Ballads of the Occident. By George M. Vickers. (Park View
Publishing Company, Philadelphia.)—There is an abundance —indeed, a superabundance—of patriotism in Mr. Vickers's verses. They are also marked by a good deal of narrative vigour, and, when they deal with the domestic affections, with kindliness and optimism. The range of his poetic vision also is almost too wide. His "Philosophy of Poetry," however, is sadly lacking in depth. Thus, it was hardly worth publishing as a separate poem such lines as- " A kindly act is seldom lost,
And oh ! how small indeed the cost That oft relieves the breast of pain And bids the heart take hope again!"
Mr. Vickers's verses do not always scan. His narrative poems abound in this sort of thing :—
"Two miners then stood beside him, And seated him on the ground, Then the jury and those about them Leaned forward to catch each sound."
If Mr. Vickers would confine his attention to unambitious subjects, and take time to polish his rhymes, he might produce work that would find favour with "aspirants after elocutionary honours,"—the constituency that, it would appear, he specially affects.
Previous page
