Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

[196] been made manifest—the greater acuteness of the French mind than of the English, when discussing American themes. Writing at that early period, M. Chasles at once recognized, for instance, the peculiar quality of Emerson's genius. He describes Longfellow, in comparison, as what he calls a moonlight poet, having little passion, but a calmness of attitude which approaches majesty, and moreover a deep sensibility, making itself felt under a subdued rhythm. In short, his is a slow melody and a reflective emotion, both these being well suited to the sounds and shadows of our endless plains and our forests, which have no history. He is especially struck with the resemblance of the American poet to the Scandinavians, such as Tegner and Oehlenschlaeger. He notices even in Longquotes one of the Northern poems and then one of Longfellow's to show this analogy. It is worth while to put these side by side. This is from Oehlenschlaeger:—

Tilgiv tvungne
Trael af Elskov!
At han dig matter
Astsaeld findet. . . . etc.

The following is by Longfellow-

Fuller of fragrance, than they
And as heavy with shadows and night-dews,