Chapter II: Preface: xvii

EMILY DICKINSON (1830–1886)
Chartless 4
Indian Summer 4
Suspense 5
The Railway Train 6
A Cemetery 6
Beclouded 7

THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH (1836–1907)
Memory 8
“Enamored Architect of Airy Rhyme” 9
Two Quatrains:
Maple Leaves 9
Pessimist and Optimist 10

JOHN HAY (1838–1905)
Jim Bludso 11
Banty Tim 13

BRET HARTE (1839–1902)
“Jim” 16
Plain Language from Truthful James 19

JOAQUIN MILLER (1841–1913)
By the Pacific Ocean 23
Crossing the Plains 24
From “Byron” 25

EDWARD ROWLAND SILL (1841–1887)
Solitude 26
Dare You? 26

SIDNEY LANIER (1842–1881)
Song of the Chattahoochee 29
Night and Day 31
From “The Marshes of Glynn” 32

CHARLES EDWARD CARRYL (1842–1920)
The Plaint of the Camel 34
Robinson Crusoe’s Story 35

JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY (1849–1916)
“When the Frost is on the Punkin” 39
A Parting Guest 41

EUGENE FIELD (1850–1895)
Our Two Opinions 43
Little Boy Blue 44
Seein’ Things 45

EDWIN MARKHAM (1852– )
Outwitted 48
The Man with the Hoe 49
Preparedness 51
Lincoln, The Man of the People 51