Poems of Early and Later Years. By D. M'Corkindale. (Simpkin,
Marshall, and Co.)—This is one of those distressing little volumes of verses which attempt, not always without success, to deprecate the rigid application of critical judgment by means of a preface of ex- ceeding humility. But, however willing we may be to make the attempt, we cannot shut our eyes to the salient fact that Mr. D. M'Corkindale, is not, in any sense of the word, a poet. His principal characteristic ap- pears to be an entire want of ability to adapt his language to his subject. What can be more absurdly incongruous than to describe the steady pounding of Waterloo as a "wild brilliant flash ;" to apostrophize Miss Nightingale as
" Sweet maid, whose name the world has thrill'd, In fascination unsurpassed ;" or to address the Queen, apropos of the death of Prince Albert, in the following strain :— " Lady, though thine's a golden cup, Foaming with pleasure to the brim, Thou'd dash aught from that queenly lip That drown'd a thought of him ?"
Our last extract is a rather favourable specimen of Mr. M'Corkindale's poetical powers.
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