The Rainy Day 37 it is on page 2; it is given in the SCHOOL BULLETIN ix. 15.) VI 66 In 1839 he published his "Voices of the Night", including with poems lately written a few selected from his earlier publications in newspapers and magazines. Besides the "Psalm of Life", the Hymn to the Night", "The Reaper and the Flowers ", and "Footsteps of Angels" are known wherever the English language is spoken. New editions were soon called for, and he found himself at a leap reckoned among the real poets. Another volume, called "Ballads and Other Poems", appeared in 1842. This included "The Skeleton in Armor"; "The Village Blacksmith"; "Excelsior", which the motto of the Empire State suggested (SCHOOL BULLETIN, ix. 16); and "The Rainy Day ", which last the readers of his life will recognize as characteristic of his own experience. VII THE RAINY DAY The day is cold, and dark, and dreary; But at every gust the dead leaves fall, My life is cold, and dark, and dreary; My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past, Be still, sad heart! and cease repining; Some days must be dark and dreary. VIII The Spanish Student, a musical drama, appeared in 1843. This was a comedy, and in subject, in treatment, and in almost every characteristic stands apart and different from all his other works. While there are fine passages, it is as a whole an imitation that a man of much less ability could have equalled. Longfellow had humor enough to be thoroughly companionable, but not the wit to form a congruous element in his poetry. He was fond of puns; he jots down in his journal that autobiography is what biography ought to be; and his humorous patches upon the "New England Tragedies" are like old His Longer Poems 39 cloth upon a new garment. But "The Spanish Student" will always be remembered kindly for the serenade it contains. IX (Here have "Stars of the Summer Night" sung in an adjoining room. The music may be found in "Carmina Princetonia", page 75.) X Another collection of poetry appeared in 1846. "Evangeline" was published in 1847, and is considered his greatest poem. It was published by itself; and it was written in hexameters, the practicability of which in English was much discussed. It was also noteworthy in that it was based upon a purely American theme. Other attempts in this direction were "Hiawatha", which appeared in 1855, in which he sought to combine all the principal Indian legends, also in unusual metre; "The Courtship of Miles Standish" in 1858; and "The New England Tragedies", in 1868. His most ambitious work was his "Christus ", which included besides these "Tragedies" "The Golden Legend", first published in 1851, and "The Divine Tragedy", published in 1871. taken for such-are seen to possess a rareness after you have held them in your hand. In the collection of "The Seaside and the Fireside" the single poem "Resignation will bring comfort to a thousand hearts where but one will glance over the "Christus". XII RESIGNATION There is no flock, however watched and tended, There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, But has one vacant chair! The air is full of farewells to the dying, And mournings for the dead; The heart of Rachel, for her children crying, Let us be patient! These severe afflictions But oftentimes celestial benedictions Assume this dark disguise. We see but dimly through the mists and vapors ; What seem to us but sad, funereal tapers There is no death! What seems so is transition · Is but a suburb of the life elysian, Whose portal we call Death. She is not dead, -the child of our affection,- Where she no longer needs our poor protection, In that great cloister's stillness and seclusion, Safe from temptation, safe from sin's pollution, Day after day we think what she is doing Year after year, her tender steps pursuing, |