The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-16
Bayard Taylor.
Stedman's Estimate of the Man and
Author.

Mr.. E. C. Stedman has contributed to the
forthcoming number of Scribner the first part
of an article on Bayard Taylors poetry and
literary career which he intends as the tirst OF
a series of critical essays on American poetry
that shall make in the end companion vol
ume to his well-known victorian Poets"
From advance sheets of the article the extracts
given below are made. Mr.. Stedman accepts
Mr. Taylors career as an illustration OF Amer
lean authorship under somewhat different con-
dtions from those which have affected the
Cambridge writers:
Inherited names and resources, and the van
tage of university life have sustained the
growth of New England school. Poets who
have strayed into New York--and here they
are more seldom born than imported
have carried the harp with one hand
other, and have sung their songs in such noon
ings as they could obtain. Almost without
exception, during recent times, they nave
been thrown upon Journalism for support,
and have experienced whatever good and evil
that profession brings TO the aesthetic sense OF
its practitioner. The laurels, the right and
might of reputation, was inevitable; and Poe's
constant protest, thirty years ago against dis
position to believe that nothing could arise
elsewhere, useless and unmanly as 1t may
have teen, was not without result.
Bayard Taylor, however, was not only
more sturdy and courageous example OF a poet
born out of New England, but must be studied
with the period already named. Younger
than our chief poets still living, he stood with
a few companions-lik Stoddard, Boxer,
Reed-who found their music broken in upon
by the tumult of national war. Never was
there a more inharmonlouS and change1ul
epoch. Wars are storms which introduce
seasons Thus, we are to consider the writings
of poet who dates half way between the ell
der and the rising generations; who was not OF
Cambridge, nor Of Concord, but from the Mid
die States; one, finally, in whose works, al
though the product of a life of action, we
always discern the influences of the study ard
the hearth.
Go back to the happy pastoral county of the
central State which produced Bayard Taylor
from its Oldest and purest Quaker stock.
Here lie broad undulating meadows and wood
lawns, as of some imagined section that should
be wholly characteristic OF the temperate zone
Here Nature has no extremes OF grandeur or
picturesqueness, nor any gloomy aspect, but Is
kindly, simple, attractive, strong; here she
reaches, as in English rural landscape, her
perfect balance, blending all her attributes in
| Just proportion. The sons of such soil are
| rounded aud even in their make, SOUND OIL
Drawn and brain, open to many phases OF me
not likely, once having touched the outer
world, to content themselves with one expert
epce or one purpose, whether morbid or neal
thy and well-conceived
OF Mr.. Taylor's start in literature and what
is termed the sentiment OF the travels which
employed so large portion of his life, Mr..
Stedman says:
Ihave seen his mothers copy OF the thin
little book, now SO hard to find, entitled
ssXimena; OF The Battle of the Sierra Morena,
and other POEMS. 1t was dedicated to Girls,
void, in gratitude for "kind encouragement
shown the author On the hy-leaf is written
in a clear hand, "Rebecca W. Taylor, from her
affectionate son j. Bayard Taylor" The poet
| had reason for the touching devotion he Las
always shown to this noble woman. "The moth,
| er makes us most" He strikingly resembled
her in features; certainly ne lnneriteu a Irolli
| her his courage and virtue, his broad sympa-
| thies much of his literary talent, and sane
| and cheerful mind.
"Ximena'' was printed at a venture, sole
| ly for the purpose OF increasing his
| savings with which to undertake a
! tramp over Europe at that time an
| audacious and almost fanciful design. From
| the proceeds he was enabled to see those pa
| irons in Philadelphia who advanced him, ON
| the pledge of his future labors the sum OF Sl4O,
| which encouraged him to set out upon MS tfav-
I els. After reaching New York he fastened to
| the Tribune office, even at that time the Mecca
| of rustic aspirants, few Of whom placed too
! modest valuation upon their own powers
| However, it was no common youth, TINS strip-
| ling of nineteen, who won the aftectlonate m
/
| found practical friends i'll Willis, Griswoid'
| Goodwin, and the triumvirate of the Phiiade,-
| phia Iress- Patterson, Chandler and the klhd-
| fy editor of Graham's Magazine.
Here L may as well pause to conSlaer 'iie
| sentiment of the travels which employed 50
large a norton of his life, and the quality OF
| their record. Tho latter began in lS49 with
| the famous "Views Afoot," and ended with
"Egvpt and Iceland in the Year 1874, at
| da,e only five years previous to the sudden
| close of his career - rr...,ou
The gist of the whole matter is that Taylor
WAS poet upon his travels. A national IN
| stinct was expressed in the going out OF this
wiry. erect, impetuous young man to see the
/ world The same yearning that brings our
Western youth to the Atlantic shore, has sent
our coast born lads on strange voyages to many
| lands.
In Taylor's case no home ambition, not even
| .he following of an art could restrain MS de'
| s,;re for travel. He went abroad for his per-
slmal delight, and that he might see, and learn
| and grow. His journals were undertaken
chiefiy to give him the means OF adventure
HI made no scientific pretensions. he was
Something of botanist, natural geograpner
could see the form beneath the color ana nae
enoragh of exact knowledge to make MS nara
tive rich and ineligible. Before all, ut
sought the delight of the eye, aud that serle
of Sensations which Pater declares to be th'
sum of life. He had a poets sense OF TN
| n p0pt'S gymDatlV Will