William Cullen Bryant: An American VoiceSimply stated, this book will introduce the surprising literary figure behind a familiar name. Though a mere vestige of William Cullen Bryant’s fame survives through inclusion of “Thanatopsis” and perhaps one or two other poems in school anthologies, the nineteenth century celebrated him as one of its great men. He not only deserved that acclaim, but he was actually a more important writer than his century recognized. Half of this volume consists of a Bryant showcase. Three dozen poems chosen from the hundreds he produced reveal him as a revolutionary of prosody seeking refuge from Calvinism in a pantheistic God. Extracts from his criticism are a homily promoting the prospects for American literary nationalism. Also included here is a pair of his tales which, although almost totally unknown, are among the best work in the genre written before the Civil War. The other half of this new volume presents a concise biography and, of special interest, three groundbreaking new critical studies. Gado argues that Bryant is the Founding Father of American poetry. As a poet of nature, Bryant played a literary role comparable to the influence on art exercised by his good friend Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School. But perhaps even more important was the example Bryant set for Walt Whitman in a relationship explored here for the first time. A much briefer piece discovers the consistent philosophical belief addressed by a lifetime of poems. The third essay is unique in its consideration of Bryant’s short fiction, which has never before received attention. William Cullen Bryant: An American Voice is a landmark publication. |
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Page 51
... strong for the good ; the great of earth Had crushed the weak for ever . Schooled in guile For ages , while each passing year had brought Its baneful lesson , they had filled the world With their abominations ; while its tribes ...
... strong for the good ; the great of earth Had crushed the weak for ever . Schooled in guile For ages , while each passing year had brought Its baneful lesson , they had filled the world With their abominations ; while its tribes ...
Page 130
... strong desire to rival it - stronger , perhaps , than that excited by the writings of his predecessors ; for such is our reverence for the dead that we are willing to concede to them that superiority which we are anxious snatch from the ...
... strong desire to rival it - stronger , perhaps , than that excited by the writings of his predecessors ; for such is our reverence for the dead that we are willing to concede to them that superiority which we are anxious snatch from the ...
Page 142
... strong love of romance inherent in the human mind . We all remember how our childhood was captivated with stories of sorcerers and giants . We do not , in out riper age , forget with what a fearful and thrilling interest we hung over ...
... strong love of romance inherent in the human mind . We all remember how our childhood was captivated with stories of sorcerers and giants . We do not , in out riper age , forget with what a fearful and thrilling interest we hung over ...
Contents
BY WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT | 15 |
To the Fringed Gentian 1829 | 73 |
Earths Children Cleave to Earth 1835? | 91 |
Copyright | |
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American poet ancient apple-tree beautiful Berkshires blank verse bloom boughs breath bright brook Bryant Buckel Caspar century character Cummington dark death decades delight dost earth Earth's Children Edgar Allan Poe editor Emerson eyes father fear feet fiction flake flowers forest genius gentle glide grass grave green Green River ground groves hand heart heaven human hump Hymn imagination Indian Spring interest James Kirke Paulding later leaves Leaves of Grass literary living look Medfield mind morning murmur narrative narrator nature New-York Evening Post o'er once pass passion Pennsylvania Legend Peter Bryant's poem poetic political published Richard Henry Dana River rivulet rocks scene seemed shade silent smile Snell society spirit spot story stream summer Thanatopsis thee things thought tree verse voice walk Whitman wild William Cullen William Cullen Bryant wind woods writing York young youth