Students of American magazines must often have read with pleasure the gay and amusing verses of Mr. H. C. Bunner. In the field of Mr. Dobson and Mr. Frederick Locker, Mr. Bunner is not the chief American poet. He comes distinctly after the author of "Elsie Venner" and the author of "The Heathen Chinee." Mr. Bret Harte and Dr. Holmes are di majorum gentium ; but Mr. Bunner, to our mind, of all the tuneful Transatlantic choir, is nearest to these famous writers. In Airs from Arcady we miss a certain "Chant Royal," written, ...
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Students of American magazines must often have read with pleasure the gay and amusing verses of Mr. H. C. Bunner. In the field of Mr. Dobson and Mr. Frederick Locker, Mr. Bunner is not the chief American poet. He comes distinctly after the author of "Elsie Venner" and the author of "The Heathen Chinee." Mr. Bret Harte and Dr. Holmes are di majorum gentium ; but Mr. Bunner, to our mind, of all the tuneful Transatlantic choir, is nearest to these famous writers. In Airs from Arcady we miss a certain "Chant Royal," written, we believe, by Mr. Bunner, and with a refrain "Behold the deeds that are done of Mrs. Jones." This was a truly American "Chant Royal"; and contained a most humorous sketch, rather rough in handling, of life in the class of clerks and dwellers in cheap boarding-houses. This poem we have vainly sought in Airs from Arcady . Perhaps Mr. Bunner thinks it too rude and reckless a companion for verses in a daintier, style. His prettily-printed volume is divided into sections headed "Arcadia," "Philistia," "Bohemia," "Elsewhere," and "Ultima Thule." These names will give a general idea of the character of the verses under each heading. For Arcadia and all its ways we feel as Villon felt about Franc Gontier. Mr. Bunner scarcely seems to us a rural or a classical poet; not even the Dresden china district of Arcadia is quite the native country of his soul. His refrains "Across the World to Arcady" and the like suggest a refrain of Mr. George Simcox's, in a poem which Mr. Bunner very probably never read, but which lingers in the ears of him who has once heard it. The following example of Mr. Bunner's Arcadian lay is pretty, at all events, and tuneful: Ah, woe is me, through all my days Wisdom and wealth I both have got, And fame and name, and great men's praise; But Love, ah, Love! I have it not. There was a time, when life was new But far away, and half forgot I only know her eyes were blue; But Love -- I fear I knew it not. We did not wed, for lack of gold, And she is dead, and I am old. All things have come since then to me, Save Love, ah, Love! and Arcady. Indeed, on second, or rather third, thoughts, and after a third reading, we think better than we did of Mr. Bunner's opening piece; he, too, may say, et ego in Arcadia. But no number of readings reconcile us to some jarring consonants in a rondel, "O! Honey of Hymettus Hill." In "Philistia" the first piece, "Da Capo," is conventional, like its subject, and its metre, a favorite with Mr. Bunner, the metre of "Dolores" applied to light topics: -- 'Tis a commonplace, stale situation, Now the curtain comes down from above On the end of our little flirtation-- A travesty romance; for Love, If he climbed in disguise to your lattice, Fell dead of the first kisses' pain: But one thing is left us now; that is-- Begin it again.
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Add this copy of Airs From Arcady and Elsewhere to cart. $6.95, good condition, Sold by Redux Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Wyoming, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1884 by Charles Scribner's Sons.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Hardcover. No DJ. Pages are clean and unmarked. Gilt top page edge. Covers show light edge wear with rubbing/light scuffing. Binding is tight, hinges strong.; 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed! Ships same or next business day!
Add this copy of Airs From Arcady and Elsewhere to cart. $7.79, good condition, Sold by UHR Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hollis Center, ME, UNITED STATES, published 1884 by Charles Scribner's Sons.
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Good. No Jacket. Book Moderate scuffs, soils and other marks on exterior, with a cocked binding and slightly bowed front board; top edge guilt. 109 pages.
Add this copy of Airs From Arcady and Elsewhere to cart. $10.00, fair condition, Sold by Princeton Antiques Bookservice rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Atlantic City, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1888 by CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS.
Add this copy of Airs From Arcady to cart. $10.00, good condition, Sold by Peter L Masi - Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Montague, MA, UNITED STATES.
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And Elsewhere. N-Y: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1884. [First Edition]. 109p. 18x12.5cm, gilt-stamped blue cloth. BAL 1891. Editor of PUCK 1878-96. Cover worn, page edges soiled, G.
Add this copy of Airs From Arcady and Elsewhere to cart. $12.00, very good condition, Sold by Grendel Books, ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Springfield, MA, UNITED STATES, published 1884 by Scribner's,.
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Very Good. First edition. Small octavo, bound in blue buckram with gilt lettering and design, top edge gilt. Minor edge wear at the base of the spine, previous owner's name on front endpaper, else very good. No dust jacket.; 109 pages.
Add this copy of Airs From Arcady and Elsewhere to cart. $15.00, very good condition, Sold by PJK Books and Such rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Murrells Inlet, SC, UNITED STATES, published 1884 by C. Scribner's Sons.
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Very good. C. Scribner's Sons, 1884. First Edition. Hard Cover. No dust jacket. Top edge gilt. Cover has very slight shelfwear with slightly rubbed spine ends and corners. Binding is cracked at title page with small tear on bottom of front endpaper. Binding is also cracked at back endpaper. Writing on back flyleaf. Pages are clean and unmarked. Hinges are perfect. Very nice copy.
Add this copy of Airs from Arcady and Elsewhere to cart. $17.31, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2017 by Hansebooks.
Add this copy of Airs From Arcady and Elsewhere to cart. $18.00, good condition, Sold by Olympia Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dowagiac, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1884 by C. Scribner's Sons.
Add this copy of Airs From Arcady and Elsewhere to cart. $20.00, very good condition, Sold by Top Notch Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tolar, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1888 by Charles Scribner's Sons.
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Very Good. No Jacket. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. Blue cloth boards with gilt lettering and illustration, corner bumped. Pages are clean, text has no markings, binding is sound.
Add this copy of Airs From Arcady to cart. $20.00, very good condition, Sold by Between the Covers-Rare Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester City, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1886 by Charles Scribner's Sons.
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Very Good. Later printing. 12mo. Pictorial navy blue cloth gilt stamped, top edge gilt. Contemporary owner's name and address on front fly, spine cocked, edges a bit worn, a very good copy. Poetry.
