Love or Fame; and Other Poems — Themes and Context

A Poet's Tribute and a Personal Response

The collection includes a poem 'To Longfellow,' followed by Longfellow's autograph letter, which Sherrick reproduces. In the letter, Longfellow writes that he is 'much pleased and touched by the graceful and beautiful tribute.' This inclusion is a deliberate authorial choice: Sherrick not only pays homage but also documents the exchange, lending her work a layer of historical authenticity. The poem itself employs conventional praise, but the letter transforms it into a personal artifact. Sherrick's decision to print the letter suggests she valued the connection with the established poet, and it offers readers a glimpse into the literary networks of the late nineteenth century.

Nature as Ornament and Symbol

Sherrick's descriptive passages are dense with floral and natural imagery. In 'Tower Grove,' she catalogs roses, pansies, magnolias, and tropical plants, describing them as 'a perfect gem in a golden crown.' The poem personifies flowers: 'the crimson heart of each royal flower / Gleams purely forth.' Sherrick often uses nature to symbolize emotional states—the shell in 'A Shell' is asked to 'tell the secrets thou must know / Of clouds above and waves below.' Her diction favors words like 'fragrant,' 'perfumed,' and 'golden,' creating a consistently idealized landscape. This ornamental style reflects a Romantic sensibility, where the natural world serves as both setting and metaphor.

Structured Conflict in the Title Poem

The title poem 'Love or Fame' is divided into five parts, each marking a stage in the protagonist's journey: Girlhood, The Storm, Fame, Broken Links, and Love. This structure suggests a narrative arc from innocence through crisis to resolution. Sherrick uses the storm as a turning point, a common device in nineteenth-century poetry. The headings themselves—'Broken Links' in particular—hint at severed relationships or lost connections. While the excerpts do not reveal the plot's specifics, the structure implies a deliberate movement from choice to consequence. Sherrick's use of section titles guides the reader's interpretation, framing the poem as a moral or emotional progression.

Regional and Temporal Anchoring

Several poems are explicitly set in the American Midwest. 'Tower Grove' describes a garden in St. Louis, and 'The Mississippi' and 'Sunset on the Mississippi' evoke the river. Sherrick writes of 'the far great West' and contrasts it with 'the lands so old' of the Orient. This regional specificity is a notable authorial choice: she grounds her poetry in a particular geography, celebrating local landmarks. The poems also mark seasons and times of day—'September,' 'October,' 'Falling Leaves,' 'Moonlight,' 'The Day is Dead.' This temporal anchoring gives the collection a cyclical, reflective quality. Sherrick's attention to place and time roots her abstract themes in concrete, recognizable settings.

Readers approaching Love or Fame; and Other Poems will find a poet working within the conventions of late-Romantic verse, yet one who asserts her own voice through regional subjects and personal tributes. Sherrick's diction is consistently elevated, her imagery drawn from nature and emotion. The inclusion of Longfellow's letter offers a rare documentary touch. This collection rewards attention to its structural choices and its evocation of the American landscape.

I have known Fannie Sherrick’s Love or Fame for decades—that ache between ambition and the heart’s quiet pull. It always brings to mind another volume, Matthew Arnold's Sohrab and Rustum, and other poems — Key Ideas to Explore, where a son’s longing meets a father’s pride on a dark field. Two poets, one sad, familiar chord. They sit well together on a shelf, whispering across the years.