The Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell, with a Critical Preface by W.M. Rossetti (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 Excerpt: ...obscurities, As a mud-puddle seems deep as heaven for a minute, While a cloud that floats o'er is reflected within it. 'There comes, for instance; to see him's rare sport, Trend in Emerson's tracks with legs painfully short; How he jumps, how he strains, and gets red in the face, To keep step with the mystagogue's natural pace He follows as close as a stick to a rocket, His fingers exploring the prophet's each pocket. Fie, for shame, brother bard; with good fruit of your own, Can't you let neighbour Emerson's orchards alone? Besides, 'tis no use, you'll not find e'en a core, --has picked up all the windfalls before. They might strip every tree, and E. never would catch 'em, H is Hesperides have no rude dragon to watch 'em; When they send him a dishfull, and ask him to try 'em, He never suspects how the sly rogues came by 'em; He wonders why 'tis there are none such his trees on, And thinks 'em the best he has tasted this season. A FABLE FOR CRITICS. 349 'Yonder, calm as a cloud, Alcott stalks in a dream, And fancies himself in thy groves, Academe, With the Parthenon nigh, and the olive-trees o'er him, And never a fact to perplex him or bore him. With a snug room at Plato's, when mght comes, to wctlk to, And people from morning till midnight to talk to, And from midnight till morning, nor snore in their listening;--So he muses, his face with the joy of it glistening, For his highest conceit of a happiest state is Where they'd live upon acorns, and hear him talk gratis; And indeed, I believe, no man ever talked better--Each sentence hangs perfectly poised to a letter; He seems piling words, but there's royal dust hid In the heart of each sky-piercing pyramid. While he talks he is great, but goes out like a taper, If you shut him up closely with pen, ink, and ...