The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-11-21
John Greenleaf Whittier.

resting far short of worldwide recog-
milton Whittier did not attempt to
voice the heart Of the world Still
there have been poets of the local and
the simple life whose verse has stirred
the nations. Perhaps when American
pastoral life has become classic, when
its beauty, simplicity and independ-
ence have impressed the foreigner liv-
ing in close contact with it, the singer
of its fresh, clear notes will win an
audience as wide if not so vast as that
of Burns.
Whittier was singer. What he
wrote seemed to be pressed out by an
overpowering sense that what was go
ing on in his out Of the way New
England home was glorious and wor
thy to be glorifed on the printed page.
He sang ballads; he sang love songs
he sounded paeans to freedom. His
whole life was passed in single coun
ty of single state. In his verse there
is no sign of straining after new and
foreign ideals. The old ideals of his
ancestors was good enough. His emo.
tons were peculiar to America and SO
largely shared by the Americans of his
time that he can be called distinctive
ly the poet of America. In his "Cen
tennial Hymn and in "The Eternal
Goodness" is reflected the deep re-
ligious feeling Of his time and coun-
try. The one is a song of heaven in
spired endeavor; the other breathes
that childlike trust which comes from
simple religious faith.
In Skipper Ireson's Ride" Whittier
has handed down legend of his own
seacoast environment, in 1'The Angels
of Buena Vista a legend Of American
battleields and in Barbara Fret
chic" what he doubtless believed to be
true as well as pathetic episode of
the civil war These stories in verse.
together with the ode "The Barefoot
Boy" are the best known and most
popular of Whittier's short poems
Surely it required mind studded with
the imagery of country life to conceive
those opening lines of Barbara Fret
CHEZ
Up from the meadows, rich with corn,
Ia looao
The clustered spires of Frederick stand
Green walled by the hills Of Maryland.
Round about them orchards sweep,
Apple and peach tree fruited Deep
In Whittier nature spoke, and it's
message would have come anyway.
Perhaps it is true, as alleged, that a
copy of Burns poems which fell UNI
der Whittiers eyes when he. was a
lad at school inspired him to take up
verse He may have read some9of his
own thoughts in the Scotch ploEboy's
poetry But he was not an inftatoT
He was himself Art never cranpe>l
and ambition never warped his muse
SO we read him with the assurance
that it was force from within, not q
call from without, which moved and
guided his song.
Whittier's character was not as
austere as might be inferred from
printed portraits Of him and from
some of his writings. This is shown
by the manner In which he answered
attacks upon the Barbara Frietchie
incident. After the poem became ia
nous one of Stonewan Jacksons staff
officers stated in print that his chief
never saw Barbara Frietchie as re-
cited in the poem and that Barbara
never saw Jackson Thus. challenged.
Whittier answered in print: 1.-The poem
Barbara Frietchie' was written in
good faith. The story was no inven-
ton Of mine. It came to me from
sources which regarded as reliable.
It had been published in newspapers
and had gained public credence in
Maryland and Washington before my
poem was written. had no reason to
doubt its accuracy then, and am still
constrained to believe that it had foun-
dation in fact. IT l thought otherwise
should not hesitate to express it. |
have no pride Of authorship to inter-
fere with my allegiance to truth
Barbara Frietchie was an actual per-
son and was on the scene where the
poem places her. Mrs. Southworth,
the novelist, wrote the story of her
exploit as then current in Washing
ton, to Whittier, confirming it with a
newspaper clipping. Whittier said
that he *'also received letters from
other responsible persons wholly or
partially confirming the story" among
whom was the late Dorothea L. Dix,
who at the time Of it was in Washing
ton in charge of the staff of army hos
spital nurses. Among the relics cher
ished by Whittier was cane made
from a timber taken from Barbara
Frietchie'S house which waS wrecked