The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-05-14
OUR LITERARY TABLE
A TRUMPET-TONGUED I,yR1sT

Linked together forming as it were, glorious tr
umYir of poesy Whittier, Bryant and LongfeIov-
each with true poetic genius contributing vivid
tinted gems of thought enrich Americas treasure
of literature
How different were the circumstances which SIR
rounded the private lives of these three who were n
give decided trend to the literary thoughts ~ tb
new world; and who still hold so prominent A. place
among its writer's. 1t is said When Nature SETS
about to make poet she has her own college,
Meager, indeed, the equipment of the college
wherein the Quaker poet was trained for his nostic
career He himself tells us the scanty outfit Of tho
home library
OF books and pamphlets scarce score;
One harmless novel, mostly hid
From younger eyes a book forbid
And poetry Tor good bad)
single book was all had
But though almost destitute Of books in his youth
we md the poet elevated above this need and con-
soing himself with the thought that
Nature answered all he asked
Boy-like, he appropriated himself the things
he liked best
4 was rich in flowers and trees.
Humming birds and honey bees
For my sport the squirrel played
Piled the shouted mole his spade:
Laughed the brook for my delight
Thro the day and thro' the night
Ferhaps the best known group of Winters poems
is that styled Voices of Freedom" Through ttaea
breathed his deepest feelings of Liberty and freely
ne pours out his homage at her shrine Though free
yet constant undercurrent of PuritanicaI feeling
moves through the stream of his early poetry Iater
oehold nature broadened and melowed by a noble
manhood ~
The Songs of Freedom" are marred. too. by his
bitter hatred for the South. hatred which he does
not eneeavor 10 hide with d veil of siIverv gauza
nor Wlthout reason that he INDUCES in strong
antipathy Yet poets should be gifted with discern
ing eye and discriminating Judgment so that their
message may convey no distorted image
Beautiful home touches of the poets boyhood DAYS
are scattered throughout his writings and are to them
MnaI the a1ter touches OF the artist his por-
trait Who can doubt that ."The Barefoot Boy is
true image of the poets own uneventfuI life when as
a child. he possessed - "'---l' ID
Knowledge (never learned of schools)
Of the wild bees morning chase.
OF the wild flowers time and place"
Tender echoes OF the peaceful houe-Iife of his
youth, when The quiet of the field and wood sank
Bound" for none knew better than he how to turn
The common unrhymed poetry of simple life and
country ways into the of song.
Some of the sweetest pastorals of the time come
iron the pen Of Whittier What is his Maud Null
Ter but pastoral seasoned with rich American
real environment? 40 ~
While perusing his poems we often see in fancy
such pictures this
Half hidden in quiet nook serene of look and
Talking the old times over the old men sat apart:
While up and down the OLD husked pile or nesting
in the shade.
children played"
Who but true poet imbued with reverence fo.
he dignity of labor could so gracefuIlv tv-ine the
lowers of fancy around humble crafts of lumber
ng. husking shoemaking and the like Of tbe hun,
Die followers of St. Crispn he sings
rr1 red brick to the mason's hand.
The shoe in yours shall wealth command
Like fairy Cinderella's,
As they who Stunned the household maid
Beheld the upon her
so all shall see your toll repaid
With hearth and home and honor"
y likeness between Whttiers poems and Tom
oores has often been noted and we can but admire
ne good taste he showed in choosing so great mas
er for imitation Indeed Irish and Scotch songs first
Weakened his poetic interest
Like most poets, Whittier possesses strong belief
the immortality of the soul. belief to which he
ives expression in number of his writings In his
angels OF Bueno Vista we find him forgetting for
me his Puritanism and singing loud the praises of
he Sisters beautiful miniStratiOns to the diving
Not wholly lost OH Father. is this evil world Of
ours;
Upward through its blood and ashes spring afresh
its Eden flowers
rom its. smoking hell of battle Love and pity send
their prayer
md still thy whte-winged Angels hover dimly in
air
No thread of melancholy so common to most
oets' can be traced in the poems OF whittier Hope
yer seems to find repose in his breast In the dark
st moments he exclains
Shine not from strife unequal,
With the best is always hone
And ever in the sequel
God holds the right side up
Though Whittier never married he was welded
MS writings. and it this close union of his
u to his art that makes his inner self shine through
IS poetry. After years of eager toll he passed into
le great beyond, leaving behind the seal of immcr-
ty. ROSE FARMER
o. Sacred Heart Academy, Ogden
Mr.. Michael H. Feerick, Ballinrobe Mayo, died
prll TO- deeply regretted He was member OF
ne of the most respected families in Mayo.