The women of the past ages have made little progress
in literature, and many are those who have ascribed
it to lack of talent which is evident in the gentler sex;
but more agree with Eliza V. Farnham when she says, "I
will yield to none in the grateful admiration...
American Literature, previous to the Civil War, is
of necessity confined closely to the writers and writings
of New England and New York. At present however a gradual widening of the literary field may be clearly discernible. The South and West now contribute their share,
and no one can truly...
Only within the last few years have literary critics
come to recognize in the short story a definite type,
one having its own individual characteristics and limitations.
It differs from the novel in a brevity not
merely accidental which prohibits the too extensive development of the three elements of the...
Before discussing the American press of the day,
with its freedom and power, a brief historical review
of the development of journalism in its several functions
seems in place.
"The literature that has been produced in the
South springs from the depth and fullness of the southern nature; it is all picturesque, in one manner or an
other. Creative art is everywhere evident, especially
in the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The works of George
Washington Cable receive vitality...
The most interesting study connected with the
development of the American novel is the accompanying
feature of the growth of the country itself. In a
certain way the changes seem peculiar, but in another
way they are exactly what we might be led to expect.
In tracing the development from...
"In his style Hawthorne early developed that maturity
of dignified composure, free from constraint or affectation,
and that lucid expression, which are among
its most characteristic traits. With little faculties
for the harmony of verse he had a singular command over
the musical qualities of prose, enabling him to produce...
As the atmosphere, the general bustle and rush in our busy eastern cities is vastly different from our quiet and peaceful west, so is there a great difference in the themes and styles of eastern and western authors. The influence of pioneer life and of western scenery, of climatic conditions...