The San Francisco call., 1909-02-07

lever has the reviewing desk
N Ss.f5 Is's'a !. this s.sa season o8'es Good d
bad and indinereut-au the poets
have burst into song
Not because he is q Californian. but
because for real merit he stands at the
head OF the list. George SterIing's col
lection comes first He calls his book
"A Wine OF Wizardry and other Poems
"a 81 Robertson. san Francisco. $3.50.
.for the first one in the book is that
s1uch discussed poem Of last year. That
Ene. through the magazines and news
Tapers. is known TO the reading public
- well as 10 require no comment here.
tut ~ any there are who found flaws
g. tho poetry OF that one. "Tssso TO
Leonora." contained in this volume.
vii make up for any and all defects
o. Mr. Sterlfng's work. past. present
end 70 come. The theme on which
Sterling built his poem is contained in
q brief foreword:
For his declaration OF love TO Leo
nora d'Este Csister OF his patron, Al
fonso II. duke Of Ferrara). Torquato
Tasso, one OF the four great poets Of
Italy. was confined for seven years as
q madman I'm the Hospital Of 81. Anne
ir order ~ the duke. I.eonora died
l'ehrua~E le. 1851 five years before his
release
II any one thinks for moment that
Tire last word has been said by lovers
CRYING for unsttainsble love, let him
read this poem Not only is II the
most exquisite bit OF writing which
has come from this poets pen. but it
rs perfect poetry. II is dificult 70
choose a passage 10 quote. but this
description Of LeOnora viii serve
and memory strives backward for
thee 10 the dark OF birth.
Ard seeks the light OF antenatal life
Finding thee. almost. for thy haunt
ing face
Thrills with the rose OF unremembered
dawnS.
Tame eyes hold azure Of a Younger
sea
The depths Of thine Incompatible hair
rw ghts in which we parted. and thy
voice
grief and music 0f forgotten lives 20
There are many beautiful poems in
t-S collection. but this one stands out
prominently among them ali.
The Quiet Singer and Other Poems. -
tr charles Hanson Towne d B. " Dodge
* Io- Sew York;. is collection Of the
a-lors work. most Of which has al
ready appeared I'm magazines and peri
o-ic2ls- Ar- ToWne's poetry lends it
ser easily 20 quotation. verse here.
line there. once in q while whole
poem. and it has an appealing human
rlailty So often lacking in otherwise
-e-tect verse This dainty little quatrain
-f-
rhat Ii has never been expressed 50
er-graEni tiCaIly before
--e leaves upon our brows her written
sfen
where aH may read. inscribed with
perfect art:
B-t- q. those marks the world may not
Her hidden tracings on the human
heart."
one ironic love song, called The
Boast~ too long 70 quote entire. shows
the poets versatility.
y 90 not need you now. The faith is
gone
That made our love. from dawn to sill
yer dawn.
4 Thing most wonderful Brsvely cry
tExulting in the shame OF my deep lied
7 do not need you nowr
Tie poet has a singulsrly easy and
graceful pen and the book viii be a
source Of much pleasure.
some Of Paul Laurence Dunbar's
poems. Lyrics OF IsowIy Life CDodd.
Mead & Co New York. sI.60l. make
un q very attractive volume. A very
interesting and important introduction
by " j.. Howells adds 20 the value
greatly Mr. Howelis makes II plain
tlar Paui Laurence Dunbar must al
ways be regarded as the great poet OF
his race in the English language. but
-lar his memory VIII live longest IN his
dialect poems. II is difacuIt 10 remem-
ber when reading some OF these dainty
poems that Nr. Dunbar was q negro
born ~ slave parents. Dayton. o.. was
his home. and there he received his
education. most of il in early life. due
10 his own Efforts Later. when he
showed some literary talent he was en-
Coura ged and helped. but the fact re-
mains he was born genius Alexander
Dumas and PUshkin. those literary
giants. were mulattoes. and white people
have always insisted that the white
blood was the cause OF their cleverness: /:
but no such excuse can be claimed for
Dunbar who made such a niche for
himself in American literature This
littIe collection is illustrated with many
distinctive and interesting photo
graV Vures.
Wander songs. by John s Nc
Groarty fThe Grafton publishing COM
penr. Los Angeles. So, IS book Of
genuine lyrics They are too. just what
the author calls thCm-~W snder' songs
written apparently - their author
wandered over the face OF The globe
Tile best work las 20 do with the Pa
cifc coast. and he sees the golden west