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By Root 16013 0

— ceased and breast — shade and spread — brow and wo — clear and far — clear and air — morning and dawning — forth and earth — step and deep — Khan and hand — are constantly occurring; and although, certainly, we should not, as a general rule, expect better things from a girl of 16 — still we look is vain, and with something like a smile, for anything even approaching that “marvellous ease and grace of versification” about which Miss Sedgwick, in the benevolenoe of her heart, discourses.

Nor does the story, to my dispassionate apprehension, appear “beautifully developed”. It runs thus: — Amir Khan, Subahdar of Cashmere, weds a Circassian slave, who, cold as a statue, and as obstinately silent, refuses to return his love. The Subahdar applies to a magician, who gives him

—— a pensive flower

Gathered at midnights magic hour,

the effect of whose perfume, renders him apparently lifeless, while still in possession of all his senses. Amreeta, the slave, supposing her lover dead, gives way to clamorous grief, and thus reveals the secret love which she has long borne her lord, but refused to divulge, because a slave, Amir Khan hereupon revives, and all trouble is at an end.

Of course, no one, at all, read in Eastern fable, will be willing to give Miss Davidson credit for originality in the conception of this little story; and if she has claim to merit at all, as regards it, that claim must be founded upon the manner of narration. But it will be at once evident that only the most naked outline can be given in the compass of 440 lines. The tale, in sober fact, is told very much as any young person might be expected to tell it, The strength of the narrator is wholly laid out upon a description of moonlight. (in the usual style) with which the poem commences — upon a second description of moonlight (in precisely the same manner) with which a second division commences — and in a 3d description of the hall in which the entranced Subahdar reposes. This is all — absolutely all — or, if there is anything more, it has the nakedness of more catalogue. I recognize, throughout, the poetic sentiment — but little — very little — of poetic power. I see, occasionally, gleams of imagination — for example:

And every crystal cloud of even

Bowed as it passed the queen of Heaven.

————

Amreeta was cold as the marble floor

That glistens beneath the nightly shower.

————

The Subahdar, with noiseless step,

Rushed like the night-breeze o’er the deep.

————

I look vain for another instance worth quoting. But were the fancy seen in these 3 examples; observable either in the general conducts or in the incidents, of the narrative, I should not feel obliged to disagrees so unequivocally, with that opinion of Miss Sedgwick’s, which pronounces this rather clever little effusion — ”one which would not have done discredit to our most popular Poets, in the meridian of their fame.” As the work of a girl of 16, most assuredly I do not think it “prodigious”. I may repeat of it what I just now said of “Lenore” — that I have seen far finer poems, written by children of more immature age, It is a creditable composition — nothing beyond this. And in so saying I shall startle none but the brainless, and the adopters of ready-made ideas, I feel convinced that I express the perhaps unuttered sentiment of every educated person who has read the poem. Nor, having given the plain facts of the case, do I feel called upon to proffer any apology for my flat refusal to play ditto, either to Miss Sedgwick — to Mr. Irving — or to Mr, Southey. I have spoken thus at length upon this little passage of our literary history, >>with the view<< of showing by what trains of circumstances, and upon how frail a basis, an American reputation is, occasionally, manufactured.

ANASTATIC PRINTING

It is admitted by every one that of late there has been a rather singular invention, called Anastatic Printing, and that this invention may possibly lead, in the course of time, to some rather remarkable results — among which the one chiefly insisted upon, is the abolition of the