Year: 1875

ROSE AND ROoFTRER
BosE AND RooPrREE Poems by George Parsons
LAlhrop Boston: James X. Osgood Co.
The first question that critic has ask concerning
volume OF by new author is Has il any poetry
10 ~ In regard the little volume just put forth BY
Mr. Lathrop the 70 this question must be
strongly in the Affirmative. We lnd poetry here OF
rare subtle and very beautiful kind We do not think
lua' al 'he poems equally poetlc-too large pro
portion OF them seem to be, like the early poems or
many OF the poets who have made a mark, valuable
mainly Tor their suggestveness and their promise but
the book contains, the other hand some pieces at
tracive botn for the thought and the expression Hero
is an example Of the poets lighter and more fancifu
touch -


The sunshine OF thine ewes


(0h STILL celestial beam IA


Whatever IL touches il fills


With the life Of Its lambent gleam


The sunshine of thine eyes


Oh let IL fall on mel


Though but be mote OF the air


could turn to gold for thee
That is only conceit. to be sure but happy one
and expressed muscay and with genuine feeling 1t is
not wide and deep conceit as Bourdillon's Light"
and therefore not likely to travel far around the
world, but it has good deal OF the felicitous
quality and should be surprised to take
its place IN the collections.


II Mr. Lathrop be graceful and fancitul he shows
also occasionally genuine imaginative power as IN the
sonnet 20 Wholesome Deathl' The sonnets gwen
under the title or Moods OF Love- impress by their
insight their purity and elevated sentiment and their
music We think they not all equally spontaneous
and sustained but find ourselves constantly return
ing to them together forming one OF the most
valuable and certainly one Of the most characteristic
poems Of the book This is one OF them
With my beloved fingered late night
AT last the hour when must leave her came;
but as l turned, fear / could not name
Possessed me that the long sweet evening might
Prelude some sudden storm whereby delight
Should perish What If Death, ere dawn, should
One Of us3 What though living, not the same,
Each should appear TO each IN morning lightf
Changed did find her. truly, the next day;
Ne'er could see her as OF old again.
That strange mood seemed to draw a cloud away,
And let her beauty pour through every VEN
Sunlight and life, part of me Thus the lover
With each new morn a new world may discover.
In some of Mr. Lathrop's poems there is a chain of
mingled joy and pathos that has great charm. As
examples might mention "The Song Sparrow" +"
fthe most perfect pieces in the collection, and 'rhe
Singing Wire" from which quote the following
stanzas:-


listened to the branchless pole


That held aloft the singing wire;


heard It's mufled music roll


And stirred with sweet desire.


20 wire, more soft than seasoned luto


Hast thou no sunlit word for mef


Though long TO me so coyly mute,


Sure she may speak through theeI"


listened, but IL was in vain.


At first the winds old, wayward will


Drew forth tho fearless, sad refrain;


That ceased, and all was still.


But suddenly some kndling shock


Struck, flashing through the wire; a bird


Poised on it, screamed and few; the flock


Rose with him, wheeled and whirred


Then to my soul there came this sense


eHer heart has answered unto thine; .


She comes to night, go HE thee hcncel


Meet her; no more rsMnen
marked characteristic of this author is his feeling
for nature In the ballad Of 'Jessamine" he has been
bold enough to make of the refrain, and,
clined think with marked But for further
examples we must refer readers directly TO Mr.
Lathrop's little volume. The work is made addition
ally attractive by Mr. La Farge's design illustrating
s.Jessamne which serves as a frontispiece