All honor to him, who, while he charms our
fancy and warms our heart, strengthens our souls, ennobles our views,
and bears us, on the wings of his pure imagination, to the gates of
heaven. We are ready to accord him the highest rank among our _living_
poets. No affectations deform his lines, no conceits his thoughts, no
puerilities his descriptions. His 'Huskers,' should be graven on every
American heart; his 'Andrew Rykman's Prayer' on that of every Christian.
We regard this poem as one of the noblest of the age. Humble devotion
and heavenly grace are in its every line. We pity the being who could
read it unmoved. We deem 'the world within his reach' is indeed
'Somewhat the better for his living,
And gladder for his human speech.'
It seems useless to us to commend this volume to our readers; the name
of its author must be all-sufficient to attract due attention. Has not
this truly national and patriotic poet a home in every American heart?
If not, he deserves it, and we for one offer him our grateful homage.
Not only shall the refined and cultivated in the coming ages praise the
noble singer, but the 'dark sad millions,' whose long 'night of wrong is
brightening into day,' shall bless him, as,
'With oar strokes timing to their song,
They weave in simple lays
The pathos of remembered wrong,
The hope of better days,--
The triumph note that Miriam sung,
The joy of uncaged birds:
Softening with Afric's mellow song
Their broken Saxon words.
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