The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-07-03
WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.
Story ofthe Life of the DISTINGUISHED Poet,

WILLIAM CULLEN AMI
Story ofthe Life Of the Distinguished Poet,
William Cullen Bryant was born at
Cummington, Hampshire county, Mass,
November 3, 1894. From his infancy
he evinced a precocity that ripened with
his years, and before he attained his
tenth year he communicated lines to the
County Gazette, which were marked with
the unmistakable stamp of genius. Nat
urally his parents took the greatest care
that a mind, which 30 early gave evil
dence of great power, should be careful
" developed, and his father, Peter Bry-
ant, a physician held in high repute in
the locality, and one who had Travelled
extensively, devoted much time to the
culture of his sons mind. In his four
teenth year Bryant wrote two poems,
each of considerable length, called 'sThe
EMBARGO" a political satyre, and "The
Spanish Revolution" These were his
first attempts at any length, although
he had at different times previous to
this year composed disconnected stan
zas. On this account his friends advised
publication, and the young poet reluc-
family consented. In the following
wear GSO9) a second edition was pub
iished, and in the preface to that edi-
ton it was found necessary to certify
the production, in order to remove the
skepticism of the public. When only
eighteen years of age Bryant wrote
"Thanatopsis," one of the literary mon
uments of the nineteenth century-a
poem which wss hailed with delight by
the public, and which placed its author
in the foremost rank of living poets. He
had entered Williams College in 1910,
where he became distinguished for his
attachments in language and 1 n polite
literature, and for his shy, retiring dis
position. He spent only two years in
college, and in 1872 obtained an honor
able dismission and turned his attention
to the study of the law. In three years
he was admitted to the Bar, and began
to practice at Plainfeld, and subse-
ouently at Great Darlington. He at
once rose to distinction in the local and
in the State courts, and was always no
ted as much for the neat turning Of his
sentences as for the pure, simple Anglo.
Saxon he used. But his tastes inclined
him to literature rather than the law,
and in 1917, when "Thanatopsis" was
published in the North Amaeacan Re-
view, MI. Bryant was brought In con-
tact with Mr.. Richard 81. Dana, who
was one of the club which then on
Quoted the Review, and who invited the
young poet to contribute. Bryant sent
in several prose articles to that periodi-
cal. In 1921 he delivered before the
Phi Beta Kappa Society, OF Harvard
College,, a didactic poem on "Ihe
Ages" In that year several OF ms
poems were collected and published in
a volume at Cambridge. This publica-
ton established his reputation firmly,
and since that time Bryant has always
been regarded as a man of right belong
ing to the people. Since then his pub
Lie actions have been watched keenly,
and every line of poetry falling from
his pen has been seized and read with
avidity. About this time Bryant mar
ried, and four years later, in 1925, ne
removed to New York, where ne re-
sumed his literary labors as editor OF the
New York RevieU, which o after
merged in the Unated States RevSeW,
to which he contributed several crit
cisms and several poems.
In the following year, 1926, be be-
came connected with the Evemang Post,
and for ffty-two years his name has
been identified with that journal, as that
journal has been identified with the
name OF Bryant. In addition to his edi-
torial duties on the Post, Bryant was
associated with Gulian @. Verplanck
and Robert G. Sands, from 1927 to 1880,
in the editorship of the Idlisnaan, a
highly successful annual. This was
about the busiest time of his life, mas
much as he was identified with all pub
lie movements, and his word carried as
much weight with it then as the day be-
fore be received his fatal fall. He also
contributed at this time the tales of
"Medfeld " and ssThe Skeletons Gave"
to q book called "Tales of the Glauber
Spa." A complete collection of his
poems was published in New York in
1882. Washington Irving was in Lon
don at the time, and received a copy.
He at once caused it to be reprinted,
and it was most cordially received by
the English people.
The first trip he made was in 1884,
when he travelled through France, Italy
and Germany, acquainting himself
thoroughly with the languages and the
countries, and the languages then
learned he has ever continued to Guilt
vate eedulously. Upon his return to
this country he resumed his editorial
labors till 1916, when he again went
abroad. His visit was brief, however,
and when he reached America he picked
up his professional duties for a time,
but relinquished them ostart on a voy-
q of discovery through the United
States, from Maine to Florida, and also
to Cuba. The result of these incur
sions was made manifest in a book enti-
tied "Letters of a Traveller" which ap-
peared after his return from his third
visit to the old countries-when he ex-
tended his journeys into Egypt and
Syria-and which also contained the
letters written to his journal during his
%sojourn abroad.
Mr.. Bryant was frequently called
upon to pay tribute to the genius of de:
parted Americans. His first service of
this kind occurred in 1S49, when he pro-
nounced a funeral Grafton on Thomas
Cole, the artist; and when James Feni-
more Cooper died, in 1852, Mr.. Bryant
delivered a discourse on his life and
writings. But the most painful, though
perhaps the most pleasant, of all his
solemn duties transpired in 1860, when
he was called upon to pay a last tribute
on all that remained of his dear friend
Washington Irving. MI. Bryant made
an address on the life and achievements
of s. F. B. Morse, on the dedication of
the statue to the great inventor in Gen.
trail Park, and he also delivered address,
es on Shakespeare and Scott on similar
occasions in 1872. In May, 1877, he
appeared again in the same role when
the statue of Fitz Green Ralleck was
presented to the Park commissioners;
and his death was caused by a fall re-
ceived while returning from the Park,
where he had delivered an address at
the nnveilinp of a statue to MaZZini. the