The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
James Russell Lowell Considered
Critically by Contemporary

y
not associated with their own pursuits. ,
On the other hand. poetry is the choicest
expression OF human life, and the poet
who does not revere his art and believe
In Its sovereignty Ia not born to wear
the purple. Lowell, in fortunate seasons.
goes back from life to song with new
vigor and wisdom. and with a loyalty
strengthened by experiences. After all.
the man dies, while his imaginative
works may survive even the record of
his name. Therefore the work is the
essential thing. and Lowells work, above
all. is so imbued with his individuality
that none can overlook the relations OF
the one to the other, or fail in compre-
bending his poetry. to enter into the
make and spirit of the poet himself.
A poet OF intellectual scope will not
content himself with verse as the sole
oetlet of his thought and feeling. Low
ellis essays display his genius in free
activity and have added greatly and
Justly to his authority and standing.
One could not select better illustrations
of the union of the critical and artistic
faculties or of the distinctions and an
alogies between the verse and prose OF a
poet
1t Is to be noted that LowelTs politi-
cal and moral convictions appear chiefly
in his verse His prose appertains to
literature and. with the exception of some
graceful sketch work. bits Of travel and
"reminiscences, has been restricted to criti-
cism. His earliest prose volume was OF
this kind. In the form Of Conserrdtions
on the old poets and dramatists. These
are the ardent CONGRATULATIONS Of young
poet, appreciating rather than searching.
They are superseded by his -rpaturer sur
vey OF their field. but had a stimulating
influence in their time. Many who were
students then remember the glow which
they felt when Lowell's early lectures
| and essays directed them to a sense or
what is best in English song. Young
| enthusiasts SITS at Cambridge found him an
ideal teacher and professor of bellies
| lettres. AS years went on his critical
| Ten was rarely idle.
A good fate determined that he should
be subjected to the demands Of Journal
istic routine; that he should carry the
| Atlantic Monthly to a sure footing. ad-
vanc!ng the standard of our magazine
| literature and that he should after
ward hold for nine years an editorshtp
| of the North American Reveto. Such
respon sibilities overcome writer's Wis
inertie. He naturally becomes his own
| best contributor, and II was In meas
ure to the spur of his engagements that
we owe a notable series OF literary
! essays, many OF which first appeared In
| the review I have named. Publishers
| have not found his study reservoir
! into which they might insert their taps
at pleasure. But one must spend time
| in gathering knowledge to give II out
richly. and few comprehend what goes
to a page OF Lowell's manuscript The
page itself, were II letter or press re-
port, could be written in quarter
hour; but suppose II represents. as one
! OF his greater essays, the result OF pro-
longed studiee-the reading, indexing.
| formulating works In various languages
upon his shelves or in the Harvard
| library? OF all this he gives the ulti-
mate ouintescence. distillation fragrant
with his own genius Who can estimate
the oil Of such work? What can ade-
ruately pay for II. There are two guer-
dons that raise the spirit to scorn de-
! lights and live laborious days; Milton
sings for one but the surer Is the Eek
ceeding great reward" OF the work It.
self
Authors who do laywork for n living
and pursue their art In hours which are
the breathing time of other men are per
mitted few of the common pleasures for
which they needs must crave Their
manuscripts are written in their blood
and the ink grows pale apace. Even the
! delight OF reading that at once stirnu-
lates and draws upon the brain Is for
hidden TO one who Is harnessed in the
van OF a professional career. But
Lowell. suspect had been shy Of anv
harness from which he could not bolt at
will. His book feeding has been I'M
stinted. omn!vorous he was born among
books. reared upon them and has taken
from them that which enriches him. yet
leaves them none the poorer.
Lowell. then. Is poet who seems TO
represent New England more variously
than either of his comrades. We find in
his work. as in theirs. her loyalty aid
moral purpose. She has been at cost
for his training. ard he, In turn. has
read her heart. honoring her as mother
before the world. and seeing beauty In
her common garb and speech To him
the Eastern States are what the fathers,
as he has said, desired to be found-no
new Jerusalem. but a New England. and
II II might be, a better one. HIS poetry
has the strength. the tenderness and the
defects of the down East temper. His
doctrines and reflections In the midst of
an ethereal distillation at times act like
the single drop OF prose which, as he
reports a saying Of Lander TO Words
worth. precipitates the whole. But again
he is all poet. and the blithest, most un-
studied songster on the old Bay Shore.
He is Just as truly an American of the
Americans, alive TO the idea and move
ment of the whole country, singularly
independent In his tests OF its men and
products. from wha tever section, or In
however unpromtslng form. they chance
to appear. Mahy have found him the
surest to detect and welcome at the time
when welcome was needed and lesser
men held back. what there might be in
them OF worth He Is an artist who
recognizes things outside OF art and
would not rate the knack OF writing
lines 10 a lady's girdle above all other
wonders OF the age, In default OF the
motive for a sustained and purely ideal
work he has awaited the visits of the
Muse and acted on the moment at her