Page:The New Monthly Magazine - Volume 099.djvu/243

Rh of life," and voices of the night, hasten the coining of a holier, happier age, and

At the same time, he is gay and sprightly in his movements; some of his verses are almost frivolous in tone and finical in form; he plays with his theme, when so disposed, and seasons his compositions with liberal spicery of quaint phantasien and scholarly concetti. He may be said to have two publics—one which comes for strong meat, to strengthen and sustain—another, for "trifle" and confectionery, to tickle an epicurean palate.

In simile-making, Mr. Longfellow is au fait. Like Cocker, he is a "dab at figures." Figurative he loves to be, sometimes at too great an expense. His similes do not, indeed, arise with the impetuous unrest, the exhaustless creativeness of Alexander Smith and others,—nor are they so "rich" in quality, though in quantity more "rare." But they are plenteous enough to make some readers account simile-making his forte, while quaint enough occasionally to make others call it his foible. Often sweet and significant, they are not unfrequently forced and far-fetched. Take the following excerpts, metaphorical and figurative, in illustration of the poet's manner:

Under the single arched Devil's Bridge, built for pilgrims to Rome,