The banner-enterprise., 1884-03-17
England's Tribute to Longfellow.

The recognition of American literature I'M.
piled in the placing Of a bust of Longfsllow
in Westminster Abbey, is significant. Com.
ing as it does just as the copyright difficult
ties seem about to be adjusted, it gives rise
to some interesting reflections. English
writers have discovered that they must
henceforth look to America for the larger
proportion of their readers and patrons. On
the other hand, English readers have become
reconciled to American writers. This re-
suit has been mainly brought about by the
circulation in cheap form of the poems Of
Longfellow and the prose of Hawthorne. In
deed, it is said that many more copies Of
Longfellow have been sold in England than
of Tennyson.
In spite of the indisputable fact that the
domain Of letters is republic, it is not the
less true that provincial barriers exist,
which may long prevent the acceptance of
certain works. We have reason to rejoice
in the recognition of Longfellow, not 80 much
because he was typical of American thought,
but because of the virtues which he illustra-
ted. .-..
Few men bathed in the bright light Of
fame have led such blameless lives and mani
tested such purity of character rs this poet,
who by the virtue breathing in his lines, has
won the hearts of the multitude. 1t was a
beautiful life that he led. He had every
blessing that comes from without and from
within. The beauty of his life was but the
outgrowth Of his pure nature, and every cir.
cumstance of his existence conformed to his
poets ideal. The very refinement of his art,
the purity of his verse, the choice of his
themes, the virtues he sung Of, give him an
exalted character and set him apart from
and above the poets who write but for the
day. While his sympathies were universal,
his work revealed the culture of the old
world His metrical methods had the clas.
sic ring.
Perhaps Whittier, Lowell and Hawthorne
will be held in quite as high esteem by the
future historian of our literature, from the
reason that they better gave hespirit ofthe
people among whom they lived. But what
Longfellow lacked in the flavor of tine soil,
he entirely compensated for In the breadth
of his sympathies. If his "Hiawatha" gave
no true rendering of the theme, it at least in
dicated original power. In short, Longfel.
lows work, above all else, proved to Ameri.
can writer's the value of skill. The poets
handicraft WAS mastorful, no one could bet
ter give local coloring to picture. His de-
scription in "Evangeline" of q land he never
saw, bears every mark of what might be
called the prophetic power or the poets sec
ond sight. But on the whole, the mans
manner Of life was too exalted for him to
take hold upon the rough incidents of West
ern life. Thus he was our grandest poet, and
yet not national poet. But by no means
was he lacking in mastery of certain pro-
vincial phases of our country's existence,
His "Courtship of Miles Standish," and
many poem here and there, attest the In
fluence upon him of local affairs, thoroughly
American.
He was eminently bookish man. Foreign
influence bore hard upon him; but for all
that his triumph is national. He has exalted
our literature and given heart to men who
feel their mission as men of letters, tie
held up standard of excellence which has
made him the great schoolmaster OF our
growing literature. To him, as individuals
and as nation, we owe more than to any
American that has written. Let us be thank
full for the purity that he has shed abroad, !,
and praise him for the honor he has done
US, and the hope he holds cot to Ne. aol ne
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