Poetry of America: Selections from One Hundred American Poets from 1776 to 1876 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Poetry of America: Selections From One Hundred American Poets From 1776 to 1876

I claim precedence for it as the first fair and compre hensive sample of American Poetry given to the old country. The American Poems of my friend Mr. W. M. Rossetti may not claim to be this, as he omits Longfellow and all humorous verse, and as, not having had before him the last edition of Griswold (prepared by Mr. Stoddard in '7 2 but published only in the Fall of last year), he was apparently unacquainted with much of the best poetry of the last twenty years. Or, if on this ground of complete ness my work may not take the place which his would seem to assume, I may yet make good my venture as not uncalled for, even though but supplementary. Omitting as less worthy, after careful comparison of their works, 25 of Mr. Rossetti's poets, I give 61 not given by him; while of his 255 poems my choice has taken only 21 a difference not altogether to be accounted for by difference of taste or opinion, but, I think, owing partly to the wider field for selection of which I have been fortunate enough to have the range. From Griswold's own collections, containing nearly two thousand poems, I take 57; to Mr. Stoddard's supplements I am indebted for about as many more. The rest of my 256 poems, representing 100 poets (not including those quoted in the Review of Colonial Poetry), rewarded a further search among completer works and more recent editions. Half of my book is not to be found in any exist ing collection of specimens.

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