New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-09
of the seventeenth century TO live again for the
readers of the nineteenth.
WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.
Mr.. BIGELOW'S BIOGRAPHY.

words have been discussed 10 an cNlcnI winch
seems to leave little room for any fresh comment,
the cxigcncics Of the series of American Men
of Letters obviously ncccssitated such work
as that before us: and Mr.. Bleelow, III MS
preface. advances another and stronger justiiica-
ton Of the undertaking. in the hope " that
compcndious and omparatvcly inexpensive sketch
of his instructive career may reach
class not nconsiderablc in numbers who
have neither the leisure opportunity
for pcrusing the elaborate and schol-
arly biography by Mr. Goodwin" OF course any
sketch Of Bryant by Mr. Bisclow would be sym
pathetic, and this volume is cminently 50. Bat
we can hardly congratulate the author on the
felicity of his arrangement for the book is almost
capricious in this respect. and the result is an
impression rs OF ill-assortcd independent parts
thrown together carclcSsy. The story is in no
sense continuous, but goes backward and for
ward, and right and left, in quite a confusing
way: and. though it is clcvcrly written, its dis
conncctcdncss. operates against il.
There are pcculiaritics in William Cullen Rry-
ants career and development which viii always
render him all interesting subject Of study. Tn
Qucstionably, the most remarkable circumstance
in his life is the sudden blosSoming Of his poetic
genius When we think of Ihanatopsis' ~ the
production Of boy OF seventeen, and remember
that he had written very little bcfo.c-for The
Embargo" hardly "counts"-wc feel that we are
in the presence Of unique phenomenon. But
what is if possible still more striking Is the TACT
that IN seventy years Bryant never surpassed the
level attained in lis youth. The Lines to
Waterfowl" and "Thanatopss" remained his
masterpieces - the very end Of his career. lie
seemed to spring at one bound into maturity. both
of thought and expression. and even as regards
technique. the perfection of his early poems Is
astonishing There is wc think. no other in
stance of n poet who - early mastered tie
mechanism Of vcrsication. or who at such an age
was able 10 touch with the hand Of a master
The highest themes Mr. Bieclow says trily that
there never was ANYTHING morbid in ;ryants
poetry The phases If nature and of life that
commonly evoke gloom and misanihropy IN the
callow vcrsc-makcr inspired him with cheerful,
Wholesome thoughts and grounds of hope for
better things. Even death could not daunt him
lie viewed il as neither more nor lees than n
phenomenon Of nature as necessary aud not more
10 bc feared. than birth. and he inrnlca'cd IN
regard - it what for want Of better phrase, may
be termed a kind Of Christian Stolcism.
The loftincss. purity ard dignity Of his verse
often tend 10 obscure It's beauty. and is spiritual
character has doubtless unconscionsy rcpcllcd
has brought them acquainted with far inferior
but far more human order II poetry. The
E-,pvrcan. as Mr. Brclow says. was his natural
field and at those heights common mor'als find
,hc air too RI Relied for comfort Sudden maturity
in BRYANT was linked with strange stability;
stability not far short Of immutahiliiy. What
LIS poetry was a. the De- inning that IT remained
al The end II cannot ie said 10 exhibit periods
If growth II emerged. like Minerva from the
brain Of 1oyc. adult and complete. and equipped
a, all points: nor did II yield 10 the subtle and
potent influences of environment. 1t continued
during seventy years distinctly Rrycnis poetry;
marked 10y no change Of measure. iy no advances
in tie direction Of greater icNihllir. iY mo- cN-
tension of the Vocabulary, hy no nearer approach
10 inaiyidualism. Throughout II MS admirable
noble in ethics, distinguished by classic SIM
nlicity and uciiiy, clear and graceful OF "ui-
line as Plidian statue. and somewhat rnoi"
from merely human sympaihes II. as hn, often
been asserted Wordsworth was BHan's latest
and most influential Teacher. TIE pupil surely
missed learning one. M east Of the masters most
il.uorfant lessons. Eat the aloofncsS which char
acfrrucs Br,ont's verse was 40 doubt tie mani
ic.iation Of his nature. and indeed is analogue
is ~ be- found in his workaday habits and tendcn-
cirs
There was about him much Of The ancient
Roman of tire Rcpuhlic The severity with which
all his life he lcprchcnlrd WRONG aud irlu iicc.
,r-flc distinction must hc tl,cn-whaf appeared
~ him wrong and injustice. WAS direct lc-acy
from Puritan ancestors That ancestry impaired
10 him the confidence IN his own ludgncu and
in his own standards which may make either an
exemplary character or fanatic, but which docs
not necessarily 90 along with a perfect consist
cncc or n NICE sense Of distinctions. In his hot
Youth Mr.. Bryant. wriihing, IN sympathy with
Ncw-Engand. under Jcfcnon's Embargo. was
ready for secession. and. a. Mr. Eigclow shows.
used The precise arguments on that occasion which
South Carolina was 10 employ in 1861. Mr..
Biacow thinks that if Bryant had remembered
his own early experience wien the Southern states
seeded, his sense Of justice would have impcllcd
him 10 moderate his tone toward tie "errLng
sisters" But this is by no means certain. II is
the popularity OF minds 50 constituted 10 believe
themselves always in thc right, and If circum-
stances change, 50 much the worse for the cir
cnlustances Nor Is this incompatible with
absolute honesty and candor. No one ever CUES
toned Bryanis nobility Of character, Lis spoilcss
integrity. his fearless adhesion 10 whn; b. be-
licvcd right and JUST With his judgment II WAS
quite possiblr 10 quarrel as thousands did quarrel
with his journalistic positions during the greater
part Of his long life: but the manlincss. pnriN.
refinement. picty and righteousness of the poet
were beyond contention. and gave him unique
place in the esteem and admiration of his country
men.
Esteem and admiration are doubtless tributes
70 be- prizcd. bat love j, yet more to hc DESIRED.
and perhaps William Cullen Bryant fell short of
perfection Just here. Mr.. Bisclow speaks Of his
"unapproachablc dignity and observes that
those who were nearest to him IN his newspaper
work were always kept AT arms length SO to
sneak Even in his fainiy his rciiccmcr was
marked and il is significant that he seldom
or never praised any one. especially his subordl-
uatrs These and many other little traits indi-
cafe the existence in him Of a GOODNESS which
could not inspire or invite warm affection H.
is moreover, the quality in his verse which has
prevented it from reaching anything IKE the
l. ILL.,