"The face of nature and civilization in this our country is to a certain point a very sufficient literary field. But it will yield its secrets only to a really grasping imagination. To write well and worthily of American things one need even more than elsewhere to be a master"

Henry James is recommending that the landscape of America is a huge and varied literary field, with much to explore and discover. He thinks that to write well and worthily of American things, one should have a strong imagination and be a master of their craft. He is suggesting that the tricks of the American landscape can just be opened by a genuinely creative and creative mind. He is also suggesting that the face of nature and civilization in America is a complex and diverse one, and that it needs a special kind of skill to be able to catch it in composing. He is emphasizing the importance of having a deep understanding of the American landscape in order to be able to blog about it efficiently.