Page:The Dial vol. 15 (July 1 - December 16, 1893).djvu/54

 42 pression that sometimes lapses into obscurity, in spite of these things, we think that Mr. Block has produced a very noble poem, a poem not unworthy of its great theme, and that stands in eloquent contrast to many efforts that we will not for a moment draw from kindly oblivion by naming. Mr. Block's poem is in four sections—"The Old World," "The Man," "The Deed," and "The New World"—with a dedication to the "Women of America." The first and last sections, with their poetic characterization of the supreme moments of history, show the author's work at its best, for they afford him the most opportunities for the fine philosophical generalizations towards which he is led by his natural bent. As an illustration of this, as well as of the complex structure of the whole poem, we quote the stanza which sums up the part of India in the history of ancient culture:

Felicitous passages abound in the poem.

gives admirable expression to the ethical mission of the Hebrew.

is both exquisite and adequate. The following fine tribute is paid to England:

Indeed, the whole poem is a song of the conquests of liberty, and closes in a vein that seems inspired by Shelley's outburst:

"One vision more!" sings the author,

The dramatic element, rather than the lyrical, is the characteristic component of Mr. Fawcett's "Songs of Doubt and Dream." The best of the poems are those either dramatic in form, as "Two Scenes in the Life of Beau Brummell," or in spirit, as the fine narrative of "Queen Christina and De Liar." Hence we question the propriety of specifically styling the volume a collection of songs. The spontaneous grace and melody of the true lyric are qualities rarely exhibited in Mr. Fawcett's verse, but we have instead abundant energy devoted to a wide range of themes. We are inclined to think that the author has weighted his verse with more philosophy than it will bear, or rather, perhaps, that his philosophy has not been sublimed in the proper alembic; it is often crude and merely prosaic in expression. The memorial verses to Courtlandt Palmer are excellent in thought and sympathy, yet we can hardly call poetry such lines as these:

The "dream" of Mr. Fawcett's title, as well as the "doubt," is justified by many pieces, from which we select, as among the more successful, "A Retrospect."

There are in these lines echoes of Tennyson and Aldrich, at least, and the felicity of several words (guage, enormity, loomed, dejection) may be questioned, but the poem has merits, and is not unimpressive. We have found nothing prettier or more nearly faultless in the volume than this "Aquarelle":

On the whole, Mr. Fawcett's volume comprises the best work in verse that he has yet given us, and fairly entitles him to a place among our American poets of the second rank.