New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-05
e DIRT OWNING Q
Next Tuesday, To Be Specific Is the Anniversary Which
Now Arouses the Never Wholly Dormant Interest in
English Poet Who Voiced Militant Optimism

nyson had still more modestly-for he had
merged his identity with that of a brother
under the title Poems by Two Brothers.
stepped forth into the light. These two
youthful scribbleTs and imitators Of their
betters soon became ardent friends. each
urdisng the others work extravaGanpy
and predicting for him a brilliant future
The year following Pauline" Tennyson
published some really mertorious poetry
and shortly after that Browning put forth
some dramatic compositions which attract
ed considerable attention. Such great poets
as Lander and Wordsworth took notice or
the young men. and no less an actor than
Macready himself asked Browning for A
play. Nevertheless. he would have been
rash, indeed, who had predicted that one
of these embryo bards would later be poet
laureate Of England and that both would lie
at last within the hallowed walls OF West
minister Abbey. But so it was to be. Ten
nyson succeeded Wordsworth In the lau-
reateship, and the two sleep side by side
in the Poets Corner" their graves
watched over by the marble eyes of bust
Of Longfelow, placed there by his English
admirers.
As a writer Of stage plays. however,
Browning did not prove an adept. The
plays were too learned in subject, too book
ish IN expression. He gave the actors too
much TO say and too little to do. Those on
the stage got tangled up In their lines" /;
those in the chairs went 10 sleep. Then they
stayed at home to sleep. and the actors be-
came recalcltrant. Finally Browning and
Macready became ostranged, a fortunate
. 60 Hc he m uFba
he could do better-lyric, especially dra-
matically lyric. verse
But If Browning found the enthusiasm OF
his theatrical friends on the wane, that Of
his readers was on the increase, and
among these latter was one destined TO
have the most momentous influence upon
his life, young woman, few years
older than himself, whose fame as a
writer of verses hardly less than lis
own. This woman was Elizabeth Barrett,
an invalid, whose very life seemed to those
about her to hang by the merest thread
An intimate friend wrote of her: II have
never seen a human frame which seemed
so nearly a transparent veil for celes-
tal and immortal spirit She is soul OF
fire nclosed in a shell OF pearl"
Browning, first only an enthusiastic read
er OF her poetry, decided that ne would
devote his life to sheltering and protecting
the shell of pearl in order that the soul
OF fire" might endure as long as possible
to onkindle mankind To this end he pro-
posed marriage. but Miss Barretts father
considered such a union preposterous, and
as the young woman believed that she
should submit 10 her parents VIII, her
lover strove for time to content himself
with a poetic friendship. We can fancy to
what criticism from those of less rarefed
moods than his own, persons who might
indeed pity the frail woman, but not APP
preciate her. Brownings beautiful little
poem, my Star" was an answer
All that / know
or certain star
Is. II can throw
dixie the angled SPAR
Now a dart of red.
Now a dart OF blue
Till my friends have said
They would fain see, too.
NV star that dartle the red and the blue!
Then 1t stops like Bird like a Hover hangs
furled: 49,
They must solace themselves with the Saturn
above It:
What matter to me II their star is q world?