New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-09-16
TIE POET WHITTIER.
photographed Rsntnisssncs

II was unlike any of the rest, /
think, for never had any methods.
/ When l felt like it I wrote, and nei-
ther had the health nor the patience
! to work over it afterwards It usual
" went as it was originally completed.
Emerson wrote with great care, and
would not only revise his manuscript
carefully, but l have often heard him
say that he would frequently rewrlte
the article upon the proof-sheets.
Longfellow, too, was q very careful
!, writer. He wrote and rewrote, and
would lay his work by and then revise
| it. He often would consult With his
friends about his productions before
they were given to the world. He
therefore sent his work out as perfect
| as great care and a brilliant intellect
could make it. Twas not so fortunate.
have lived mostly d secluded life,
with little patience to draw upon, and
only a few friends for associates.
What writing have done has beenfo for
the love of it. have ever been timid
of what have penned. It is really a
marvel to me that Ihave gathered any
literary reputation from my produc-
tions.
'Much that I have written I wish
! was as deep in the Red Sea as
Pharaoh's chariot wheels. Much of
! the bread cast on the waters l wish
had never been returned. 1t is not
fair to revive writings composed in the
/ shadow of conditions that make even
acceptable work impossible. In my
early life was not favored with good
opportunities. Limited chances Of ed
!, ucatio11 and a lack Of books always
| stood in my way. When l began to
write had seen nothing and virtually
knew nothing of the world. OF course,
things written then could not have been
worth much. -
SIN my fathers house there was not
a dozen books, and they were of a Sc
we're type. The only one that ap-
preached poetry was a rhy1ned his
tory Of David, written by a contem-
porary of George Fox, the Quaker.
There was one poor novelin the family
1t belonged to an aunt. This secured
one day; when I had read it hall
through I was discovered, and it was
+.
My first glimpse of poetry was when
my old schoolmaster brought a copy
of Burns poems and read from it at
our house. My first real work was
done when George D. Prentice was
editing the Hartford Review, although
| had written considerably before. /
wrote and sent him few things, and
he encouraged me. When he recon-
mended me to take his place the
publishers wrote me and Invent down.
had then seen practically nothing of
the world, and for the two wears Ire
manned with the Review my greatest
effort was to keep people from know
ing how little really knew
II wrote continually, but there was
no market for. the work. My anti
slavery convictions made my name
valueless to any of the magazines; but,
strange as it may appear, the Demo
cratic Review was always anxious for
my writings. n
| HssWas there no market at all? No
price set5upon your work."
None. i just wrote for any paper
that would publish my matter, and if
LongfelloW, Emerson, Hawthorne or
| myself had been forced to rely upon
the products Of our pens for our liv.
ing, we would have wanted bread in
those days when most of our best work
was done. To me this is q queer
phase of literary life, to find, that the
greatest geniuses that America has ev-
Ger given to literature should have
toiled without recompense, and been
forced to wait until they were old be-
fore reaping the fruits Of their labor.
Truly, it is hard work for writer to
get foothold."