Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-11-18
MIR. FORTUNE AND HIS POEMS

MIR. FORTUNE AND HIS POEMS.
We received the Dreams Of Life. %
most interesting and handsomely
bound volume OF poems by that able
and accomplished journalist T.
Thomas Fortune Of New York.
MessIs. Fortune and Peterson are
named as the publishers.
We have perused this work with
Increasing interest and we have
been tempted to reproduce extracts
from some of the poems that have
impressed us. Dreams OF Life" is
on the highest order and its extend
ed length shows Mr.. Fortune to be
a master Of verse as well as the com
mander OF prose. Emanuel" is
fine. The only misfortune is that
the subject IS too personal to win
lasting favor with a critical public
Slavery to the Slave" is musical and
catchy" It viii be popular where
ever produced. If the Afro-American
is the listener. Mary Conroy'' is
a gem. It's length alone is against
IT.
What is more musical than the
following from Mutations Voiceless
Night?
Nothing lives but loves sweet es-
senCe
And the souls all Quenchless
light:
All else sinks its forms and presence
In mutations voiceless night"
Sadie Fontaine" is another fine
effort. which will never be popular
lied owing to its length. Mr.. For
tune is nothing if not brave. Who
else would have dared 20 say:
What is life but love, devotIoni-
What is woman but a song
But a lyric caught from nature
But an echo sounding long
Filling all the earth with gladness-
Filling all the earth With madness
What is woman but a song?"
"Fah-Fah" Is gem OF charming
sweetness and the story Is we'll
conceived and admirably related.
Mr.. Fortune is seen again in a
state Of sadness and memories OF
the past and gloom as to the future
seemed 10 have been his portion
when he wrote the following musi-
cal and soul-stirring lines:
Sometimes, alas! the years they go
AS if with leaden feet, so slow
We faint from pain. We cannot know
Wherefore or why, but we grow
old!
Each vanished year its own sad tale
OF disappointment, woe and wall,
Adds to the score, until we fail,
Since we grow old! We must grow
old.
The broken links Of life's short chain
Can never find their place again;
The heart will bleed when pierced
with pain.
When loved ones die. and we grow
old.
Into the dark unknown we take
The hopes misfortune could not
shake,
Pure as the mountains snowy flake,
Where all is well-when we are
old"
But we have not the space to con-
tinue this review of this most inter
esting work. We can hardly re-
frain though from giving our read
ers another extract from this most
pleasing volume:
High above the wrecks OF ages,
Frightening all OF hist'ry's pages,
Love has shone.
Planet-like. in life's dark heaven,
| Sweetest boon to mortals given,
Sweet alone!
Life is brief, but Loves eternal,
Always young, as Spring is vernal.
Always strong:
Give me love IN largest measure,
From your hearts abundant treas-
ure,
Is my song"
Mr.. Fortune has rendered the race
service in giving this magnificent
literary EFFORT to the public. The
student. the professor, the author.
the business man. the minister and
the journalist will find within it's
pages a source of literary delight
and place for Thoughtful medita-
ton.
II will pay our readers TO secure
a copy of this volume. Address