SWINBURNE, THE POETAUTHOR.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LX, Issue 9344, 15 April 1909, Page 4

SWINBURNE, THE POETAUTHOR.

Algernon Charles Swinburne, the English poet and author, whose death was announced by cable recently, was bom in Loudon iv 1837. As a lad, aud before he was iv his teens, he composed lyrics and ballads, which were largely suggested or influenced by the scenery, traditions aud legendary romance of Northumberland aud the Border lauds. He was also strongly influenced, later, by his mother, who had lived much in Florence aud elsewhere in Italy. He was the friend a Oxford of Dante Gabriel Rosetti, William Morris and Edward Burue-Joues. After leaving Oxford he went to East Dene, near Bouehurch, iv the Isle of Wight. He had written, by this time, though had not published, his first poetic drama, "Chafftelard," which exhibited unmistakable signs of genius. He went to Italy in 1865, aud at FTesole visited Walter Savage Laudor, to whom he dictated his first masterpiece. "Atalanta in Calydon." Swinburne aferwards made his home in Loudon, though it was not till after the publication of Fiothwell (1874), Erectheus (1876), and the second series of poems and ballads (187S) that he left inner for outer Loudon and took up his residence on Putney Hill, where he lived with his intimate friend Theodore. Watts-DuntoH. Swinburne's first book, comprising the two dramas, "The Queen Mother" aud "Rosamund," was published in 1860. "The Queen Mother" is practically a prelude to the great dramatic cycle of Mary Stuart, to which Swinburne gave the best years of his early and middle manhood. Iv 1865 he became one of the foremost poets of his time by the publication of his lyrical drama, in the Greek mould, "Atalanta iv Calydon." "Chastelard" is regarded as the first section of a trilogy ou Mary, Queen of Scots, the companion dramas being "Bothwell" and "Mary Stuart." His "Poems and Ballads" in 18(56 were received with mixed sentiments, as, apart from their beauty, they have a rather maudlin character. Swinburne was generally held to be the greatest master of metrical music since Shelley, au opinion that was confirmed in the publication ot "Songs Before Suurise" and "Erectheus." His latter works did not have the same poetic influence as the earlier productions Swinburne was a poetic dramatist of great power aud beauty, a rhapsodist of emotional life, and above ail the laureate of the sea. His prose work generally contained admirable matter, but inclined to superfluity. His latest publication of note was "Love's Cross Curreuts : a Year's Letters," in 1905.