SOURCE: "The Garden Myth in 'The Prairies'," in Western Illinois Regional Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1, Spring, 1978, pp. 15-26.

In the essay below, Booher discusses Bryant's pastoral and sometimes primitive treatment of the American Midwest in "The Prairies," noting his contributions to the mythology of the American West as a literary theme.

One of the earliest major poems about the Midwest is William Cullen Bryant's "The Prairies." Written after a visit to Illinois in 1832, the poem clearly embodies significant forms of American idealism and denotes the emergence of the West as an important literary theme. For several reasons—not the least important of which is the difference between what Bryant saw on the frontier and his poetical treatment of that experience—the poem is an instructive excursion into American myth.

The lengthy journey from New York to visit two of his brothers disclosed to Bryant the realities of life in...