The Gavelyte, November 1908

CEDARVILLE COLLEGE. 145 The Genius of Whittier. BY EDNA ARDREY. In the maim of poPtry the realm in which we evAr think of WhittiP1· what are the evi<len<:PS of gen ius? Perhaps the most striking peculiarity of his poems is thPir metrical simplicity. No poet has expressed truly poetical thoughts in so simple a way as has Whittie r. Thoroughly con– sistent with the pu rpose of his pro<luction i s th i s simplicity A Qq:,iker meter it m::iy well be called f.ir it is the soul language of a lovely Qu.aker poet. AftPr reading Tangled Whet of · Whitman or after wrestling with the poems of , Browning how gladly do we turn to "Maud Muller on a summer day. Raked the meadow sweet with hay" or again The dark eye has left us The spring bird has flown On the pathway of spirit She wanders alone. ,, Of all his lite:rary woJ·ks Whittier valued most highly his Song of Freedom. Elizabeth Phelpc:: say'3, "He sang t~em as the prophets of Isreal in their holy trances. The spirit of God constrain~d him." ,. · He was a literary HAhrew. . l ~d "Our fellow countrymen in chains ~laves in a land of light and law Slaves crouching on the· very plains Where rolled the stone of Freedom's wal' A groan from Elltaws huntljd wood A,wail .,here Camdens martyrs fell By every shrinA of patriots flood From Moultrie's wall and Jasper's well By storied hill and hall.>wed grot By mossy wood and marshy glen And hurrying shouts of _Marion's men. The groan of breaking hearts is there Th'-' falling lash! The fetters clank ~l:ivP14! Rl:w1°s! arc, l>r~athing t.hat, nir spoke