The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

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This book was written over -four
years ago. The sudden and untimely
death of the author delayed its publ
cation until the present time,
The author graduated from Column
bia College and Columbia Law School
and received the degree of A. B., IN
1875. In 1873 his health compelled him
to give up the practice of his profess
sion in New York City and he went
West, locating for short time at Co
rinne Utah, where he was for one
term prosecuting attorney. TWO years
later he represented Lehi county, Ida
no, in the lower house Of the Lesisla-
ture in that territory. He continued to
fiji posts of responsibility in Utah foI
several years and to write for the va
rious newspapers and literary journals
In 1885 he accepted the position of edi-
tor of the Portland Daily News. year
later he moved to Chicago, where ne
resumed the practice of law.
During the years that followed he
wrote the THE History of American
Verse" as his leisure permitted.
For want of space the book cannot be
reviewed in detail. Its value as an his
torical work is not under consideration
The book covers the field of American
verse carefully and thoughtfully from
the first. The division of the chapters
indicates something of the carefulness
with which the book has been pre-
pared We have. for instance, voices
From the Wilderness covering the
first century with their meagre achieve
ments 1.-The Puritan Muse" 1624-l165
which the author most happily terms
the "Apotheosis of the Doleful." Death
and the tomb were the most prolific
topics of this era. The very names
of the poets have become lost to us.
Literature in the Middle Colonies,
1eSs-1765, was not important. Hints OF
Nationalism," 1725-1776; "Freneau and
the Connecticut Choir" 17651S15; Del
la Cruscan Echoes" 17s5-1S15, cover pc
RODS of real development in American
literature.
The birth of the artistic spirit i:
placed between the years 1SlS-1SS9. The
Knickerboeker school developed be
tween 1s07-1s40 and gave America
something of permanent value.
The Poets of Sentiments and Pas
SION are given a chapter from 1915
1889, as also the Poets of Nature anG
American Life" 1S17-1s70; "Humore and
Satire" 1S36-1S70; "Idyllic and Lyric
Poets" 1S39-1S70 "Idealism and Real
ISM" 1S36-1S70; THE Aftermath" 1870
1897.
The author disavows any intention o.
criticising authors since 1850 with thu
proper spirit, owing to their closenes'
to our times and prejUdices. The con
illusions of a careful student, like thu
author, are certainly instructive.
TT is nearly three centuries h
writes, since English became the dom
inant language in what is now thu
United States. The history of the Eng
disappearing race therein is a RECORD
of the evolution of modern democracy
Have American literature and Ameri
can democracy developed in CORE
spending degrees? 1 do not see hov
anyone who has given each an impair
tial study can answer in the negative
Our literature, but more especial,
poetry, reflects the national life, char
acter, and experience as completely a
do our social customs or our materia
inventions. Americans have bee
charged with sentimentalism in devo
ton to ideals To sustain those ideal
they have contributed their hearts
best blood and in defense of thos
ideals philanthropists have labored
orators have pleaded, and poets have
sung.
l0eSe pages nave DeeH written IL
vain, if the reader has been unable t
trace therein the course of American
development, the crude provincial lif,
as reflected in the initiative verse of
the colonial years, the struggling afte
nationalism in that of the germinativ,
period, the aspirations towards TIN
beautiful and the ideal in that of tn
formative era, the self-reliant, vigorous
growth in the literary product of tn
middle ages of the century, and tn
culture and polish of the present il
the deliberately finished work of con
temporary writers.
Almost every phase of our nationa
progress and our national trials wher
a great ethical principle is involve,
may be found echoed in the curren
verse Of each period. There is one no
table exception, and that is the on
most obvious, today. 1t Is idle to ig
more the social revolution which, 70
better or worse, we are now undergo
ing-the marked tendency, as manifest
ed in recent legislation toward socia
democracy or social evolution" I'm
less all signs fail, this is somethin
more than a transitory ebulltion. A
yet this latter day socialism has foun
no adequate American singers lik
those of the anti-slavery contest. TIL
Impress .Dl Ille SOCldllHllG spirit Is Id
mare marked in current English vers
than in our own. Even Whitman, wit
all his aggressiveness, shrank from tn
contemplation of it.
I'm spite of this ra-democrati
poets fondness for powerful unedu
Gated persons" the labor agitator wa
Wearisome to him, and he could not pu
himself in touch with the methods G
labor reformers. Whittier's Songs o
Labor" were adapted to conditions c
half a century ago, before the presen
sharply defined class distinctions ha
developed as a result Of unions an
trusts. The social evolutionist is hav
ing abundance to say in current ora
tory, politics, essays, and even in nov
els, but is conspicuously absent fro1
the highest realms Of literature. A
yet no latter-day Elliott or White
has been found to champion the ne
cause. Is this because our moder
poets fail to read Alright the signs
the times, or is it because these II
forms fail to appeal TO the deepe.
sentiments OF our nature?"