SOURCE: Bayard Taylor and German Letters, Cram, de Gruyter & Co., 1959, pp. 78-130.

In the following excerpt, Krumpelmann examines the degree to which Taylor's work imitates German literature.

As in his other works, so in his original literary compositions, Bayard Taylor shows the effects of his knowledge of and interest in German literature. If we examine these works chronologically, we find an ever increasing amount of German influence. As has been indicated above¹ Taylor's real acquaintance with German literature dates from his first trip to Europe (July, 1844—June, 1846). Consequently, his first little volume of poems, Ximena, published early in 1844², is entirely devoid of anything that might even suggest German poetry. His first prose volume, Views Afoot, which initiated the display of his German interest, has been sufficiently discussed.³ Now we shall endeavor to demonstrate that some phase of his Germanic interest is displayed in every subsequent volume.

The poetical...