Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-13
BOOKS AND AUTHORS

N--=
The notion persists that Swinburne was
poet of passion, and that he glorified
the flesh in his lyric raptures. 1t is gen.
orally admitted today by the elect, says
writer in Current Literature, that while
his verse possesses the matchless magic
of verbal music, his passion is unconvinc-
unhuman. There is a reflection of
ing, and where it is convincing,
Greece in "Atalanta," but in Poems and
Ballads the medieval spirit prevails.
He writes of love and lust not Justify
and oyously as HELENE, but like
monk to whom the Cytherean is She
devil, not a goddess. Where, asks a
writer in the New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat, is there any joy in Swinburne's
presentation of love? There are languors
and longings and regrets of passion which
is apparently regarded as terrible neces-
sity of mans lower nature. Every
where" the writer continues. "he threat
ems, disenchants, destroys illusions, and
reminds the reader of the brevity and de-
ceptions of such pleasures, as the austere
ancient prophet warned sinners of the
burning of beauty which would be the
portion of the sensualists. What Is Do
lores, Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs, the
mystical rose of the mires,' but Jenny
expressed in more f1eshly terms? The
craven image of Desire is painted with
red blood on ground of gold In the
Ballad of Burdens the refrain, This is
the end of every mans DESIRE tolls like
a passing bell. In such phrases as Pain
and pleasure, Unsuitable safety and the
strange loves that suck the breasts of
Hate, he reveals a deep and gloomy
knowledge of the wrothlessness of mere
passion" Swnburne's passion, it seems.
was largely cerebral. His friend, Mr..
Watts-Dunton, is said to have remarked
to Mr.. John Butler Yeats, II am pas
sionate, but he"-pointing to Swinburne,
''he has no passion" That is the reason,
perhaps, why our first great enthusiasms
for Swinburne are, as a rule, of brief
duration.
The August "Lippincott's" marked the
5OOth appearance of this interesting maya
zine. There is nothing mysterious about
this magazines long-continued popularity
Each number contains first-class COM
stories, several timely special articles,
poems and miscellany. including sixteen
pages of original humor-jokes, jingles
and anecdotes.
Will Carleton contributed two poems to
the August Every Where: 1.-THE Kid
naped Boys Prayer and Converse with
August" which depicts the salient char
| acteristics of men. widely different in
nature and accomplishments, whose
births occurred in the same month.
Bliss Perry, author of walt Whitman"
1.-THE Amateur Spirit etc, and editor of
the Atlantic Monthly. has sailed from
New York to serve as American lecturer
for the year 19O9-10 at the Sorbonne and
the provincial universities Of France. He
will return in August 1910
The idyl of New England home-mak-
ing, "Over Against Green Peak" by Miss
Zephine Humphrey, was published over
year ago, but Henry Holt & Co. are just
having to send it to press for the fourth
time.
Mary E. Walters pleasing story, "a
Year Out of Life" tells of an episode in
the life of an American girl. She cores
ponds with a German author, and from
the correspondence they fall in love with
each other When they meet the man is
quite ready for matrimony, but the girl,
who is not impulsive, decides to search
her heart a little. The search completed,
she decides that she really wants the
man; but she finds, alas. that it is too
late; the mean thing has gone and en-
gagged himself to someone else.-New
York, D. Appleton & Co.
In his latest "book Auction Records"
Mr.. Karslake, the publisher, describes an
occasion when Swinburne sat down in his
shop and talked steadily for two hours
about English literature. II we'll remem-
ber," says Karslake, Ibis wonderful flow
of diction, without a moments cessation
from first to last. What struck me most
forcibly respecting his personality was,
the extraordinary excitability of his tenn
permanent and his marvellous physical
energy. During the two hours that he
talked he never ceased to drum his fin
gers on the table or to nervously handle
and open the books which he was select
ing and there was absolutely no repose
from the moment he sat down till he rose
to 60" An anecdote related by the poet
is recalled by the bookseller:
A certain distinguished lady had asked
him to go to her house one evening and
read his poems to her. He did so, and,
having made himself quite comfortable
on couch he read and read and read.
Presently his hostess became figety, but
still he read and read. And he remained
on that couch till dawn, reading poem
after poem and the lady was kept up all
night. "She never again asked me to
read my poems to her." he concluded
Some of the writings of the late Dr.
Edward Everett Hale will doubtless be
published among the classics of the Eng
lish language, and classed among the best
productions of American literature. DR..
Hale's contributions to our literature
have been in some cases conspicuous. He
has been, as everybody knows, man of
great and varied activity, within and
without literature When the WORKS of a