Modern American Poetry

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. From 1866 to 1880 the United States was in a chaotic and frankly materialistic condition; it was full of political scandals, panics, frauds, malfeasance in high places. The moral fiber was flabby; the country was apathetic, cor rupt and contented. As in all such periods of national unconcern, the artists turned from life altogether, pre occupying themselves with the by-products of art: with method and technique, with elaborate and artificial con ceits, with facile ideas rather than fundamental ideals.