ae 
MOORE’S POEMS. 
fora subscription, than that of bringing for- 
ward his posthumous work in an advanta- 
geous manner, secure both from loss and 
neglect.” 
To analyse a volume of lyrical and 
miscellaneous poems, would be difficult, 
to characterize them will be easier to us, 
and more satisfactory to our readers. 
The moral and religious odes exhibit the 
conceptions of a saint, and the execution 
of a poet; the most fervent, rational, 
and amiable piety, varied and enlivened 
by faithful and animated sketches of na- 
ture, by apt and classical allusions to the 
history and poetry of antiquity, and, 
above all, by the “breathing thoughts 
and burning words” which impress on 
the scrolls of eloquence and poetry the 
stamp, the inimitable stamp, of genius. 
The lighter and miscellaneous pieces, 
are captivating by their harmony, ele- 
gance, and originality of sentiment.— 
‘The subject matter of Mr. Moore’s poems 
is such as the book of nature and of God, 
the treasures of learning, the feelings of 
a warm heart, and the reveries of an ac- 
tive fancy, offer to the retired and con- 
templative man. His versification, evi- 
dently modelled on that of Dryden, is 
sonorous, rich, flowing, and majestic.— 
In forming the measures of his odes, 
which are mostly of the pindaric or irre- 
gular kind, he displays the most exqui- 
site taste and knowledge of harmony ; 
his rhymes partake of the inaccuracy 
common to the last generation of verst- 
fiers; his sentences are sometimes intri- 
cate, from their length and parenthetical 
construction, a fault probably occasioned 
by the want of some friend to whom he 
might have read his compositions aloud; 
and he bas sometimes been guilty, like 
most of those, whose minds receive little 
other nonrishment than such as is sup- 
plied by their own reading and medi- 
tations, of imitating and repeating him- 
self. Occasional imitations of other poets 
might also be pointed out, if the vene- 
rable author were now capable of profit- 
ing by our strictures. ‘apa 
ay “‘ Ode to Spring,” with which the 
volume commences, his the merit of no- 
velty on a trite subject, which is chiefly 
procured by the moral reflections drawn 
from the prospect of universal reanima- 
tion and beauty, and the lively glance 
through nature up to nature’s God.” 
One ode, as a specimen of those on moral 
topics, which have all a strong resem- 
blance to each other in diction, and the 
general tone of sentiment, we present en- 
589 
tire to our readers, who will do justice 
to the new and brilliant simile with which 
it opens, and the noble vein of sentiment 
and picturesque description by which it 
is pervaded. 
«« The Vanity of Fame. 
** As vapours from the marsh’s miry bed 
Ascend, and gath’ring on the mountain's head, 
Spread their long train in splendid pomp on 
high ; 
Now o'er the vales in awful grandeur lour ; 
Now flashing, thund ring down the trembling 
sky, : 
Rive the tough oak, or dash th’ aspiring tow’y 
Then melting down in rain, 
Drop to their base, original again; 
Thus earth-born heroes, the proud sons of 
praise, 
A while on fortune'’s airy summit blaze, 
The world’s fair peace confound, 
And deal dismay, and death, and ruin round, 
Then back to earth these idols of an hour, 
Sink on a sudden, and are known no more. 
«« Where is each boasted favourite of famic, 
Whose wide expanded name 
Fill'd the loud echoes of the world around, 
While shore to shore return’d the lengthen'd 
sound? 
The warriors where, who, in triumphal pride, 
With weeping freedom to the chariot ticd, 
To glory’s capitolian temple rode? 
In undistinguish’d dust together trod, 
Victors and vanquish'd mingle in the grave; 
Worms prey upon the mould'ring god, 
Nor know a Cesar from his slave ; 
In empty air their mighty deeds exhale, 
A school-boy’s wonderyor an ev’ning tale. 
«Tn vain with various arts they strive | 
To keep their litle names alive, 
Bid to the skies th’ ambitious tow’r ascend; . 
The cirque its vast majestic length extend ; 
Bid arcs of triumph swell their graceful round ; 
Or mausoleums load th’ encumber'd ground ; 
- Or sculpture speak in animated stone 
Of vanquish’d monarchs tumbled from the 
throne 
The rolling tide of years . 
Rushing with strong and steady current, bears 
The pompous piles, with all their fame away. 
To black oblivion’s sea; fi 
Deep in whose dread abyss the glory lies 
Of empires, ages, never more to rise! 
«© Where's now imperial Rdme, 
Who erst to subject kings denoune’d their 
doom, ; : 
And shook the scepter o'er a trembling world? 
From her proud height by force barbarian 
hurl'd. i } 
Nov, on some broken capital reelin'd, 
The sage of classic mind 
Her awful relies views with itying eve, 
And o’er departed grandeur fibers a sigh ;: 
Or fancies, wand’ring in his moon-licht walk, 
The prostrate fanes, and mould'ring domes- 
among, 
