Later Poems Part 2

But Mr. Carman is not only a Canadian, he is also a Briton; and evidence of this is his _Ode on the Coronation_, written on the occasion of the crowning of King Edward VII in 1902. This poem--the very existence of which is hardly known among us--ought to be put in the hands of every child and youth who speaks the English tongue, for no other, I dare maintain--nothing by Kipling, or Newbolt, or any other of our so-called "Imperial singers"--expresses more truly and more movingly the deep feeling of love and reverence which the very thought of England evokes in every son of hers, even though it may never have been his to see her white cliffs rise or to tread her storied ground:

O England, little mother by the sleepless Northern tide, Having bred so many nations to devotion, trust, and pride, Very tenderly we turn With welling hearts that yearn Still to love you and defend you,--let the sons of men discern Wherein your right and t.i.tle, might and majesty, reside.

In concluding this, I greatly fear, lamentably inadequate study, I come to the collection which follows, and which, as intimated above, represents the work of Mr. Carman's latest period. I must say at once that, while I yield to no one in admiration for _Low Tide_ and the other books of that period, or for the work of the second period, as represented by the _Songs from Vagabondia_ volumes, I have no hesitation in declaring that I regard the poet's work of the past few years with even higher admiration. It may not possess the force and vigor of the work which preceded it; but anything seemingly missing in that respect is more than made up for me by increased beauty and clarity of expression. The mysticism--verging, or more than verging, at times on symbolism--which marked his earlier poems, and which hung, as it were, as a veil between them and the reader, has gone, and the poet's thought or theme now lies clearly before us as in a mirror.

What--to take a verse from the following pages at random--could be more pellucid, more crystal clear in expression--what indeed, could come closer to that achieving of the impossible at which every real poet must aim--than this from "In Gold Lacquer" (page 12)?

Gold are the great trees overhead, And gold the leaf-strewn gra.s.s, As though a cloth of gold were spread To let a seraph pa.s.s.

And where the pageant should go by, Meadow and wood and stream, The world is all of lacquered gold, Expectant as a dream.

The poet, happily, has fully recovered from the serious illness which laid him low some two years ago, and which for a time caused his friends and admirers the gravest concern, and so we may look forward hopefully to seeing further volumes of verse come from the press to make certain his name and fame. But if, for any reason, this should not be--which the G.o.ds forfend!--_Later Poems_, I dare affirm, must and will be regarded as the fine flower and crowning achievement of the genius and art of Bliss Carman.

R. H. HATHAWAY.

Toronto, 1921.

THE BOOKS OF BLISS CARMAN: POETRY AND PROSE

LOW TIDE ON GRAND PRe: A BOOK OF LYRICS . . . . . . . . . . . . 1893

SONGS FROM VAGABONDIA (WITH RICHARD HOVEY) . . . . . . . . . . . 1894

BEHIND THE ARRAS: A BOOK OF THE UNSEEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1895

A SEAMARK: A THRENODY FOR ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON . . . . . . . . 1895

MORE SONGS FROM VAGABONDIA (WITH HOVEY) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1896

BALLADS OF LOST HAVEN: A BOOK OF THE SEA . . . . . . . . . . . . 1897

BY THE AURELIAN WALL, AND OTHER ELEGIES . . . . . . . . . . . . 1898

A WINTER HOLIDAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1899

LAST SONGS FROM VAGABONDIA (WITH HOVEY) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1901

BALLADS AND LYRICS (A SELECTION) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1902

ODE ON THE CORONATION OF KING EDWARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1902

FROM THE BOOK OF MYTHS ("PIPES OF PAN," No. I.) . . . . . . . . 1902

FROM THE GREEN BOOK OF THE BARDS ("PIPES OF PAN," No. II.) . . . 1903

THE KINs.h.i.+P OF NATURE (ESSAYS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1904

SONGS OF THE SEA CHILDREN ("PIPES OF PAN," No. III.) . . . . . . 1904

SONGS FROM A NORTHERN GARDEN ("PIPES OF PAN," No. IV.) . . . . . 1904

THE FRIENDs.h.i.+P OF ART (ESSAYS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1904

SAPPHO: ONE HUNDRED LYRICS (500 COPIES) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1905

FROM THE BOOK OF VALENTINES ("PIPES OF PAN," No. V.) . . . . . . 1905

THE POETRY OF LIFE (ESSAYS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1905

COLLECTED POEMS, 2 VOLS. (500 COPIES) . . . . . . . . . 1905 (1904)

THE PIPES OF PAN (DEFINITIVE EDITION) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1906

THE MAKING OF PERSONALITY (ESSAYS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1908

THE ROUGH RIDER, AND OTHER POEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1909

ECHOES FROM VAGABONDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1912

DAUGHTERS OF DAWN: A LYRICAL PAGEANT (WITH MARY PERRY KING) . . 1913

EARTH DEITIES, AND OTHER RYTHMIC MASQUES (WITH MARY PERRY KING) 1914

APRIL AIRS: A BOOK OF NEW ENGLAND LYRICS . . . . . . . . . . . . 1916

Contents

BLISS CARMAN: AN APPRECIATION VESTIGIA A REMEMBRANCE THE s.h.i.+PS OF YULE THE s.h.i.+PS OF SAINT JOHN THE GARDEN OF DREAMS GARDEN MAGIC IN GOLD LACQUER APRILIAN GARDEN SHADOWS IN THE DAY OF BATTLE TREES THE GIVERS OF LIFE A FIRESIDE VISION A WATER COLOR THRENODY FOR A POET DUST OF THE STREET TO A YOUNG LADY ON HER BIRTHDAY THE GIFT THE CRY OF THE HILLBORN A MOUNTAIN GATEWAY MORNING IN THE HILLS A WOODPATH WEATHER OF THE SOUL HERE AND NOW THE ANGEL OF JOY THE HOMESTEAD "THE STARRY MIDNIGHT WHISPERS"

A LYRIC "APRIL NOW IN MORNING CLAD"

NIKE THE ENCHANTED TRAVELLER SPRING'S SARABAND TRIUMPHALIS "NOW THE LENGTHENING TWILIGHTS HOLD"

THE SOUL OF APRIL AN APRIL MORNING EARTH VOICES RESURGAM EASTER EVE NOW IS THE TIME OF YEAR THE REDWING THE RAINBIRD LAMENT UNDER THE APRIL MOON THE FLUTE OF SPRING SPRING NIGHT BLOODROOT DAFFODIL'S RETURN NOW THE LILAC TREE'S IN BUD WHITE IRIS THE TREE OF HEAVEN PEONY THE URBAN PAN THE SAILING OF THE FLEETS "'TIS MAY NOW IN NEW ENGLAND"

IN EARLY MAY FIREFLIES THE PATH TO SANKOTY OFF MONOMOY IN ST GERMAIN STREET PAN IN THE CATSKILLS A NEW ENGLAND JUNE THE TENT OF NOON CHILDREN OF DREAM ROADSIDE FLOWERS THE GARDEN OF SAINT ROSE THE WORLD VOICE SONGS OF THE GRa.s.s THE CHORISTERS THE WEED'S COUNSEL THE BLUE HERON WOODLAND RAIN SUMMER STORM DANCE OF THE SUNBEAMS THE CAMPFIRE OF THE SUN SUMMER STREAMS THE G.o.d OF THE WOODS AT SUNRISE AT TWILIGHT MOONRISE THE QUEEN OF NIGHT NIGHT LYRIC THE HEART OF NIGHT PEACE THE OLD GRAY WALL TE DEUM IN OCTOBER BY STILL WATERS LINES FOR A PICTURE THE DESERTED PASTURE AUTUMN NOVEMBER TWILIGHT THE GHOSTYARD OF THE GOLDENROD BEFORE THE SNOW WINTER A WINTER PIECE WINTER STREAMS WINTER TWILIGHT THE TWELFTH NIGHT STAR A CHRISTMAS EVE CHORAL CHRISTMAS SONG THE WISE MEN FROM THE EAST THE SENDING OF THE MAGI THE ANGELS OF MAN AT THE MAKING OF MAN ST. MICHAEL'S STAR THE DREAMERS EL DORADO ON THE PLAZA A PAINTER'S HOLIDAY MIRAGE THE WINGED VICTORY THE GATE OF PEACE

Later Poems

Vestigia.