— * I say `most of the Bibliography down to 1888', because Dr. Burton's different purpose led him to exclude items that could not be omitted in a Bibliography that, like mine, tries to be complete. —
As to the selections made, I wished to include `The Marshes of Glynn' and yet not to exclude `Sunrise'. But both could not be put in, and I finally gave the preference to `Sunrise', chiefly on the ground of its being Lanier's latest complete poem.* I believe all will admit that the poems selected fairly exemplify the genius of the poet. The poems are arranged, not as in the complete edition, but in their chronological order, the only proper one, I think, for a text-book. Of course, they are all given complete.
—
* Later opinion generally agrees that "The Marshes of Glynn"
is Lanier's greatest poem, and as this edition has no limitations of space,
it would be inappropriate to exclude it. Therefore it has been inserted
more or less in chronological order (in accordance with Callaway's plan),
with some comments. — Alan Light, 1998.
—
In the Notes I have made rather copious quotations from poems familiar to English scholars, because I hope that this book will go into the hands of many to whom they are not familiar, and to whom the original texts are not easily accessible. And yet, if they at all attain their end, the Notes must lead one to wish to know more of English poetry, of which Lanier's is but a part.
Among the friends that have helped me by counsel or otherwise I gratefully name Mr. Clifford Lanier, brother of the poet; Professor Wm. Hand Browne, of the Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Charles H. Ross, of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute; and my colleagues in the School of English in the University of Texas, Mr. L. R. Hamberlin and Professor Leslie Waggener. Chief-justice Logan E. Bleckley, of Georgia, a man of letters as well as of law, very kindly put at my use his correspondence with the poet, the original draft of `Corn', and his criticisms upon the same. My chief indebtedness, however, is to Mrs. Sidney Lanier, who has been most generous with her time and her husband's papers.
Morgan Callaway, Jr.
University of Texas, October 1, 1894.
Contents
Introduction
I. A Brief Sketch of Lanier's Life
II. Lanier's Prose Works
III. Lanier's Poetry: Its Themes
IV. Lanier's Poetry: Its Style
V. Lanier's Theory of Poetry
VI. Conclusion
Poems
Life and Song
Jones's Private Argyment
Corn
My Springs
The Symphony
The Power of Prayer; or, The First Steamboat up the Alabama
Rose-morals
To ——, with a Rose
Uncle Jim's Baptist Revival Hymn
The Mocking-bird
Song of the Chattahoochee
The Revenge of Hamish
The Marshes of Glynn
Remonstrance
Opposition
Marsh Song — At Sunset
A Ballad of Trees and the Master
Sunrise