Land and Sea Pieces : Poems. By Arthur E. J.
Legge. (John Lane. 3s. 6d. net.)—There are two poets at work within the boards of Mr. Legge's slim volume. One is a minor bard, with a gift of dainty versification on the lighter incidents of social life, —a bard not without humour, and with much skill in rhymes and the easier rhythms. The other is a serious poet in embryo, who spoils the light verse by introducing graver thoughts, and now and then essays an ambitious theme in the grand manner. The combination jars a little, though it is clearly realised by the author, and is, indeed, part of his aim. The best light verse should go trippingly to a finish, like Praed's or Calverley's. If you try to paint a tragic picture on a fan, there is a risk of spoiling the fan without attaining a masterpiece. But the attempt is always interesting, and in one at least of Mr. Legge's lighter poems is quite successful. "La jeune faits" has a back- ground of gravity, but it is no more than a background, and the dainty verse has the true comedy air. " Olivia's Garden" is less successful, for a playhouse scene is an insufficient peg on which to hang one of the cruel ironies of life. The unreality of the prologue makes the poignancy of the close unreal and theatrical. On the other hand, in "Michel Angelo" Mr. Legge comes very near a remarkable success. It is vers de societe, and the phil- osophy also is modish ; the sudden revolt against a shallow life in the presence of genius is conceived and executed in the spirit of the life which prompts it. Of the more ambitious poems, we prefer the historical portraits. Mr. Legge has a true sense of the romance of history, and has drawn fine pictures of the last tragic voyage of Ralegh, and of the common soul of Cleopatra stirred against itself by the strange magnetism of Caesar
" Watch him there, Clinging to some of the dandy's air, With his elderly neatness, careful drape Of robe, trim sandals, lean spare shape,
Of courtly bearing, and crinkled smile,—
But ah I with the brow of a lord of men, Throat of a monarch, Arm lips that pen Kingly command in their close-shut breath, And eyes that are looking through life and death."
He has a real sense of style, and at times strong imaginative power, though the light versifier enters occasionally to weaken the effect with a jingling rhythm, some triviality of diction, or an inapposite image. But, taken as a whole, Mr. Legge has the making of a considerable poet, and we are bound to feel kindly towards any one who shows himself so sincere and conscientious a craftsman.
Previous page
