A History of American Literature. Boynton Percy Holmes
grasp of the Puritans. Evidence is ample from three types of colonists: the Mathers, who were fighting a desperate but losing battle to retain control; Samuel Sewall, who, although a Puritan, was willing to accept reasonable changes; and Mrs. Sarah Kemble Knight, who said little at the time, but in her private journals showed the existence of growing disrespect for the old habits of thought. (5) Benjamin Franklin, whose work is more valuable than that of any of his predecessors, is also completely representative of the complete swing away from religious enthusiasm to a hard-headed worldliness which was prevailing in England in the eighteenth century. (6) On the other hand, Crèvecœur, writing just before the Revolution, sounded the note of thanksgiving to the Lord that America was different from the Old World, and emphasized what were the conditions of life that were worth fighting to save. (7) Finally, out of all the roster of talented writers during the Revolutionary War, Freneau was selected as the most gifted poet of the period, both as an indirect recorder of the conflict and as an author of poetry on native themes in no way related to the war.
BOOK LIST
General References
Adams, H. B. Thomas Jefferson and the University of Virginia. 1888.
Fiske, John. The Critical Period of American History. Chap. ii. 1888.
Otis, William Bradley. American Verse, 1625–1807. 1909.
Patterson, Samuel White. The Spirit of the American Revolution as Revealed in the Poetry of the Period (contains good bibliography). 1915.
Richardson, C. F. American Literature. Chaps. i, vi, viii. 1887.
Tucker, S. M. In chap. ix of Cambridge History of American Literature, Vol. I, Bk. I.
Tyler, M. C. The Literary History of the American Revolution, chaps. ix, xix, xx, xxi, xxvi, xxviii, xxix, xxxi, xxxii. 1897.
Van Tyne, C. H. The Loyalists in the American Revolution. 1902.
Wendell, Barrett. Literary History of America, chaps. vii, viii, ix. 1900.
For spirit of the times read Familiar Letters of John and Abigail Adams. 1876.
General Bibliography
Cambridge History of American Literature, Vol. I, pp. 457–467.
Individual Authors
Francis Hopkinson. Miscellaneous Essays and Occasional Writings. 1792. 3 vols. The latter half of the third volume contains in separate paging (1–204) his Poems on Several Subjects. (There has been no reprinting.)
Available Edition
The Old Farm and the New Farm: a Political Allegory (edited by B. J. Lossing). 1864.
Biography and Criticism
Hildeburn, C. R. A Biographical Sketch of Francis Hopkinson. 1878.
Marble, Mrs. A. R. Francis Hopkinson, Man of Affairs and Letters. New England Magazine, Vol. XXVII, p. 289.
Tyler, M. C. The Literary History of the American Revolution, Vol. I, chap. viii, pp. 163–171; chap. xii, pp. 279–292; chap. xxii, pp. 487–490; and Vol. II, chap. xxx, pp. 130–157.
Collections
Boynton, Percy H. American Poetry, pp. 35–42, 604–606.
Cairns, W. B. Early American Writers, pp. 372–383.
Duyckinck, E. A. and G. L. Cyclopedia of American Literature, Vol. I, pp. 209–219.
Stedman and Hutchinson. Library of American Literature, Vol. III, pp. 236–251.
John Trumbull. Poetical Works. 2 vols. Hartford, 1820. Progress of Dulness. Part I, The Rare Adventures of Tom Brainless, 1772; Part II, The Life and Character of Dick Hairbrain of Finical Memory, 1773; Part III, The Adventures of Miss Harriet Simper, 1773. M’Fingal: a Modern Epic Poem. Canto I; or, The Town Meeting (includes what is now Cantos I and II). 1776. Completed with Cantos III and IV. 1782.
Available Edition
M’Fingal; an Epic Poem (edited by B. J. Lossing). 1860, 1864, 1881.
Collections
Boynton, Percy H. American Poetry, pp. 43–57, 58–88, 606–610, 611–614.
Cairns, W. B. Early American Writers, pp. 395–408.
Duyckinck, E. A. and G. L. Cyclopedia of American Literature, Vol. I, pp. 308–319.
Stedman and Hutchinson. Library of American Literature, Vol. III, pp. 422–429; Vol. IV, pp. 89–92.
Philip Freneau. Poems. Printed for the Princeton Historical Association. F. L. Pattee, editor. 1902–1907. 3 vols.
Available Edition
Poems of Philip Freneau relating to the American Revolution. E. A. Duyckinck, editor. 1865.
Bibliography
A volume compiled by Victor H. Paltsits. 1903.
Biography and Criticism
Austin, Mary S. Philip Freneau, the Poet of the Revolution. 1901.
Delancey, E. F. Philip Freneau, the Huguenot Patriot-Poet, etc. Proceedings of the Huguenot Soc. of Amer., Vol. II, No. 2. 1891.
Forman, Samuel E. The Political Activities of Philip Freneau. Johns Hopkins University Studies, Ser. 20, Nos. 9, 10. 1902.
Collections
Boynton, Percy H. American Poetry, pp. 89–117, 614–618.
Cairns, W. B. Early American Writers, pp. 431–448.
Duyckinck, E. A. and G. L. Cyclopedia of American Literature, Vol. I, pp. 327–348.
Stedman and Hutchinson. Library of American Literature, Vol. III, pp. 445–457.
Timothy Dwight. There are no recent editions of Dwight. These appeared originally as follows: The Conquest of Canaan, 1784; The Triumph of Infidelity, 1788; Greenfield Hill, 1794; Travels in New England and New York, 1823.
Biography and Criticism
Dwight, W. T. and S. E. Memoir prefixed to Dwight’s Theology. 4 vols.
Sprague, W. B. The Life of Timothy Dwight, in Vol. XIV of Sparks’s Library of American Biography.
Sprague, W. B. Annals of the American Pulpit, Vol. II.
Tyler, M. C. Three Men of Letters, pp. 72–127. 1895.
Introduction to the Poems of Philip Freneau (edited by F. L. Pattee), Vol. I, pp. c, ci. 1902.
Collections
Boynton, Percy H. American Poetry, pp. 118–124, 618–621.
Cairns, W. B. Early American Writers, pp. 409–420.
Duyckinck, E. A. and G. L. Cyclopedia of American Literature, Vol. I, pp. 357–365.
Stedman and Hutchinson. Library of American Literature, Vol. III, pp. 426–429 and 463–483.
Joel Barlow. His epic is accessible only in early editions. His poetical work appeared originally as follows: The Vision of Columbus, 1787; The Columbiad, 1807; Hasty Pudding, 1847.
Biography and Criticism
Todd, C. B. Life and Letters of Joel Barlow. 1886.
Tyler, M. C. Three Men of Letters, pp. 131–180. 1895.
Collections
Boynton, Percy H. American Poetry, pp. 125–135, 621–624.
Cairns, W. B. Early American Writers, pp. 421–430.
Duyckinck, E. A. and G. L. Cyclopedia of American Literature, Vol. I, pp. 391–404.
Stedman and Hutchinson. Library of American Literature, Vol. III, pp. 422–429, and Vol. IV, pp. 46–57.
Literary Treatment of the Period
Drama
In