Year: 1875

THK MAsQUE or PANDORA OTHER POEMS. BY Henry
Madsworth Longfellow. Boston: James X. Osgood
CO.


The present has been prolific in good poetry
large number OF our most famous poets have put
forth volumes with the falling OF the leaves and
made the melancholy days cheerful with their song
new volume from Longfcow is sure TO have the at
ention OF the reading public whether students or mere
amusement seekers. In "The Masque Of Pandora the
poet essays vein and that, judging from this
poem he is not likely 70 nnd successful It written
after classic models and while has all the clear cut
beauty Of the Creek has none q its passion In tho
other poems or the volume Mr. Longelow Will be found
at his best Nothing that he has written contains finer
passages than the "Morituri salutamus,n and we
safe in predicting for it lasting popularity.


Mr., Longfeow has devoted part Of his book to the
sonnet form Of poetic expression in which there Is
revival Of Interest," We will quote the sonnet entitled
"Three Friends OF Mnon which is, perhaps, the most
noteworthy Of the lot


When remember them, those friends OF mine,


Who no longer here, tho noble three,


Who half my lie were more than friends to me-


And whose discourse like generous wine
most OF all remember the divine


Something, that shonc in them and made US see


The archotypal man, ana what might be


The amplitude OF Natures first design
In vain stretch my hands to clasp their hands;


cannot find them. Nothing now Is left


But majestic memory They meanwhile
Wander together IN Elysian lands,


Perchance remembering me, who am bereft


OF their dear presence and remembering smile.


There is something altogether charming about Long
fellows poetry there is about the Both charm
by their simplicity aud earncsness. Longfellow never
does careless work When lie gives the world
poem it is always that will make mark and add to
his reputation.


THE SNIP on THE DESERT. BY joaquin Miller author


Of the Songs OF the Sierras,n &C Boston, Roberts


Bros.


Europeans are seldom Interested in American litera-
turc unless it happen to be something they consider
odd or original. II 30 should produce Milton 1t Is
doubtful if they would take half the interest in HIM that
they would feel in poet whom they considered as rep
resentng the wild roughness Of the West II may be
that they annoyed when put forth man who
hold his along with their best poets. AIneri
visiting England often asked by literary men
there if they know anything about some 81 slump
kns and what no is writing just now. 81 is man with
reputation at all in his country, and the Ameri
only say that he heard of the gentleman
The Englishman will reply that he is the author Of
poem called "U-pidee; or The Child OF the Forest"
thoroughly American poem, you know. He will be very
much interested in this unknown and untutored
poet whom he chooses to consider true singer Of rhe
soil, few Of whose verses have hoated across the
Atlantic They hear that he rides over the prares
with his face to his horses tail and that he dresses in
skins Of wild beasts and lives in a wigwam and is the
husband of a squaw. Not for a moment would we
Mr Joaquin Miller in the category with ST
Slumpkins. But we think it doubtful whether the poet
OF the Slerras would have been at and well
ceyed England II he had walked into fashionable
society with his tucked inside OF his boots
all the glory OF Of yellow hair and the beard OF
a Viking. This just the sort Of American poet
they wanted see, and 1t would have heightened his
popularity II he had half dozen scalp locks at his
belt Such a visitor was as grateful to the duh
tone OF British society the spring in the desert to
the thirsty traveller. They pcted him and fed him
sweets and let him his eccentric costume, which
he would not have dared to have worn in American
parlor into the very presence Of the Queen. They
praised his only because it really worth
It, because il original or il initiative literary
style, 1t fresh in subject If Joaquin Miller had
appeared in English social circles dressed
any gentleman would dress and had written ode TO
Greek vase though II had been much finer and a
scholarly production than the Songs Of the
serras he might to-day be uncared for outside Of his
own country. There be doubt but that Mr..
Miller is a true poet In truth, he has the poetic fire
and temperament TO a degree that is unusual in these
days, when poets editors, brokers, lawyers
chants anything but onghaired and lazy. The
''Songs Of the Serras'' Is, to US, the most musical
If the carefully written Of Mr. Mer's books,
and the Ship in the Desert" the least tuncful and
most careless in STYLE His first book was written un-
der tho influence OF Byron, his second Of Swnburno
and his third OF Morris In fact, Mr. Miller is natu-
rally moro like the former than the latter though
We should be surprised II he settled down to the
Morris STYLE His verso sings itself along when
the meaning hidden and the metaphor obscure. This
poet is very unequal Some OF his descriptions
beautiful as bit out Of nature and then again he is
often dull and silly on page As Of the ''Shp in the
DESERT Is this picturesque Bit


The squirrels chattered in the leaves


The turkeys called from paw-paw wood,


The deer with lifted nosrii stood,


And humming birds did wind and weave,


SWIM round about, dart in and out,


Through fragrant forest edge made red


Made many c0ord overhead,


BY climbing blossoms sweet with bee


And yellow rose Of Cherokee


Then frosts came by and touch'd the leaves,


Then Time hung on the caves,


Then cushion SHOWS possessed the ground,


And SO the seasons Kept their round.


That Is pretty and simple enough but this is exceed
ingly silly. II describes yasquez, the lover:-


He seem'd as 1.-the and FREQ and tall


And restless as the boughs that stir


Perpetual topt poplar trees


The 'Shp the Desert" il the story OF father who
fed with his daughter the Of sand to keep
her from her lover whom he hated The lover is killed
and the girl lives miserable and unhappy. That is
all the plot but in their fight they travel beautiful
country and desolac country The ship in the desert
is old wreck lying alone and unaccounted Tor In the
sea OF sand there is that the lover slain is
hard to tell what Mr. Miller by this page 81
he is describing the girl and her father in their boat
and he says


Beside


The grim old sea king sits his bride.


why the daughter should be the fathers bride is TO
say the least singular rot careless This old Nor
gan, the father:-


grand old Neptune In the Prov


Gray haired and white with touch Of Time,


Yet strsng MS In his middle prime;