Irving College - Irvingiana Yearbook (Mechanicsburg, PA)

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3 Bitiflg New 4 glaze Qg glixsnphine Qi. gltcinirnllzrr, 'U5 N a study of former periods of American Literature we End but one true Idealistic writer, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Since his death in 1882 Materialism has been characteristic of our Literature until the present time, where we find among our rep- resentative writers one whom we can almost call a second Emerson-one who we hope and believe is marking the age of the Twentieth Century as Emerson did the First National Period-one who is showing the world the truth of the words z Immortality will come to such as are fit for it, and he who would be a great soul in the future must be great on earth. Such as HENRY VAN DYKE. 4 In one of his writings have been set forth four principles which he considered essential for good work in Literature, and the writer feels that the excellence of Van Dyke's own work is due to the fact that he himself carries out these principles. The Hrst is that a writing must have an original impulse-not necessarily a new idea, but a new sense of the value of an idea. One of the very attractive characteristics of Van Dyke's writings is his originality. By that is not meant that the beautiful theme and thoughts most of his writings contain were entirely original, not having been touched upon by any one of all the great writers that preceded him g but as somebody has said, Van Dyke's writings bring with them a sense of something new and real, a breath of nature, a glimpse into the deeps of experience, a note clear, sweet, memorable. With regard to the second essential element, namely, A Hrst-hand study of subject and material, it seems hardly possible that one doubt could arise in the mind of the reader, for all his writings, from his master-piece to the smallest bit off poetry, show not only an unusual study of material but the work of a master-mind in making use of the material. The third principle is this: A patient, joyful, unsparing labor for the perfection of form. A patient, joyful, unsparing labor!

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Although we see the worth of his choice of words and phrasing, the beauty of his descriptions and his figures of speech, let us not forget the importance of Irving's deep sympathy with human nature and his own experience. Was it not this sympathy that led him to write of the grief of the poor widow and had it not been for his own experience could he have written The Broken Heart as he did? He loved once in his life, but the woman whom he loved died. This sorrow influenced many of his writings, but it did not make them bitter. It rather made him more ready to sympathize with others, as Thackeray says, Does not his very cheerfulness of his after life add to the pathos of that untold story? To grieve always was not in his nature, or when he had his sorrow to bring all the world in to condole with him and bemoan it. In publishing the second volume of the Sketch Book, Irving determined to govern his writings by the opinions on the first: One kindly advised him to avoid the ludicrous, another to shun the pathetic, a third assured him that he was tolerable at description, but cautioned him to leave narrative alone, while a fourth declared that he had a pretty knackof turning a story and was really entertaining when in a perusive mood, but was grievously mistaken if he imagined himself to possess a spirit of humor. Thus perplexed by the advice of his friends, who each in turn closed some partic- ular path, but left him all the world beside to range in, he found that to follow all their counsels would, in fact, be to stand still, so he decided, as he says, 'fTo ramble on as he had begun and written for different humors, it would not be expected that anyone would be pleased with the whole g but that if it should contain something to suit each reader, its end would be completely answered. Therefore from Irving's own words we see that by following others' advice, nothing would have been accomplished, but by using his individuality we have a book that has become famous on both sides of the Atlantic. :sw ft' W 'Pk ' 'il xl .03 'SQJQZ . N C inf ,,, 1. -85-

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All the concentrated thought, shutting one's self away from the things of the outside world, and in all true 'devotion to the elevation of Literature these words contain, are found in The Blue Flower ' and The Ruling Passion. The three principles I have mentioned z First, an original impulse 5 second, a first-hand study of subject and material 5 third, a patient, joyful, unspar- ing labor for the perfection of form 5 these may do much to perfect Literature, but after all what we most need in Literature, as in everything else in life, is something to bring us nearer the standard set for the moulding of our lives and character 3 something that will make visible or brighter in us that spark of nobility every life oontains 3 something that will enable us to leave as our contribution to the world that which is pure and beautiful. Ruskin says, Every noble life leaves the fiber of it interwoven in the works of the world. V, For these reasons, so we believe, Van,Dyke chose and carried out in his own writings as the last, best and most important essential which enters into good work in Literature. A human aim to cheer, console, purify and ennoble the lives of the people, and he adds, Without this aim Literature has never sent an arrow close to the mark. We do not have to seek for comfort and cheer only from the lives of our fellow men. In the little poem is found just as much, and often more, comfort and sympathy than can come from many human hearts. It indeed seems to understand, as nothing else can, our weaknesses and sor- rows, touching, perhaps, a spot that may never have been found by men. Take, for example, one, who having been lifting the burden of life on weak shoulders for many years, trudges with it until he becomes so bent, weary and discouraged that he is tempted to give up and leave it lying along the roadside for one stronger than he to carry. The little poem holds out encourage- ment : Let me but do my work from day to day, In Held or forest, at the desk or loom, In roaring market place or tranquil roomy Let me but find it in my heart to say When vagrant wishes beckon me astray : This is my work, my blessing, not my doom, Of all who live. I am the one by whom This work can best be done in the right way. Then shall I see it not too great, nor small, To suit- my spirit and to prove my powersg Then shall I cheerful greet the laboring hours And cheerful turn when the long shadows fall At eventide to play, and love, and rest, Because I know for me my work is best.