CURRENT LITERATURE.
Wordsworth's Grave, and other Poems. By William Watson. "Cameo Series." Second edition. (T. Fisher Unwin.)—We are very glad to welcome a new edition of these striking poems, more especially as it is enriched with two or three of great beauty,—we would refer especially to the lines from England to Ireland, and the poem entitled " A Child's Hair," —which appeared in the columns of the Spectator both before and since the appearance of tho first edition. The principal poem, on "Wordsworth's Grave," is one not only of great poetical power, but of great critical delicacy and insight. We have not had such criticism since Matthew Arnold's death, as the verses describing the return to Nature due to Collins, Gray, Goldsmith, Burns, Coleridge, and Wordsworth. But why has Mr. Watson omitted to pay due honour to Cowper, to whom at least as much praise is due as to Burns (who could and did write a good deal of artificial verse, which Cowper never did, though of course, in his higher moods, Burns soared far above Cowper) for the recurrence to a more natural and living school of poetry ? We hope. that in the third edition (which we confidently expect) Mr. Watson will devote one of his exquisitely poetical as well as subtly critical verses to the subject of Cowper's gentle and playful humour, sweet, cool land- scape, and tender, spiritual genius. Cowper deserves at least more honour than Collins, yet Collins receives hero an exquisite tribute :—
"From dewy pastures, uplands sweet with thyme,
A. virgin breeze freshened the jaded day It wafted Collins' lonely vesper.chime,
It breathed abroad the frugal note of Gray."
Mr. Watson must not forget Cowper in his future editions. In the meantime, we anticipate for this little volume a very considerable and what is better, a thoroughly well-deserved popularity.
Previous page
