"inward light." Explain the figure involved in mail; in acid and pearl. The “election of the saints" is a prominent article in the Calvinistic creed.

Lines 676ff. For the books in the Whittier library, see Pickard, Life I, 42 to 46. How many were there (line 678)? Probably the Almanac was that of Poor Richard better reading than the modern pamphlet called an “almanac." Their one book of poetry was by an early Quaker, Thomas Elwood, a young friend of Milton. The name of his epic was Davideis. Do you think it was good poetry (lines 683-685)? For the nine heathen muses, see your mythology. The splendid poetry of the classic languages was supposed to be inspired by them. Explain the figures in lines 689-692. The Creeks were an Indian tribe, then on the war-path. McGregor was a Scotchman who tried unsuccessfully to found a settlement in Costa Rica. General Ypsilanti was a leader in the Greek uprising against the rule of the Turks. Another Greek hero of this period was Marco Bozzaris, subject of Halleck's poem. Taygetos is a mountain in Greece. Do you think these Greeks made very civilized warfare? Besides this news from all the corners of the earth, the paper contained (lines 700ff.) local news, advertisements, and contributions. "Vendue" sales are auctions. "Goods at cost" are bargain sales. Line 711: What figure in embargo? The poem proper ends with line 714, when the family is no longer snowbound. The remaining lines form a conclusion.

Line 715: Apostrophe to the Angel of Memory; observe the description of the angel. Many of the fine books of ancient times had brazen covers with clasps. Explain the significance of palimpsest here. Characters means "letters" Line 725 refers to the deaths in the household. Explain vistaed. The cypress and the amaranth are funeral tokens,

often planted on graves. Lines 730, 731: Explain by describing the hour-glass. Lines 732, 733: Each hour of life has its insistent duty. Line 734 relates to lines 715, 718. Line 735: The voice of Duty, calling him from dreams of the past to the duties of the present. Line 739: Whittier believed that our liberties, imperfect the first century of our national existence because of the presence of slavery in our country, reached perfection with its abolition. See the date of poem. This paragraph of the conclusion calls the mind of the poet back from his dream of the past.

Line 740: This paragraph justifies the dream by showing its value to several classes of persons the "worldling," or man of business, "early friends," and strangers. In line 740 life is conceived as a warfare; times of rest would then be truces. The Truce of God was instituted by the Church in the days when secular governments were not strong enough to enforce law and order; the Church ordered men to abstain from fighting on certain days. Flemish pictures were realistic representations of common life; they sometimes show a Dutch kitchen as faithfully as Whittier has, in words, pictured a New England kitchen. Line 751 refers to expressions of appreciation by strangers, not even known to the poet by name. Explain the two beautiful similes which show a poet's gratification at such expressions of appreciation, and which close the poem (lines 752-759).

IV. Make some study of the versification and melody of the poem, especially of the most eloquent passages.

V. To gather up the thought of the poem in a few sentences, so that it shall impress us by its unity: Snow-Bound makes us acquainted with winter-life in the family of a poor New England farmer in the early nineteenth century (Whittier was born in 1807). The poem lies altogether in the

time and in the scene of the writer's boyhood, except for the following passages:

Lines 175-210 express the poet's loneliness in 1865, as one of the two survivors of his family.

Lines 422-437 tell of his grief for the sister who had died a year before the poem was written.

Lines 485-509 give the poet's solution of the problem of reconstruction.

Lines 563-589 show Whittier's charity for an ill-balanced disposition.

Lines 715-759 form the conclusion.

Judging from Whittier's allusions, do you not think he was remarkably well-read for one who had so few early advantages? Does this poem give any hints as to the sources of his culture?

THE LAST WALK IN AUTUMN

I. Whittier's theme is praise of his native climate rugged, cold New England - in its bleakest season. Read the poem through with this outline:

1. Description of two late autumn New England days, a year apart: stanzas I-IV; (a) the day on which the "last walk" is taken, (b) the same day a year before.

2. The year's round: stanzas V, VI.

3. There is as much beauty at home as there is abroad: stanzas, VII-IX.

4. One may travel in imagination while remaining at home: stanzas X, XI.

5. There is as good company at home as abroad, books and men: stanzas XII-XVI.

6. Home is full of loving memories: stanzas XVII-XVIII.

7. There is greater inspiration to energy in a rugged climate than in a warm country: stanzas XIX-XX. 8. There is fuller liberty in New England than in other lands: stanzas XXI, XXII.

9. The practical virtues belong to the temperate lands: stanzas XXIII-XXIV.

10. The pleasures of winter: stanza XXV.

11. Trust expressed that the One who cares for nature will care for the poet: stanza XXVI; and for the cause

in which he is interested: stanza XXVII.

12. Envoy: stanza XXVIII.

Describe the stanza, rime, and meter of the poem. What effect have the longer lines at the end of each stanza?

II. Study the poem carefully with the following notes and questions.

Line 1: What figure? Compare "plead" (line 2) and "praying" (line 6). What is the prayer of the trees?

Line 8: Does Whittier show appreciation of the beauties of nature in winter? Is the picture of autumn in stanzas I-III accurate? About what date is this? Study the adjectives. Explain the figures in lines 12 and 20. Note the comparison in line 17.

Line 25: Compare the two autumn days, just a year apart. Which would better be described by Bryant's "The melancholy days have come"?

Line 34: With "pagoda" compare Snow-Bound line 62.

Line 42: Whittier seems to have enjoyed sunrise and sunset; see The Huskers. With "moonlit snows" compare Snow-Bound lines 142ff. Study carefully the diction belonging to the description of each season in stanzas V, VI. Is it appropriate?

Line 49: Observe the coherence between stanzas V-VI

and stanzas VII-VIII (lines 49, 50 make the transition). At this season many of Whittier's friends would be going to a warm climate for the winter. His thoughts follow them. But Whittier was not, except in reading and imagination, a traveller. Line 51: The ardent beauty of the sun in the desert. Line 52: The "Alpine glow." Line 55: The Arno is a river of Northern Italy; Florence is the chief city on it. Line 56: The Alhambra is a magnificent Moorish ruin in Spain.

Line 58: "Is equal to him." Explain the figure in lines 57, 58. Lines 60 to 64 use the diction of Mohammedan lands; explain the figures. Line 66: Pharpar is a river of Damascus praised by Naaman (II Kings 5:12). Line 69: The TajMahal ("Gem of Buildings") is a celebrated marble mausoleum. Line 71: Hafiz (14th century) wrote a poem about a Persian Rose-garden. Line 72: St Peter's Cathedral at Rome. Line 73: Explain thus. Line 75: Though Whittier lived most of his life in one place, he has seen the universe (Kosmos). Line 81: Explain thus. Through the exercise of what faculty does the untravelled poet visit other lands (line 85)? For line 86 see Acts 12, and notice prison (line 83) and freedom-giving (line 85). Is Whittier right? Did he undervalue travel because he had not travelled? Probably his ill-health accounted partly for his remaining at home, since his interests were broad. In a letter to Bayard Taylor, he says: "I travel a great deal, however, by proxy. I have had thee in my service for many years, much to my satisfaction. Dr. Booth has been to Timbuctoo for me, and Burton to Mecca. Atkinson has been doing Siberia for me. I think (if thy Marie does not object) of sending thee off again to find Xanadu and Kubla Khan." (Pickard, Life II, 429. See also II, 469 and Whittier's poem to Bayard Taylor.)