus, Lucian,
Marcus Aurelius. st. Anthony, st. Simeon
stylites, Chaucer, Botticelli, Titan, Ger
vanteA Reubens, Calderon, Richardson,
6ainte- Beuve are celebrated here. and
there are Lyrics from a Mad World and
translations. We quote the vigorous SON
net about St. Simeon Stylites:
The hsree and torrid suns Of summer hGLh
Upon me tiu wither In the glare:
And hery devils, sailing In the air.
Tempt my Slok fancy. TN long 70 dash
Ny roeling brains out Storms immense and rash
Come hurrying from the angry south winds Lair.
Mad lGhtninEs lay the vault Of Heaven bare,
TIL ell my senses SILVER In the crash.
Thsn- allow awakening In . vision dim.
hear the muTmuI OF a solemn hymn
PROM the devout below who watch and PRAY
While far above In azure depths OF Heaven
Resounds the ringing Of the planets seven.
In mighty march on their eternal way.
The translations here are two IN number,
and are both from Leopard. There is
also a considerable poem to Leonardo.
From Lyrics From Mad World" we quote:
Oh. sweet sweet, sweet
Is loves osress on a midsummer day,
When corn IL swinging,
And mad birds singing,
And the Wild world laughs 81 play.
oh. sweet sweet sweet
Readers will remark the free sweep OF |
the foregoing-both Of the st. Simeon |
styiites and the lyric from the mad world. |
The pulse Of youth IL In them and accounts |
for them. They have pleasedus.
We turn to volume Of poems, AS Wild |
Birds Sing by Mary Randall shippey /
Robert Grier Cook. publsher). The initial
poem here begins:
The Wild bird sings because u must
A nTSt t tries lie untsught winFs
A BIT Of song enchanted dust
Attuned 70 life and Joy and trust
" lifts ~ little heart and slnCs
Because II must
Surely that Is charming, and there is
moro here that Is so to be described. Not
often do We come upon a story with a more
elective or q nicer pathos than we find
Afforded In the poem entitled 'old Love
LetterN' We need not apologize for quot
hight entire:
Guns - ! take them In my hands,
Held neat and Close In their tlken bands
And nled IN q careful row,
TO think how the girl heart used 70 erect
Each oblong square with duiokened beat
come ooAen yehIb ago
II seems ike Al almost wanton thing
To loosen this from rs binding string, II
And open the folded page;
And blush AZ the nrst words foolish suisr
Scanned In the light ~ the woman's eyes,
orown calm, and clear. and sage.
true love letter. closely writ:
But can but think. as follow u
On 20 the tender close.
How the ono that wrote and the one that rad
The lover fond-and the Eirl-aTs dead:
Though none but the woman knows.
Not unfamiliar the name beneath
The -Yours tlll DEATH but the well worn sheath
Like headstone strangely seems:
For Il bears the name Of tho glri thsrs dead:
name for many year unAid.
Save IN the wOmans dreams.
And know. as the tears unbidden rise.
Coudng the words from the calm, clear eyes
In q strange unmeanlng blur,
That the young girls ghost Is gazing through
The tender mist 81 the name she knew:
But the tears ere rot for hcri
An effective poem. and we believe that