New-York tribune., 1879-02-04
RICHARD II. DANA.
DEATH OF THE POET AND ESSAIlST'
A sKvTCH OF HIS LIFE AND WORN.


M, had bcen unwcll some weeks hut his condi-
tion was not considered serious until Thursday. Up
90 Friday his mind was uuimpalTed. hut during the
tlav ne began 80 sink rapidly, and passed away
peacefully al 10 o'clock Sunday morning.
Mr. Richard 1Icnry Dana was one Of the most
venerable Of American men Of letters. lie was
born nj Cambridge, Mass. November -, 1877. and
was the son Of Francis Dana eminent jurSt, ana
for tifteen years Chief-Justice Of Massachusetts,
having previously been Minister to Russia during
the Revolution member Of Congress, and mem
her of the Massachusetts Convention for adopting
the National Constitution The Dana family was
an old one in New-Engiand and Its members had
freouently borne a conspicuous and honorable part
In public affairs. Chief-Justice Dana married
daughter of William Ellery. one of the signcrs of the
Declaration Of Independence from Rhode Island.
Richard Henry Dana was taken when about ten
wears old 10 Newport, where lie Is said TO have
,assed much time IN rambling by the sea>horc. and
critics have found IN this circumstance the original
inspiration Of his wc-knOwn poem. The Bucca-
neer" lie matriculated at Harvard College in
1901 and there remained for three wears, but
took 10 degree being concerned IN a rebellion oi
the classes which occurred In 1907. He, however,
pursued the remainder of the college course at
Newport during the heXt two years. He read law
partly with h,s father. and partly in Boston with
lH.
afterward admitted to the bar of Baltimore. where
for some time he resided. He returned 10 Boston,
where hc opened an Office. and being at the ago OF
twenty four elected 70 the Legislature OF Massa-
chusett4 ne took some interest in politics. being
naturally upon the side of the Fcdcrahsts. Three
wears after he delivered in Boston an Grafton on the
4th of July. His health. however, was not robust
and H., tastes being emjncuty literary. he soon
withdrew entirely from the legal profession. tie
vas Oh, Of club of gentlemen IN Boston and Cam
bridge teho IN 1914 projected Tie North fmricdn
Rcycir This in It's earlier years, was Of some
what miscellaneous character. Mr.. Dana was assoc
ciatcd in the cditmshpof The RcrGc with lis
COUSIN Nr Edward Z. Chanting. To it he contrib
utcd among other papers. an Essay on Old Times
f. review of Hazhtts "L,ctUrcs on the English
Poets and an article on the poems of Washing, on
Allston, the painter who was his rothcr-n-iaw.
lie was one Of the tI,t American writers to rccog
Ilc the merits OF the new school Of English poets,
and To- intro luce Wori>worha aId Coeridgc ia read
er-whasetastc. had been formed blythe studyofD Dry
den and Pope His own poems, with those of MI.
Bryant. exercised marked influence, and whatever
there is of merit am originality in our American
poetry began at ,hat time 10 evhbIt itself
When Nj. Claiming rft The North AnpicIr to
become q Harvard professor, Nj. Dana also
laye up III, connection with 1t, and began
tlepuhlcatiou in Ncw-York Of The Idle Man,
work .~~ucl in numbers, and somewhat after the
vlan oi IrvIncs sketch Book" In this he was
sisted 10y Bryant and Allston. The publication
TASTED for little more than one year, when II was
discontinued for want of public encouragement,
thouc, hy q small class il was much read and adj
r1cd 1t Was in "Ihc Idle Man that Nh Dana
Gr,tprmtcl the powerful tale Of Tom Thoraton.'
Ie al-o contributed among other excellent papers,
careful aud cuiogistc estimate Oh the acung OF
Edmund Kcan.
Mr.. Dina's first published poem, The DYING Ra-
ven" appeared in 1~2J III The NCr York EcrioC.
apcrioiica edited by hls friend Mr.. Bryant, and in
1Ec same ycsr and work was printed The luS
bands ard Wllc's Grave In 1927 appeared
small collection from his hand-"Ihe Buccanecr,
md Other Poems which at once established Mr..
Dana- reputation rs a poet of no ordinary merit.
"Thc Buccancer" Wa subsequently, spoken OF very
highly by Professor Wilson III BlocEroods Nogq-iRe,
and to TIM. day it has held its own a remarkable
poem among fasadiOu~ readers. Bryant in a review
Of il siii: There Is the same propensity as was
exhibited in 'Ihe Idle Man to deal with strong
and gloomy passions, with regret, rcmorse, fear,
despair. with feelings over which present events
have "a, control except TO eZaggorate them, and
winch look steadily back 10 the uhaltcrable past,
Or forward 10 the mysterious future
MI. Dana has been by 80 means a profuse writer.
Since 1888 indeed, ne has written bHt little, and,
with the exception Of hi, iuc OF lectures on
Shake-urlrc. no important work These were
rirlt in number and are said to have b'en
prepared az the suggestion Of the autAor- cousin,
tho celebrated Dr. William Ellery Claiming. They
were delivered M the Winters OF $50 and 1910 m
the cit,cS of Now-York, Boston and Ph.ia,c ci,hia,
and. We believe. in some other places. At dif-
fercnt times he has also been contributor to Ihe
ii7t,rg uud Theological Rerisc and to THE SPIRIT @
'bc Pi41~s. and upon one occasion be read 4 poem
AZ Amherst Itcy.. His
,f,. lowcycr. has been an exceedingly qnlc; aud
,rclud,d one TO "a considerable class ol modem
,eadei1 he is almost unknown and, indeed, con-
'onndcd with his son. Mr.. Richard II. Dana, jr. the
distinguished advocate, and author OF " TWO Years
Before tie Mast"
Mr. Dana's writings are all Of a marked religious
character and indicate the interest always tclt by hm
in religious affairs lie took an active part III the
controversy between the Unitarian and Irniaiian
Ccngrcgai iioualists of Massachusetts in 1S25-'31,
his sympathies and convictions being with the lat
ter For many years, however, he has been me!D-
Der Of the Episcopal Church
The death of Mr. Dana, belonging as he did to
past generation, recalls the infancy of American
letter, and awakcns many "reminiscences OF an III
teres,iug character. Emuucutly pure and simple IL
character. utterly aNtrse to mcrctriciouS display,
and doing nothing merely for the sanc of Iepuja-
ton. hc has found poetry its own exceeding great
Teward and study It's own sufficient Iccompense.
A secluded thinker. devctng his life to books and
10 othought ne has made no peTtinaciOus demand for
yecogri,Iou and has written only enough 70 make
lis wish that he had written much more. Such
scholars in this country at least are not common,
and may serve as examples. If haply, amidst the
fever and the strfc, any are left who care To follow
them.
Mi Daua's publications., chrono ogicay arranged,