Chapter III: Part II: Analysis of His Genius and Writings

I. THE MAN 169

The Moral in Whittier Predominates over the AEsthetic. Love of
Freedom the Central Element of his Character. Freedom, Democracy,
and Quakerism, links in one Chain. Quakerism Described; Freedom and
the Inner Light; Quakerism is Pure Democracy or Christianity, and
Pure Individualism, or Philosophical Idealism; it Resembles
Transcendentalism; the Details of the Quaker Religion Considered;
Quotations from William Penn, Mary Brook, and A. M. Powell;
Objections to Quakerism; Beautiful Lives of the Quakers; Whittier's
Attitude Toward the Religion of his Fathers. His Religious
Development, Doubt, and Trust. Patriotism. Has Blood Militant in
his Veins. A Representative American Poet. Summing Up.

II. THE ARTIST 196

Little or no _Technique_. More Fancy than Imagination. The Artistic
Quality of his Mind a Fusion of that of Wordsworth and Byron. His
Bookish Lore. The Beauty and Melody of his Finest Ballads. His
Strength and Nervous Energy. Culmination of his Genius. His Three
Crazes. Letters to the _Nation_, and to the American Anti-Slavery
Society. Illustrations of the Predominance of the Moral in his
Nature. Taine Quoted. Pope-Night. His Over-religiousness. Love of
Consecutive Rhymes. Minor Mannerisms. Originality.

III. POEMS SERIATIM 217

Mr. David A. Wasson's Classification of Epochs in the Poet's
Development. The Author's Classification. Four Periods: 1st,
_Introductory_; 2d, _Storm and Stress_; 3d, _Transition_; 4th,
_Religious and Artistic Repose_. General Review of Earlier
Productions. The Indian Poems. "Songs of Labor." The Ballad Decade.
"Prophecy of Samuel Sewall." John Chadwick on "Skipper Ireson's
Ride." The "Barbara Frietchie" Controversy. The Romance of the
"Countess." Winter in Poetry. "Snow-Bound." "The Tent on the
Beach." Various Poems.

IV. THE KING'S MISSIVE 254

Joseph Besse Quoted. Story of the Quaker and the King of England.
The Debate of Whittier and Dr. Geo. E. Ellis of Boston. Humorous
Specimen of Quaker Rant from Mather's _Magnalia_. Terrible
Sufferings of the Quakers.

V. POEMS BY GROUPS 272

The Anti-Slavery Poems Reviewed. Poems Inspired by the Civil War.
Hymns. Children's Poems: "Red Riding-Hood," "The Robin," etc.
Oriental Poems and Paraphrases.

VI. PROSE WRITINGS 279

Much of his Prose of Historical or Sectarian Interest Only.
Charming Nature- and Folk-Studies and Sketches. "Margaret Smith's
Journal." "Old Portraits and Modern Sketches." "Literary
Recreations and Miscellanies." Specimens of Whittier's Prose.

Part III.

TWILIGHT AND EVENING BELL.

I. TWILIGHT AND EVENING BELL 301

Whittier's death at Hampton Falls, N. H. Celebration of his
birthdays. Funeral and memorial services. Personal reminiscences.
Fac-simile of letter to Oliver Wendell Holmes.