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LITERATURE? HAVE WE A NATIONAL BY
WALT
WHITMAN.
So YOU want an essay about American National Literature, if you will let (tremendous and fearful subject!) do you ? Well, the matter, me put down some melanged regarding cogitations own I of from will and view, my try. Horace points hap-hazard, " a and the named Hints toward book wrote Reforms," Greeley In the present case title-line was considered the best part of all. of good and ambitious I will give a few thoughts and suggestions, the question intent enough anyhow?first right out reiterating there distinctively Literature?is any plainly :American National such thing, or can there ever be ? First to me comes an almost indescribably august form, the People, with varied typical shapes the divine mirror, Literature. and attitudes?then As things are, probably no more puzzling question ever offered itself than (going back to old Nile for a trope), What bread-seeds shall we cast upon America's waters, to grow of printed mentality and return after many days ? Is there for the future author to States any better way than submission ship of the United and the teeming facts, events, activities, already importations them all ? I have often pondered vital through and beneath it, to let it go at that. and felt myself Indeed, are not disposed those facts and activities and importations potent and certain to all through our Commonwealth, fulfil themselves irrespective of But ? individual from all, and allowing any attempt guidance honest even at that, a good part of the matter discussion, being examination,
and
earnest
personal
presentation,
we
may
even
for
sanitary exercise and contact plunge boldly into the spread of the Or, to change the figure, many waves and cross-tides, as follows. I will present my varied collation (what is our Country itself but an infinitely vast and varied collation ?) in the hope that the
HAVE
WE A NATIONAL
show itself indicates every
a duty
getting
LITERATURE? more
333
and more
incumbent
day. In
general,
civilization's
totality
or
real
Na
representative
or " the itself formates Literature tional (like language, or three two however weather ") not from influences, important, nor from any learned syllabus, or criticism, or what ought to be, nor from any minds or advice of toploftical quarters?and indeed and ways ostensibly not at all from the influences supposed are adopted, after a sort) ? but slowly, slowly, (though they too curiously,
from
many
more
and
more,
deeper
and
mixings
sift
and generations and years and races, ings (especially in America) is not chance at all. and what largely appears to be chance?but Literature in America, New First of all, for future National region, as a cyni (the specially moral and schoolmaster England cal fellow I know calls it) and the three or four great Atlantic as they to-day suppose they dominate the coast cities, highly the to haul in their Ensemble is horns. have will whole, tap-root is become already a huge world America of National Literature. of peoples, rounded and orbic climates, idiocrasies, and geogra blent and and Nations curiously irresistibly phies?forty-four one with in Oke Nation, imperial language, and one aggregated over all?and and standards social set of legal (I predict) unitary Literature. a yet to be National (In my mind this last, if it ever comes,
is to prove
grander
and
more
important
for
the
Common
and trade, vast and wealth than its politics and material wealth as those are.) indispensable be the real Think a moment what must, beyond peradventure, con or them. lack Books of sub-bases, profoundly permanent than sidered show a great nation more than anything else?more their laws or manners. (This is, of course, probably the deep but ever-vital platitude, Let of that well-buried down meaning me sing a people's songs, and I don't care who makes their laws.) en masse, and surely show them too reflect humanity Books or or their prevalent and celebrate the reverse, prove splendidly, out of and has Homer traits (these last the main grew things). for admiration held the ages, and holds to-day, by the universal personal
prowess,
courage,
rankness,
amour
propre,
leadership,
concentrates the in the whole human race. Shakespeare on of the centuries feudalism the of proud personalities brilliancy The books of they produced, and paints the amorous passion. inherent
THE NORTH AMERICAN
334
REVIEW.
the Bible stand for the final superiority of devout emotions over the rest, and of religious adoration, and of ultimate absolute than haughtiest justice, more powerful kings or millionnaires or majorities. the United What States are working out and establishing needs imperatively of something subtler than bal the connivance lots and legislators. The Goethean theory and lesson (if I may it state the of exclusive scien sufficiency of artistic, briefly so) to the character, of tific, literary equipment any irrespective ties of nation, state, or city, could strong claims of the political have answered under the conventionality and pettiness of Weimar, or the Germany, or even Europe, of those times ; but it will not do for America to-day at all. We have not only to exploit our own theory above any that has preceded us, but we have entirely different, and deeper-rooted, and infinitely broader themes. When I have had a chance to see and observe a sufficient crowd of American
States, iers,
boys
or
maturer
as in my experiences
or west,
east,
north,
or
youths
or
well-grown
in the Secession War south,
or my
wanderings
men,
all
the
among the sold and
loiter
I ings through cities (especially New York and in Washington), have invariably found coming to the front three prevailing sake under the personal traits, to be named here for brevity's heads Good-Nature, and Decorum, Intelligence. (I make Good Nature first, as it deserves to be?it is a splendid resultant of all the rest, like health or fine weather.) these lead the Essentially inherent list of the high average personal born and bred qualities of the young fellows everywhere States, as through the United any sharp observer can find out for himself. Surely these make the vertebral stock of superbest and noblest nations ! May the I mainly confide the whole destinies show it so forthcoming. future of our Commonwealth to the fact of these three bases. I say I demand the same in the elements and spirit and Need Literature ? fruitage of National a or branch, comes under born the root Another, perhaps a or even for motto. words Noblesse national rule Oblige, My opinion is that this foregoing phrase, and its spirit, should influ ence and permeate in and its representatives official America the the and Congress, the Executive Departments, Presidency, and be individual States?should be one of their chiefest mottoes, carried out practically. (I got the idea from my dear friend the
HAVE
WE A NATIONAL
?
LITERATURE
democratic Mrs. Anne Gilchrist, Englishwoman, "The beautiful words Noblesse Oblige,99 said she "are
not
best
some
for
developed
gentleman
or
335
now to me
lord,
but
dead. once, some
rich and developed another Then
nation?and especially for your America.") and very grave point (for this discussion is for trifles, or pretty seemings). I am not sure deep, deep,?not and old (and superb and profound and, one but the established may say, needed as old) conception of Deity as mainly of moral (goodness, purity, sinlessness, etc.) has been under constituency mined by nineteenth-century ideas and science. What does this immense and almost abnormal development of Philanthropy mean ever a day the moderns doubts if come ? there One will among the moral laws and moral when standards will be sup as over all : while time it so proceeds planted (I find myself) they will probably be intrenched deeper and expanded Then the scientific and democratic and truly philo wider. demands a Deific iden sophic and poetic quality of modernism and essentially in tity and scope superior to all limitations, just as well the so-called evil and crime and crimin cluding the malformations, the defective and abortions als?all of the universe.
the bulk of the common people (who are far more Sometimes 'cute than the critics suppose) relish a well-hidden allusion or hint carelessly dropt, faintly indicated, and left to be disinterred or not. Some of the very old ballads have delicious morsels of this kind. and Pindar must have abounded in them. Greek Aristophanes (I audiences must have been as sometimes fancy the old Hellenic generally keen and knowing as any of their poets.) Shakespeare is full of them. Tennyson has them. It is always a capital com brains of pliment from author to reader, and worthy the peering The
America.
does
not
need
mere
smartness
encouraging,
of
but
the
common
qualities
folks,
more
however,
solid
and
opportune.
in the States as roots for their What are now deepest wanted literature are Patriotism; or the ideas of Ensemble, Nationality, these, and the uncompromising genesis and saturation of these. Not the mere bawling and braggadocio of them, but the radical the fervor and perennial fructifying emotion-facts, spirit at fount ain-head. And at the risk of being misunderstood I should dwell on and repeat that a great imaginative can for America literatus
THE NORTH AMERICAN
336
REVIEW.
never be merely good and moral in the conventional method. Puritanism and what radiates from it must always be mentioned then I should say, for this vast and varied by me with respect; the puritanical and artistically, Commonwealth, geographically are
standards
narrow,
constipated,
and
non-philosophic.
" I adhere to my positions in Democratic Vistas," and especially to my summing-up literature as far as of American is In the Medical concerned. Profession, Scientism, to-day the United Practical and Journalism, States have Inventions, pressed forward to. the glorious front rank of advanced civilized of printed matter (of a lands, as also in the popular dissemination an but is that nature indispensable prepara superficial perhaps, In the main
tory
and
stage),
have
gone
in common
education,
far
so-called,
taunt of the high-pitched beyond any other land or age. Yet : "It in the air sounds still Fuller, forty years ago, Margaret States print and read more does not follow, because the United than all the rest of the world, and newspapers books, magazines, For perhaps it is that they really have therefore a literature." not tories,
alone nor
the all
free the
schools
and
iron,
cotton,
nor
newspapers, wheat,
pork,
railroads and
and
petroleum,
fac nor
the gold and silver, nor the surplus of a hundred or several hun nor nor the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, dred millions, that can put this Commonweal the last national census, high or on else the scale of cosmical is in Something history. highest a there is is that loftier. record but All lofty, dispensable. The great current points are perhaps simple, after all : first, of the New World and Democracy, that the highest developments and probably the best society of the civilized world all over, are to be only reached and spinally nourished (in my notion) by a sense and treatment; new evolutionary and, secondly, that the law through nature, is the which greatest evolution-principle, for and of course in these States, has now reached us markedly and
in our
literature.
In other writings I have tried to show how vital must ever be its autochthonic song, ing Nationality a really great people there can be no complete out of and even raised short of emerging Name, expression,
coming
from
and (like idiosyncrasies, from distilled palpably,
its
own
soil
and
soul,
its
to any aspir and how for and glorious on such born area,
spread,
showers of rain, originally rising im land and sea) duly returning there
HAVE again. though
WE A NATIONAL
LITERATURE?
337
do I forget what we all owe to our ancestry ; perhaps we are apt to forgive and bear too much for that Nor
alone.
literatus's task is (and it is One part of the national American an the old to treat not hereditaments, easy one) legends, poems, and even customs, with fitting respect and toleration, theologies, and justify, and be de and at the same time clearly understand voted to and exploit our own day, its diffused light, freedom, our New-World and that it all with necessitates, responsibilities, and stages of development demand and make proper. circumstances literature we want mighty authors, not even Carlyle For American born and brought up in (and more or less essen and Heine-like, and giving out) that vast abnormal ward or tially partaking which in many respects Europe, with all sick-chamber hysterical seem to be. The greatest feature in current its glories, would is the lack of first-class almost total literature poetry (in anyhow) at natural and and health, flourishing power, produced simple, our own era. Modern verse generally first hand, and typifying in the modern, lacks quite altogether and is oftener possessed in dressed the and late fashions. with feudal, past may-be spirit For
novels
and
often
plays
the
plots
and
are
surfaces
contempo
the spirit, even the fun, is morbid and effete. rary?but difference between the Old and New. There is an essential The poems of Asia and Europe are rooted in the long past. They as they and relativenesses celebrate man and his intellections in as high a strain as ever, is to sing But America, have been. them all as they are and are to be. (I know, of course, that the past is probably a main factor in what we are and know and must be.) At present the States are absorbed in business, money of mines, inter the development making, politics, agriculture, all for and other shove attents?which material communications, civ ward and appear at their height?as, with modern consistently are even but must Then be and be. these should ilization, they the inevitable precedents and providers for home-born, transcend be shown in superior, more heroic, literature?to ent, democratic more more and songs. A emotional, spiritual, personalities national
literature
is,
of
in
course,
one
sense,
a
great
mirror
or
reflector. to re There must be something before?something I should say now, since the Secession War, there has been, flect. and to-day unquestionably exists, that something. YOL.
CLII.?
NO.
412.
22
THE NORTH AMERICAN
338
REVIE W.
the United States do not so far utter anyhow, Certainly, or first-rate of the so-called arts, to any literature, any poetry, or not or penetrated admiration dominated advantage?are lofty from actual inherence or plain bent to the said poetry and arts. Other
other
work,
needs,
current
inventions,
productions,
occupy them. They occupied and to-day mainly bear being left and proud?can't and imitative far the other nations?and behind away high-class some
home
"
"
poets,"
artists,"
painters,
musicians,
have
are very 'cute too glaringly so we set up literati,
and
so forth, all our own (thus claimed). The whole matter has gone as it should have been, and on, and exists to-day, probably it must be. To all which we should be; as, for the present, Lit c'onclude, and repeat the terrible query : American National or can there there distinctively erature?is any such thing, ever be ? Whitman. Walt