The yellow book, an illustrated quarterly. Vol. 2, July 1894
General
The yellow book, an illustrated quarterly. Vol. 2, July 1894
English literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Mr. Le Gallienne's "Tree-Worship" is full of the sylvan sense, the
delight in that forest life which we can scarcely help believing to be
conscious. It contains some perfect stanzas and some magnificent
verses. As a stanza nothing can be more perfect than the fourth on
page 58, and the fourth on the preceding page begins with a rarely
powerful line. The only weak points in the poem are a few places in
which even poetic truth has not been perfectly observed. For example,
in the first line on page 58, the heart of the tree is spoken of as
being remarkable for its softness, a new and unexpected characteristic
in heart of oak. On the following page the tree is described as a
green and welcome "coast" to the sea of air. No single tree has extent
enough to be a coast of the air-ocean; at most it is but a tiny green
islet therein. In the last stanza but one Mr. Le Gallienne speaks of
"the roar of sap." This conveys the idea of a noisy torrent, whereas
the marvel of sap is that it is steadily forced upwards through a mass
of wood by a quietly powerful pressure. I dislike the fallacious
theology of the last stanza as being neither scientific nor poetical.
Mr. Benson's little poem, [Greek: Daimonizomenos], is lightly and
cleverly versified, and tells the story of a change of temper, almost
of nature, in very few words. The note of Mr. Watson's two sonnets is
profoundly serious, even solemn, and the workmanship firm and strong;
the reader may observe, in the second sonnet, the careful preparation
for the last line and the force with which it strikes upon the ear.
Surely there is nothing frivolous or fugitive in such poetry as this!
I regret the publication of "Stella Maris" by Mr. Arthur Symons; the
choice of the title is in itself offensive. It is taken from one of
the most beautiful hymns to the Holy Virgin (Ave, maris stella!), and
applied to a London street-walker, as a star in the dark sea of urban
life. We know that the younger poets make art independent of morals,
and certainly the two have no necessary connection; but why should
poetic art be employed to celebrate common fornication? Rossetti's
"Jenny" set the example, diffusely enough.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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