The Poets and the Poetry of the Century. Edited by
Alfred Miles. (Hutchinson and Co.)—" This volume," says the editor in his preface, " is devoted to the Humorous poetry of the cen- tury." A review of its contents makes us think that it may fairly compare, if not for absolute literary merit, yet for that eminent and indispensable virtue of readableness, with any one of the volumes that have preceded it. It may even be said to surpass most of them. The truth is that the "Humorous Society, Parody, and Occasional Verse of the Time" is remarkably good. Hookham Frere, James and Horace Smith, Thomas Moore, Barham, Planche, Hood, Paced, Thackeray, Lever, Aytonn, Calverley, and J. K. Stephen, to speak only of the dead, make a brilliant array. And there are not a few living writers who may fairly be ranked with them. Mr. Miles has made a very good representative collection, beginning with George Crabbe and ending with Mr. Edmund B. V. Christian, whose births are separated by just one hundred and ten years. Mr. Miles seems to have been fortunate in overcoming the difficulties of copyright. Mr. Andrew Lang, indeed, is not here, and his absence must of course be due to this cause, but the humorous verse-writers of the day are well represented,—and there is nowadays, we think, more humour in verse than in prose, at least on this side of the Atlantic. We are glad to see some extracts from Miss May Kendall's work. Miss Kendall has made a new departure,—a woman writing humorous verse.
Previous page
