OF

AMERICAN LITERATURE

II.

1676-1765

BY

MOSES COIT TYLER

PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

NEW YORK

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

182 FIFTH AVENUE

1879

COPYRIGHT

1878

By G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XI.

NEW ENGLAND: THE VERSE-WRITERS.

I. The two literary periods in our colonial age-Their points of dis-

tinction-The times and the men-Our intended line of march

through the second period........

II.-John Norton-His poem on the death of Anne Bradstreet-John

Rogers-His poetic praise of Anne Bradstreet.......

III.-Urian Oakes-His high literary gifts-His elegy on the death of

Thomas Shepard.............

5

9

15

IV. Peter Folger, the ballad-writer-Benjamin Tompson, the satirist.. 19

V.-Michael Wigglesworth, the sturdy rhymer of New England Calvin-

ism-His great popularity-Puts into verse the glooms and the

comforts of the prevailing faith-The realistic poet of hell-fire-

"God's Controversy with New England "-"Meat out of the

Eater ""The Day of Doom "-Synopsis of the latter poem-Its

wide diffusion and influence-His son, Samuel Wigglesworth, a

true poet-" A Funeral Song" by the latter.....
23

VI.-Nicholas Noyes, the last and greatest of our Fantastics-His fine

personal career-The monstrosities of his muse-Prefatory poem

on the "Magnalia ”—Lines on John Higginson-Elegy on Joseph

Green-Verses on the painful malady of a Reverend friend.............. 38

VII.-Strong influence in America of the contemporary English poets,

especially Pope, Blackmore, Watts, Thomson, Young-Echoes of

them in Francis Knapp, Benjamin Colman, Jane Turell, Mather

Byles-The career and poetry of Roger Wolcott-His Connecti-

cut epic-His "Poetical Meditations ".

....

43

- His

46

VIII.-Humorous poetry-John Seccomb and his burlesque verses—

The facetiousness of Joseph Green His impromptus

"Entertainment for a Winter Evening "...

Popular ballads - "Lovewell's Fight"-Tilden's

Miscellaneous Poems"

- John Maylem, Philo-Bellum - His

"Conquest of Louisburg "-His "Gallic Perfidy"....

X.-A group of serious singers-John Adams-His accomplishments and

poetry" Poems by Several Hands ”—Peter Oliver, the literary

politician-His poem in honor of Josiah Willard...

51

54

iii

347131