Philip Freneau

 Freneau was born in New York City, the oldest of the five children of Huguenot wine merchant Pierre Fresneau and his Scottish wife. Philip was raised in Monmouth County, New Jersey where he studied under William Tennent, Jr.. His father died in 1767, and he entered the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, as a sophomore in 1768 to study for the ministry.

Philip Freneau ( )  Life Story  Importance  The Wild Honey Suckle  The Indian Burying Ground

Life Story  Born in New York and graduated from the College of New Jersey with James Madison, and Hugh Henry Brackenridge.  With Brackenridge he co-authored a prose and a poem “The Rising Glory of America”.  Because of his satire during the war, he was captured and imprisoned by the British.  His satire appeared in the Freeman’s Journal until 1784 when he returned to the sea as a seaman.  He set up the anti-federalist paper the National Gazette( ).  In his later years, became a heavy drinker and lost much of his property, and died in a snowstorm.

Importance  A. the most important poet in the 18th century; “Father of American Poetry”.  B. two reasons: The principal poet of the period, Freneau’s major significance lies in his transitional role between neoclassicism and romanticism. As a brilliant satirist, he revealed his neoclassical bent by training in those poems that defended the Revolution and Jefferson’s policy, or satirized the British and the Federalist; Generally speaking, Freneau was at his best in his pre-romantic verses, many critics agree that he was romantic in essential spirit, though he was neoclassical by training or taste. The principal poet of the period, Freneau’s major significance lies in his transitional role between neoclassicism and romanticism. As a brilliant satirist, he revealed his neoclassical bent by training in those poems that defended the Revolution and Jefferson’s policy, or satirized the British and the Federalist; Generally speaking, Freneau was at his best in his pre-romantic verses, many critics agree that he was romantic in essential spirit, though he was neoclassical by training or taste. Freneau’s poetry is also characterized by a profound patriotism and love for American rural scene, different from most of the major men of letters of the period who always set their eyes on the urban development. Literary historians and critics generally hold that American national poetry began with Freneau’s verse, thus he has been entitled the “Father of American Poetry”. Freneau’s poetry is also characterized by a profound patriotism and love for American rural scene, different from most of the major men of letters of the period who always set their eyes on the urban development. Literary historians and critics generally hold that American national poetry began with Freneau’s verse, thus he has been entitled the “Father of American Poetry”.

The Wild Honey Suckle  (1) Significance ---imitates the traditional writing technique of his mother country ---imitates the traditional writing technique of his mother country ---natural scenes on the new continent ---natural scenes on the new continent ---an indication of the poet’s dedication to American subject matter ---an indication of the poet’s dedication to American subject matter

The Wild Honey Suckle  (2) interpretation Here in this poem Freneau deals with the themes of loveliness and the transience of life. It has been called the best American nature poem before Bryant’s achievement in this field. The poet discovers the flower in an unfrequented spot and meditates on its beauty. In its retreat no foot shall crush it. Nature arrayed in white, “and sent soft waters murmuring by.” It spends its days in repose, sad that Autumn shall destroy it. It was born of “morning suns and evening dews,” and when it dies it is the same, thus losing nothing. Even though the poet does not say it, the reader is reminded of the fate of man.Here in this poem Freneau deals with the themes of loveliness and the transience of life. It has been called the best American nature poem before Bryant’s achievement in this field. The poet discovers the flower in an unfrequented spot and meditates on its beauty. In its retreat no foot shall crush it. Nature arrayed in white, “and sent soft waters murmuring by.” It spends its days in repose, sad that Autumn shall destroy it. It was born of “morning suns and evening dews,” and when it dies it is the same, thus losing nothing. Even though the poet does not say it, the reader is reminded of the fate of man.

This poem, well within the melancholy genre, consists of the poet’s pensive musings on the flower’s story. The first two stanzas picture the advantages of the flower’s country retreat: No roving foot shall crush thee here, No busy hand provoke a tear. Nature foreordained the honey-suckle’s place: She bade thee shun the vulgar eye, And planted here the guardian shade, And sent soft waters murmuring by, Thus quietly thy summer goes, Thy days declining to repose

The next stanza elaborates the analogy suggested by the mention of summer in the previous stanza; again Freneau unites the theme of the seasons with the thought that all must die: Smit with those charms, that must decay, I grieve to see your future doom; They died—nor were those flowers more gay, The flowers that did in Eden bloom; Unpitying frosts, and Autumn’s power Shall leave no vestige of this flower.

Decay is the universal law, mourning is permissible, but there is yet more to say. Death and decay, as well as creation, are so common, so much a part of the universal law, that they lose their power to awe: From morning suns and evening dew At first thy little being came; If nothing once, you nothing lose, For when you die you are the same; The space between, is but an hour, The frail duration of a flower.

And yet, is there not something to regret that life is but an hour? The tone of the poem is, through all the stanzas, one of the pensive melancholies. The tone is conventional, the themes are conventional, but all elements are so well combined that this poem rises above the conventional.

The Indian Burying Ground  The poem is composed of ten four-line stanzas written in iambic tetrameter. It is organized around two statements: the first stanza and the last. Freneau starts off by declaring that he thinks the "posture that we give the dead" is symbolic of the oblivion that follows life, "in spite of all the learned have said."  The middle eight stanzas of the poem cite the Indian custom of burial, and what it suggests. This movement starts: Not so the ancients of these lands - Not so the ancients of these lands - The Indian, when from life released, The Indian, when from life released, Again is seated with his... Again is seated with his...  This poem tints with distinct romantic color, which is best exemplified by the last few lines. It is believed to be the first romantic note ever heard on the American soil and also it is the first poem to show tolerance or even admiration toward the Indian culture.

The End