Poets of the South

the hardships of pioneer colonial life, in which he proved himself a leading spirit, he had the literary zeal to complete his translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, which he had begun in England. A

ote were very far removed from t

uncom

, in faith and t

literature. The energies of the most intelligent portion of the population were directed to agriculture or to politics; and many of the foremost statesmen of our country-men like Washington, Jefferson, Marshall, Calhoun, Benton-were from the Southern states. The system of slavery, while building

nd their intellectual nourishment in the older English classics, and Pope, Addison, and Shakespeare formed a part of every gentleman's library. There were no great publishing houses to stimulate literary production; and to this day Southern writers are dependent chiefly on Northern publishers to give their works to the public. Literature was hardly taken seriously; it was rather regarded,

st was Richmond, the home of Poe during his earlier years, and of the Southern Literary Messenger, in its day the most influential magazine south of the Potomac. It was founded, as set forth in its first issue, in 1834, to encourage literature in Virginia and the other states

ilmore Simms's genial culture broadened its sympathies. The latter was the Maecenas to a band of brilliant youths who used to meet for literary suppers at his beautiful home." Among these brilliant youths were Paul Hamilton Hayne and Henry Timrod,

in a general stimulus to literary effort. In this respect it may be fairly claimed that the South was more cosmopolitan than the North. In New England, theology and transcendentalism in turn dominated l

e of isms tied to

narrowing influence of one-sided theological or philosophical tenets. They have not aspired to the r?le of

interest in art and in their Southern home. Their genius was nourished on the choicest literary productions of England and of classic antiquity; an

or a time at least, with the Confederate army. In the earlier stages of the conflict, the intensity of their Southern feeling flamed out in thrilling lyrics. Timrod

[*] enumerates more than twelve hundred writers, most of whom have published one or more volumes. There are more than two hundred poets who have been thought worthy of mention. More than fifty poets have been credited to Virginia alone; and an examination of their works reveals, among a good deal that is commonpla

of our patriotic hymns. He was born in Frederick County, Maryland, and was educated at St. John's College, Annapolis. He s

dment with the keenest anxiety. In the morning, when the dawn disclosed the star- spangled banner still proudly waving over the fort, he conceived the stirring song, which at once became popula

see, by the da

hailed at the twili

nd bright stars throu

e watched, were so

red glare, the bom

the night that our

t star-spangled

the free and the

up and educated in Augusta, Georgia. He studied law, became attorney general of his adopted state, and later entered Congress, where he served for several terms. He was a man of scholarly tastes and poetic gifts. He spent five years a

my more tha

eart and fri

side some fo

hall I re

o'er the

sigh to th

g and bel

or me,-for w

author of a volume of poems of more than usual excellence, it is the melancholy lyric, My Life is like the Summer Rose, that, more

like the s

to the mo

shades of e

d on the gr

e rose's

dews of nig

wept the w

all weep a

ore congenial pursuit of literature. In 1828 he established at Hartford the New England Weekly Review, in which a number of his poems, serious and sentimental

ade his paper useful to Southern letters by encouraging literary activity in others. It was chiefly through his influence that Louisville became one of t

ongest remembered, were collected after his death. His best-known poem is The Closing Year. Though its vividness and eloquence are quite remarkable, its style is, perhaps, too decla

not, t

n-it will er

ra to the na

s and mountain

eep, portent

rush of subte

ngled sounds o

e Tempest, wit

folds upon the

ward with his

rnal mountains.

edom-and her

answered in a

lltop of her

ks across old

reedom! is the

rting from the

e-'tis brightenin

the night have c

wer the signal f

tchword, like t

he volcano's b

the earth. Brig

n the wing.-Yo

bended by th

e's dark surges

ve and mercy

e many storms

ilence, and th

forms of glory

immed brightnes

d tireless literary career was editor, poet, dramatist, historian, and novelist. He had something of the wideness of range of Sir Walter Scott; and one can not but think that, had he lived north of Mason and Dixon's line, he might occupy a

mes of verse. In 1832 his imaginative poem, Atalantis, a Story of the Sea, was brought out by the Harpers; and it introduced him at once to the favorable n

le of jealousy, and he took delight in lending encouragement to young men of literary taste and aspiration. He was a laborious and prolific writer, the number of

ally portrayed. The Partisan, the first of this historic series, was published in 1835. The Yemassee is an Indian story, in which the character of

by fine poetic quality. The following lines, which represent his

ue sign of r

s no march,

, or, with the

o'er possessi

sensible waste,

secret of co

ued conquest;

in the uses

in vain walled tow

London, while his father was American minister at the court of St. James. At the age of nine he was brought home to America, and educated at Baltimore. He spent eight years in the

imple on the

auty, and the

licate and g

genius femin

wed, nor dare t

never to have

noes send to hea

es, like altars

upied a part of his abundant leisure (for he was not successful in his profession) in writing poetry. A thin volume of poems was publish

is cup to

elines

of her

eming

he better

y stars h

air, that,

of earth t

tone is m

e of morn

ing more t

ver in h

of her hea

her lips

see the b

ue from t

anifested a literary bent, and wrote for the Knickerbocker Magazine, the oldest of our literary monthlies, before he was out of his teens. He was noted for his love of outdoor life, and became a thorough s

reak has got

conquer for

some history,

d writing it

orence Vane which has the sincerit

hee long a

ence

right dream

come

in my fon

t's dea

and thy

ence

n lone a

ruin

didst har

ven

t-the hu

y and

re in my

ence

lovelier th

eir p

excelled

etest

t was as

ut a

ad loved

nce V

y Department at Washington. On the outbreak of the Mexican War he enlisted as a private soldier, and by his gallant service rose to the rank of captain and major. After the close of the war he returned to Was

ten to commemorate the Kentuckians who fell in the battle of Buena Vista. Its we

drum's sad

ier's la

Life's para

ve and f

eternal cam

nt tents a

ards, with s

uac of t

itting tribute in having his body removed to Frankfort and placed by the

on of Paul Hamilton Hayne, who edited a volume of Ticknor's poems, he was "one of the truest and sweetest lyric poets this country has yet produced." The Virginians of the Valley was writ

hey slept!-th

s of nob

d while the

heir vig

'Golden Hors

d Domini

ve found ench

a knight

ounded in some engagement, and after being taken to the hospital at Columbus, Georgia, was finally nursed back to life in the h

focal and fo

hospital wa

grape-shot

battle and

uch as you

ffen of T

*

om from the

ed at the fro

fen was up

irst-as he b

int of his st

pared!' There was

Giffen.-He d

n April Morning, Twilight, The Hills, Among the Birds-appealed to his sensitive nature. Shut out from literary centers and l

Bachelor of Arts in 1845. Two years later he became editor of the Southern Literary Messenger; and during the twelve years of his editorial management, he not only maintained a high degree

orth many a stirring lyric, the best of

covered hi

pahannock

crimsoned w

s recent s

e Doodle," which in turn had been gree

ce more the

he stor

pon the ev

gned a ho

w stream its

the gliste

now the Yan

t stood t

onsive sou

tive note'

me, Sweet Hom

n founts

Gray, the

e wand o

'neath the l

n by the

to Blackwood's Magazine and other English periodicals. On his return to America, he was engaged on the editorial staff of th

hum drifts o

above the

d leaves, a

l summer a

ing the bird

he river o

; and in range of subject and purity of sentiment she is scarcely inferior to her great English contemporary. She was the daughter of the Rev. George Junkin, D.D., the founder of Lafa

l War, and found inspiration in its deeds of heroism. Beechenbrook is a rhyme of the war; and though well-nigh forgotten now, it was read, on its publication in 1865, from the Potomac to the Gulf. Among h

it matter

path below

und through d

ray or go

back on it

it matter

helped, I t

foot agai

charge of th

think of th

*

it matter?

re the way

laddened, l

not of the h

reach Him

care for the

ear of lap

clung to Chri

rough the r

l smoothen

it matter

this: that

yward,-helpe

gh rack, or s

, all in all

newer race of poets. Here and there delicate notes are heard, but there is no evidence that a great singer is present among us. Yet there is no ground fo

age in literature. In no insignificant degree its rich-ored veins have been worked in prose. JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS has successfully wrought in the mine of negro folk-lore; GEORGE W. CABLE has portrayed the Creole life of Louisiana; CHARLES EGBERT CRADDOCK has pictured the types of character found among the Tennessee moun

outhern Literary Messenger. Southern writers are still dependent upon Northern periodicals, in which they can hardly be said to find a cordial welcome. It seems th

ted a barrier between itself and the sanity of a practical, truth-loving people. Let us hope that this aberration is not permanent. When poetry returns to simplicity, sincerity, and truth; when it shall voice, as in the great English singers, Te