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Whittier’s genius is essentially lyrical. His shortest produc- 
tions are his happiest. The long poems are, as a rule, the least 
read of all authors’ works, and are known generally by a 
few extracts. Length has very little to do in estimating 
perpetuity, providing there is true inspiration and perfect finish 
throughout, it matters very little how many pages it covers. 
Many of Whittier’s poems were struck off at white heat, and 
must have helped no little the sacred cause of freedom which 
he espoused. In some of his writings his Quaker faith is well 
brought out. He rarely wrote without being impressed with 
some strong feeling, and he could not fail to awaken a 
corresponding emotion in his reader. 
He does not give himself much concern about the customary 
ornaments of poetic diction. One of the features of his imagery 
is that much of it is drawn from the Bible. He shows great 
familiarity with every part of Holy Writ. He uses a great variety 
of metres, and is unusually skilful and facile in the manage- 
ment of them. His writings are thoroughly American, but they 
have an interest for us Britishers. They contain the genuine 
American doctrine of the freedom of humanity, brought up to 
the latest standard. He was an original author, which is some- 
thing in these days of platitudes. He was loved and honoured 
throughout the length and breadth of the American continent as 
the prophet bard, and we may also take him to our hearts, for 
has he not sung of Englishmen :— 
O Englishmen ! in hope and creed 
In word and tongue our brothers ! 
We too are heirs of Runnymede ; 
And Shakespear’s fame and Cromwell’s deed 
Are not alone our mother’s. 
«« Thicker than water ’’ in one rill 
Through centuries of story, 
Our Saxon blood has flowed, and still 
We share with you its good and ill, 
The shadow and the glory. 
In the course of the lecture, which was interspersed with 
Whittier’s songs, the Lecturer read (with musical accompaniment) 
the following specimen of Whittier’s poetry :—‘ Maud Muller,” 
“The Witch’s Daughter,” “‘A Sabbath Scene,” “ Forgiveness,” 
and ‘* Gone.” 
