The ladies' wreath: a selection from the female poetic writers of England and America

Front matter

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V'

V

Preface

The office of Poetry is to elevate, purify, and soften the human character ; and thus promote civil, moral, and religious advancemeni. It does this in a three-fold manner ; by inculcating reverence and love towards God, or piety ; awakening ihe spirit of naiional aggrandizement, or policy ; teaching the true relations of men to each other and to Nature, or Philosophy. All poetry, which has not, at least, one of these three aims, is false to its trust, and, whatever may be its temporary popularity, will die and be forgotten.

Truth only is immortal — and as Ideality, of all the faculties which man possesses, is the one gifted to ascend, as it w^ere, to heaven, to bring thence the holy fire to illumine reason and kindle up the moral feelings, and is also fitted for contmual progress towards perfection, it follows, that individuals having this endowment, are delegated to discover and display those aspects and relations of truth, which God, for purposes of wise discipline, no doubt, has placed withm the compass of man's genius, bui has not revealed to his instincts and senses; yet which must be understood and obeyed before he can be good, wise, and happy.

We may see, in this constitution of man's nature, why there are periods, when poetry seems to decline and lose its power. These are seasons of transition ; when the mass of mankind, having applied to the purposes of advancement, the old forais of truth, are restless for some new development of her power, usefulness, and beauty ; while the poet, instead of ministering to this craving of the soul, only serves up the nncient models in new modes of expression. As easily might he reanimate an Egyptian mummy, by clothing it in modern habiliments, as now impose on mankind those forms of truth which made the wisdom of the Egyptians. The perfection of the poetic art will be reached, when its just philosophy shall enlighten and control its worldly folicij, and both shall bring their richest treasures to the service and promotion oi {vae piety .

The poetry of devotion, or piety, can only be perfected where the knowledge of the true God prevails. This is the poetry of the Bible; the first on record ; and the sacred lyre was early in the hand of woman, (witness the song of Deborah,) and in her hand it should be found.

4 PREFACE.

The great poets of the heathen world were those of policy only ; for their gods were of human invention and human passions ; and much, very much of the poetry of Christian bards rises no higher than the heathen standard. It is the lofty and complete picture of national aggrandizement which Homer and Virgil drew, not the greatness of the deeds, aims and passions they describe, that makes their works standards of human genius in thi& department of poetry. But here, woman has no place; her harp cannot move stones, nor tame beasts, ^he must wait till the tiowers bloom and the birds appear. But when, in the progress of truth, policy (or selfishness) gives place tp juster notions of what constitutes human happiness, then " divine philosophy" comes to the poet's aid, breathes into his soul the wisdom from above, gifts him to see and reveal the glories and mysteries of Nature, and teach that '• true self love and social are the same; " that there is no pursuit really noble and good, that does not aim to promote the good of others; and no dignity and purity in maii, that is not derived from his spiritual likeness to his Saviour. In this, the best and most exalted office of the muse, woman isnicd'ally gifted u excel. She has already entered on her province. It is to encourage her efforts, and dispose all who are wishing for ihe advancement of morals, to reflect on the aid which, in the present state of society, the cultivated genius of woman may impart, that 1 have prepared this volume.

Two principles have guided my selections ; one, to admit no poetry unless its aim was " upward and onward;" the other, to allow place to those writers only whose style had some peculiar stamp of individuality, which marked their genius as original; and I have sought to give characteristic specimens from each.

I am aAvare that there are critics, who always speak of the " true feminine style," as though there was only one manner in which ladies could properly write poetry. I ask such to compare the poems of Mrs. Heraans and Mary Howitt, of Miss Taylor and Miss Landon, of Mrs. Sigourney and Miss Gould. Are not all these productions beautifully feminine, and yet different in their style of beauty '? The truth is, woman has not such unlimited range of subjects as man; but in the manner of treating those within her province, she has a freedom as perfect as his ; and the delicate shades of genius are as varied and distinctly marked in the one sex as its bold outlines are in the other. There are more varieties of the rose than of the oak.

I cannot but believe that this book will find favor in the eyes of my own sex. It is particularly intended for young ladies — as a mirror, bright and polished, in which they may see reflected the beauty of virtue, the loveliness of the domestic affections, and the happiness of piety; as a wreath, whose flowers will always bloom to give pleasure, whenever the heart is opened to their influence.

Boston, November 1st, 183G.

Part First.— English Authors. Page

FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS - 13

Madeline - _ _ _ _ i6

Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers - - 19

Breathings of Spring _ _ _ 20

The Spells of Home . _ _ 22

The Graves of a Household - - 23

The Image in Lava ... 25

The Mother's Love . _ _ 27

Woman and Fame - _ _ 28

The Themes of Song _ . _ 29

The Return - - .. _ 30

The Mirror in the Deserted Hall - - 32

The Welcome to Death - . . 33

The Voice of Music . . _ 34

The Hour of Death ... 35

Kindred Hearts - . _ _ 37

A Thought of the Rose ... 38

The Parting of Summer . _ _ 39

The Song of Night ... 41

The Deserted House - . _ 43

The Voice of God ... 45

Fragment - - . - _ 45

Man and Woman - . _ 46

Gertrude - . . . 48

The Stranger's Heart - . _ 50

Evening Prayer at a Girl's School - 51

Washington's Statue _ _ _ 53

The Voice of Spring - . _ 54

The Hebrew Mother - . _ 57

Sabbath Sonnet - _ _ . 59

Tho Poetry of the PrnJ^'!'!! _ _ _ {"ti t> INDEX OF POEMS.

PAGE.

Sketches from the Legend of Lady Griseld Baillie 63

Christopher Columbus - _ , 67

The Tomb of Columbus ^ - - 70

Patriotism and Freedom - - - 71

The Elden Tree - - - - 72

To a Child . - - . 76

Selections . _ _ . 77

True Love . - . . 78

Conversation _ - _ _ 83

Sensibility _ . . . 86

Sketches from the Sacred Dramas - 88

ANNA LyETlTIA BARBAULD - - 91

To Mr. Barbauld - - - - 93

An Address to the Deity - - - 94

A Thought on Death _ . _ 98

Washing-Day . _ . - 99

JANE TAYLOil - - - - 102

The World in the Heart - - . 104

The Things that are Unseen are Eternal 107

Experience _ _ _ _ 109

Accomplishment - - - - 110

The Philosopher's Scales - - - 112

The Violet - - - - 115

L^TITIA ELIZABETH LANDON - 116

Lines of Life - _ _ - 119

Female Faith - - - - 123

Musings _ . - - 124

The Poet's Power - - - - 126

The Adieu - - - - ' 127

The Eve of St. John _ . . 129

Woman's Destiny - _ - - 132

Mont Blanc - _ . - I34

Portrait Painting - - - - 136

Stanzas on the Death of Mrs. Hemans - 138

CAROLINE ELIZABETH SARAH NORTON 142

All is forgotten - . . _ 144

We shall meet no more _ - - I45

The Widow and her Son - - - 145

The Poet - - - - 146

PAGE.

Woman's Love > - - - I47

The Fallen Leaves - - - 148

Friendship . - _ - I49

Thy Will be done - - - - 150

Recollections of a faded Beauty - - 152

True Love - - - - 153

My Childhood's Home - - - 154

Music's Power _ . - - 155

Traditionary Ballad - - - 159

The Lady and the Sea Captain - - 163

The Spider and the Fly - - - 165

The Snow Drop - - - - 167

Thoughts of Heaven - - - 168

From the Seven Temptations - - 170

MARIA JANE JEWSBURY - - 175

The Lost Spirit - - - - 178

The Last Sigh of the Moor - - 180

Symbols - - - - 181

The World's Masque - - - 182

The Birth-Day Ballad - - - 184

MARY ANN BROWN - - - 186

Man's Love _ _ _ - 188

Woman's Love _ _ - - jSQ

A World without Water - - - 190

The Clouds - - - - 195

TkesHeart and Lyre - - - 197

The Departed - - - - 198

Kindred Spirits - - - - 200

There is a Tongue in every Leaf - - 202

Abjuration . _ - . 204

Aura Veni _ _ - . 2O6

The Woodbine - - - - 207 Lines suggested by some Late Autumn Flowers 210

The Dea'th of the Flowers - - 211

Lines on the Death of a Young Lady - 212

MARY RUSSELL MITFORD - - 213

Selections from Rienzi - - - 215

The Morning Walk - - - 221

Part Second.— American Authors. Page

LYDIA HUNTLEY SIGOURNEY - 223

Niagara - - - - 227

Nature's Royalty _ - - - 230

Radiant Clouds at Sunset - - 234

A Cottage Scene _ - - - 235

Solitude - - - - 236

The Coral Insect 239

The Mother of Washington - - 241

Filial Claims - - - - 243

Washington's Birth-Day - - - 244

The Bride ----- 246

Indian Names _ _ - - 248

Death of an Infant - - - - 249

Felicia Hemans _ . - - 250

Blessed are the Dead _ - _ 252

The Zephyr's Soliloquy - - - 255'

The Little Foot - - - - 257

The Frost ----- 259

The Thrice-closed Eye - - - 260

Worship by the Rose-Tree - - - 261

The Widow's Lullaby - - - 262

The Empty Bird's Nest - - - 263

The Prostrate Pink - - - 264

The Moon upon the Spire - - - 266

Recollections - . - - 267

The Waterfall - - - - 269

The Wild Violet - - - - 270

The Frozen Dove - - - - 272

The Ground Laurel - - - 273

EMMA C. EMBURY. - - - - 274

The Mother's Farewell to her Wedded Daughter 278

The Three Painters - - - - 281

Melancholy ----- 282

The WidoAv's Wooer - - - 283

Stp.nzai to a Sister - . - - 284

PAGE.

ANNA MARIA WELLS - - - 286

The White Hare - - - - 288

Ellen of North Carolina - - - 290

Autumnal Musings - - - - 292

The Old Elm Tree - - - - 294

The Tamed Eagle - - - - 295

WhippoorwiU - - - - 298

To a Young Mother - - - 300

SARAH LOUISA P. SMITH - - 301

The Hunter's Bride _ - . 304

The Heart's Treasures - _ . 307

The Stranger - - - - 308

Trust in Heaven - - 311

I would never Kneel - - - 313

LUCRETIA MARIA DAVIDSON - - 314

To a Friend - - - - 319

The Guardian Angel . . . 320

Feats of Death - - - - 322

Fragment ----- 324

FRANCES SARGENT OSGOOD - - 325

The Blind Girl . - - - 527

My Mother's Sigh - - - - 330

To a Young Friend - - - 332

The Star of Promise _ - - 335

ANNA PEYRE DLXNIES - - - .337

Wedded Love - . . . 339

The Blush ----- 340

The Charnel Ship - - - - 341

To my Husband's First Gray Hair - - 344

Happiness ----- 346

Thoughts in Autumn - - - 347

The Heart _ - - . 35?

PAGE.

SARAH HELEN WHITMAN - - 354

The Blind Mao's Lay - - - 356

Retrospection _ « - - 359

She Blooms no more . . _ 360

To the Spirit of Poetry - - - 362

CAROLINE OILMAN - . . 364

The Betrothed . _ . . 365

The Mocking-Bird in the City - - 369

Which is the Beauty _ _ _ 369

Children at Play - - - - 372

ELIZABETH P. ELLET - - - 373

Susquehanna _ _ . - 375

YouthfulJoys . - . . 377

To the Lance-Fly - ' - - - 378

Who are the Happy _ . - 379

Worldly Cares - - - - 381

Is this a Day of Death - - - 382

SARAH JOSEPHA HALE - - - 383

The Victor's Crown - - 389

The Two Maidens - - - 390

The Light of Home - - - 391

New-Year's Day - - - - 392

The Father's Choice - - - 395

The Silk-Worm - - - - 397

Time's Last Visit - - - - 399

To a Palm Leaf - - - - 403

Man's First Offering - - - - 404

The Amulet - _ - . 405

The Three Sceptres - - - 407

TO

MRS. ABBOTT LAWRENCE,^

AS A SINCERE EXPRESSION OF

THIS BOOK

IS INSCRIBED, BY HER OBLIGED AND

^ffecUonate jFrfenti,

S. J. Hale.