The Poets and the Poetry of the Century
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The Poets and the Poetry of the Century Alfred H. Miles ^ m EX LIBRIS R. Le G. Multum Hit et terris jaeiatui et alto, Vi iuferum, saevae memorem lunonis ob tram: Multa quoque et hello paiiui, dum conderet urbein, ^ Inferretque deoi Latio : . Having no home, what should I do with these. Tossed as I am about the sounding seas, Sport of exiling winds of change and chance — Feet in America, and heart in France. 'tis I find Homeless, meet my books a home : Coffined in crates and cases long they lay. Distant from me three thousand miles of foam. Dungeoned in cellars cold and nailed away. As in a sepulchre, till Judgment Day. Lost to their gentle uses in the tomb, Cobwebbed companions of the spidered gloom. At last they rise again to live once more, — Dread resurredion of the auflion room. Books I have loved so well, my love so true Tells 't me is time that I should part from you. No longer, selfish, hoard and use you not. Nor leave in you the unlettered dark to rot. But into alien keeping you resign — Hands that love books, fear not, no less than mine. Thus shall live you upon warm shelves again. And 'neath an evening lamp your pages glow. Others shall 'twixt leaf press and leaf soft flowers. { As I was wont to them press long ago ; And blessings be upon the eyes that rain A tear upon my flowers — I mean on "ours" — If haply here and there kind eyes shall find Some sa^i old flower that I have left behind. Mar, 1905 RICHARD LE GALLIENNE m ^Bl, This book is DUE on the last date stamped below ^ JUL i92(r ^y^g , ^,,4 AUG 1 B ?9W ^^L ^4 192b Southern Branch of the y? University of California Los Angeles I ' Form L I V f^ t.«' The POETS and the POETRY of the CENTURY ' ' f ' 3 J 3 ' ,•»•»• 3 % ft . The POETS and the POETRY of the CENTURY Robert Southey to Percy Bysshe Shelley Edited by ALFRED H. MILES HUTCHINSON & CO. 25, PATERNOSTER SQUARE, LONDON b J J I \ "^^ \ PREFATORY. volume treats of the poets born between the THISyears 1774 and 1792, the period of Southey, Landor, Campbell, Moore, Byron, and Shelley. Of these, Southey has receded from the proud position which gained for him laureate precedence, while Landor has advanced in fame and favour. Campbell has lost the honours brought him by his longer poems; but still lives in the hearts of his countrymen by virtue of his sea-songs and battle- ballads. Moore still sings the dirge of the "Last Rose of Summer," and survives in the popularity of a score of other Irish melodies, though his Oriental fictions have ceased to exercise their earlier charm. Byron has lost and gained by turns as time has passed, and is still the object of no little contro- while has outlived the versy ; Shelley prejudice of his contemporaries, and in a day of larger charity has gained a better understanding and a wider fame. Of the minor poets of the period, Charles Lamb and Leigh Hunt still maintain their hold upon our affections, and are cherished in our memories for the rare association of fine critical insight and delicate creative skill. Ebenezer Elliott records the struggle of his generation for free bread, a struggle which made him the founder of the family of the political poets of the people. The mention of vi PREFATORY. Sheridan Knowles recalls a long series of successful pla3's, which show that in his day, at least, poetic form was no impediment to stage success, but also, it must be added, that the poetic dramas of the century have succeeded upon the boards in an inverse ratio to their poetic power. William Tennant has an interest, apart from the merit of his verse, as the founder of the "new style of " poetry," adopted by Hookham Frere for his Monks and the Giants," and for ever perpetuated by Lord " Byron in Don Juan." Robert Tannahill still holds high rank among the lyrists of Scotland, and a warm place in the affections of his countrymen. The name of Thomas Love Peacock revives the memory of an interesting personality and much original, if not unique, work. The sonnets of Sir Aubrey de Vere yet emit a mild and pleasant fragrance and justifj' "Wordsworth's admiration. The poetry of Edwin Atherstone evidences powers capable of higher achievements had they been associated with less ambition and more restraint. Some of Barry Corn- wall's songs still live embalmed in the music they inspired, as does his name enshrined in loving memory. Grateful acknowledgment is due to Messrs. Bell & for the use of some of Cornwall's verse Sons, Barry ; and to Mr. Aubrej' de Vere, for information con- cerning his father. A. H. M. INDEX. PAGE i ROBERT SOUTHEY (1774—1843) • Alfred H. Miles Shorter Poems— I. The Battle of Blenheim 11 II. The Holly Tree 13 III. Lord William iS IV. Stanzas written in his Library . .20 Thalaba, the Destroyer— The Youth of Thalaba 21 The Curse of Kehama— I. The Funeral of Arvalan 25 II. The Retreat 3° Roderick, the Last of the Goths— I. The Flight of Roderick 35 II. Roderick in Exile 38 III. Roderick and Florinda 4° IV. Roderick and his Mother . .49 V. Roderick and Count Julian . .53 VI. The Final Field 57 Ode, Written during the Negotiations with Buonaparte in January 1814 . .63 Funeral Song for the Princess Charlotte . 68 ROBERT TANNAHILL (1774—1810) Walter Whytc 73 SONGS^ I. Loudoun's Bonnie Woods and Braes 77 II. The Wood of Craigie Lea 78 III. Good Night .... 79 IV. The Braes o' GlenifTer . 80 81 V, Gloomy Winter's now awa' . VI. Midges Dance aboon the Burn 81 82 VII. Jessie, the Flower o' Dumblane VIII. The Lass o' Arranteenie 83 IX. The Braes o' Balquhither 84 X. By yon Bum Side . 8S 86 XI. O, are ye Sleeping, Maggie? . VI 11 INDEX. WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR (1775-1864) page Waller Whylc 87 Gebir— Tamar and the Nymph 97 The Citation of William Shakespeare— The Maid's Lament loi Pericles and Aspasia— The Death of Artemidora 102 The Pentameron— To my Child Carlino 103 Hellenics— I. The Hamadryad 105 II. Enallos and Cymodameia .... 114 Miscellaneous Poems— 1. Personal— I. On the Death of Southey . 120 II. To Robert Browning .... 121 II. Lyrics and Epigrams 121 III. Dry Sticks 128 IV. The Last Fruit off an Old Tree . 129 V. Final Poems 130 CHARLES LAMB (1775—1834) . Thomas Archer 131 Poems— I. The Grandame 137 II. A Vision of Repentance .... 139 III. The Old Familiar Faces .... 142 IV. Hester 143 V. Parental Recollections .... 144 VI. Harmony in Unlikeness .... 145 VII. Work 14s VIII. On an Infant Dying as soon as Born . 146 IX. In my own Album 148 INDEX. IX PAGE THOMAS CAMPBELL (1777-1844) Alfred H. Miles 149 Poems in Lyrical Form— I. Ye Mariners of England 155 II. Hohenlinden 156 III. Lochiel's Warning 158 IV. The Soldier's Dieam . 161 V. Lord Ullin's Daughter 162 VI. The Battle of the Baltic 164 VII. The Last Man 166 VIII. O'Connor's Child 169 The Pleasures of Hope— The Fall of Poland 178 Gertrude of Wyoming— The Death of Gertrude THOMAS MOORE (1779—1852) • Thomas Archer 187 Irish Melodies— I. When He, who adores Thee . , . 193 II. The Harp that once through Tara's Halls 193 HI. The Meeting of the Waters , .194 IV. Believe Me, if all those endearing young Charms 195 V. Love's Young Dream 195 VI. Lesbia hath a beaming Eye . 196 VII. By that Lake whose gloomy Shore . 198 VIII. The Last Rose of Summer . 199 IX. The Young May Moon .... 200 X. The Minstrel Boy 201 XI. The Time I've lost in Wooing . 201 XII. Dear Harp of my Country . 202 XIII. Echo 203 National Airs— Oft in the Stilly Night 204 Lalla Rookh— I. Paradise and the Peri 205 II. The Fire Worshippers 222 Notes to Poems by Thomas Moore . 230 X INDEX. PAGE EBENEZER ELLIOTT (1781—1849) Alfred H. Miles 231 Love— Selection from Book L 235 The Ranter— The opening lines 237 Corn Law Rhymes, etc., etc. — I. Child, is thy Father dead ? . 241 II. Battle Song 242 III. Song: Others march in freedom's Van . 243 IV. A Poet's Prayer 244 V. The People's Anthem 244 VI. A Poet's Epitaph 245 The Village Patriarch— I. An Excursion 246 II. Snowbound 248 Win-hill ; or, The Curse of Goo- Selected Stanzas 249 Nature Poems— I. The Wonders of the Lane .... 255 II. To the Bramble Flower .... 258 III. Transplanted Flowers 259 Plaint 260 JAMES SHERIDAN KNOWLES (1784-1862) Alfred H. Miles 261 William Tell^ I. Albert and Gesler 267 II. Albert and Tell 273 The Hunchback— Act v., Scene 1 279 WILLIAM TENNANT (1784-1848) Alfred H. Miles 285 Anster Fair^ I. The Fair-Day 291 II. Maggie Lauder 293 III. The Bagpipe Competition .... 296 IV. The Award 299 INDEX. xi PAGE LEIGH HUNT (1784— 1859) . Thomas Archer 301 The Story of Ivimini 307 t. l. to h., six years old, during a sickness . 321 Petrarch's CoNTEMrLATioNS of Death . 323 Abou Ben Adhem 326 Sonnets— I. The Grasshopper and the Cricket . 327 II. The Nile 327 V. III.— The Fish, the Man, and the Spirit , 328 VI. On a Lock of Milton's Hair . 330 Rondeau— Jenny kissed Me . 330 THOMAS LOVE PEACOCK (1785—1866) Richard Gnrnctt 331 {The Grave of Love) 332 Headlong Hall— Song : In his last binn Sir Peter lies .