AMERICAN LITERATURE INTRODUCTION. No other department of study is more important than that of literature. It not only supplies the mind with knowledge, but also refines it in thought and feeling. Literature embodies the best thought of the world, an acquaintance with which is the essential element of cul ture. Of all literature, that of our native country stands in closest relation to us, and naturally possesses for us the greatest interest. The term literature needs to be carefully considered, and its general and its restricted meaning clearly comprehended. In its widest sense, literature may be regarded as including the aggregate body of printed matter in the world. It is thus a record of the acts, thoughts, and emotions of the human family. Its magnitude renders it absolutely impossible for any man ever to become acquainted with more than a very small part of it. largest libraries, notably that of the British Museum and the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris, number more than a million volumes. This general or universal literature, of which we have just spoken, is obviously made up of national literatures. A national literature is composed of the literary produc tions of a particular nation. After reaching a state of civilization, every nation expresses its thoughts and feelings in writing. Thus we have the literature of Greece, of Rome, of England, of America, and of other nations both ancient and modern. But the word literature has also a restricted meaning, which it is important to grasp. In any literary production we may distinguish between the thoughts that are presented, and the manner in which they are presented. We may say, for example, "The sun is rising;" or, ascending to a higher plane of thought and emotion, we may present the same fact in the language of Thomson: "But yonder comes the powerful King of Day, It is thus apparent that the interest and value of literature are largely dependent upon the manner or form in which the facts are presented. In its restricted sense, literature includes only those works that are polished or artistic in form. The classic works of a literature are those which present ideas of general and permanent interest in a highly finished or artistic manner. Literature is influenced or determined by whatever affects the thought and feeling of a people. Among the most potent influences that determine the character of a literature, whether taken in a broad or in a restricted sense, are race, epoch, and surroundings. This fact should. be well borne in mind, for it renders a philosophy of literature possible. We cannot fully understand any literature, 1 The Seasons. Summer, line 81. nor justly estimate it, without an acquaintance with the national traits of the writers, the general character of the age in which they lived, and the physical and social conditions by which they were surrounded. This fact shows the intimate relation between literature and history. It has been questioned whether we have an American literature. But there is no reasonable ground for doubt. A fair survey of the facts will show that the literature of this country is distinctive in its thought and feeling. Our best works are not an echo of the literature of England, but a new and valuable contribution to the literature of the world. The best of Irving's writings, the tales of Hawthorne, the "Evangeline" and "Hiawatha" of Longfellow, not to mention many others, are filled with American scenery, American thought, and American character. During the first two centuries of our history, while Shakespeare, Bacon, Milton, Dryden, Pope, Addison, Johnson, and Goldsmith were adding lustre to English letters, our country produced but few works that deserve a place in classic literature. It could hardly have been otherwise. Our people were devoting their energies chiefly to the great task of subduing a wild continent, building towns and cities, producing mechanical inventions, conquering political independence, and establishing a social order based on the principle of human equality and human freedom. These achievements are no less important than the production of an elegant literature, and really form the basis upon which the arts and sciences naturally rest. Material prosperity and political independence bring the leisure and culture that foster letters. It was so in the age of Pericles, of Augustus, of Elizabeth, and of Louis XIV. |