Page:Southern Life in Southern Literature.djvu/509

Rh individuality of expression than almost any other group of poets in the world. The poetry might all have been written by one man. Even Poe, except for his dominant mood of morbidness, simply carried to perfec tion what every other poet of the South was trying to do. Southern poetry has, as conspicuous qualities, beauty, melody, and exquisite rhythm. In the poets of the lower South, especially, the local coloring is noteworthy, and the interpretation of nature s moods and outward aspects is done with delicate artistic sensibility. Here and there, how ever, out of the general mass of those who attempted poetry some few did best what others did indifferently, and these are they whom both crilcism and common consent have agreed to call the representa tive poets. But even these have won their place, not by the bulk of their work, but rather by some single poem. This fact, however, is no disparagement of their wprk. It is a worthy achievement to have produced even a single poem which men will cherish.

ST. GEORGE TUCKER

RESIGNATION (PAGE 188)

QUESTIONS, i. Trace the thought of the poem through its successive

stages. 2. Assign reasons for this poem being widely popular.

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER (PAGE 190)

When the British bombarded Baltimore in 1814, Key, who had gone under flag of truce to the British fleet in order to secure the release of a friend, a prisoner in the hands of the British, was compelled to remain on board one of the British vessels all night, and was therefore a wit ness of the bombardment. When he saw the American flag still floating over Fort McHenry the next morning, he wrote his famous poem, jot ting down portions of it on the back of a letter. The version given here follows the original manuscript except in some instances of punctuation.

QUESTIONS, i. What reference does the poem have to the specific

occasion? 2. To what feelings does it give expression? 3. Does the poem live by reason of its merit or its patriotic appeal?