America’s First Literary Stars The Fireside Poets America’s First Literary Stars

“We watched the first red blaze appear, Heard the sharp crackle, caught the gleam On whitewashed wall and sagging beam, Until the old, rude-furnished room Burst, flower-like, into rosy bloom; While radiant with a mimic flame Outside the sparkling drift became, And through the bare-boughed lilac-tree Our own warm hearth seemed blazing free.” from Snow-bound, John Greenleaf Whittier

SUMMARY: Whittier describes looking out the window onto large drifts in a snow-covered yard. Those inside the room can see the fireplace reflected in the snow drift, so that it looks like a fire is burning outside in the snow. PARAPHRASE: We watched the fire catch hold and start and Heard the crackle of the wood; we watched the flames shine On the white walls and ceiling beams Until the old, roughly furnished room Seemed to bloom like a red flower from the light of the fire; While outside, the sparkling white snowdrift turned pink and reflected the room, And in between the bare branches of the lilac tree It looked like the blazing hearth was outside. from Snow-bound, John Greenleaf Whittier

What are “Fireside Poets?” First group of American poets to rival British poets in popularity in either country Notable for their scholarship and the resilience of their lines and themes Preferred conventional forms over experimentation Often used American legends and scenes of American life as their subject matter

Why the name “Fireside” poets? Families gathered around the fireplace to hear their poetry. It’s comparable to watching TV together as a family. Their poetry was easy to understand and taught lessons in family values. Their poetry embodied homely themes, like birth and death, farming, patriotism, the beauty of nature.

Who were the Fireside Poets? Henry Wadsworth Longfellow William Cullen Bryant James Russell Lowell Oliver Wendell Holmes John Greenleaf Whittier

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807-1882 “Paul Revere’s Ride” “Psalm of Life” “The Day Is Done” Translated Dante’s Inferno from Italian into English First wife died of infection after miscarraige Second wife died in fire; he tried to save her, hence, scars on face--grew well-known beard to cover Poetry criticized for being too optimistic and sentimental, but made him the most popular of the fireside poets So popular, his 75th birthday was celebrated as if a national holiday

William Cullen Bryant 1794-1878 Composed “To a Waterfowl” and “Thanatopsis” One of the founders of the Republican party and supporter of Lincoln Used position as influential journalist to defend human rights and personal freedoms Advocated women’s rights and abolition of slavery

James Russell Lowell 1819-1891 Composed “The First Snowfall” and “The Present Crisis” Active in anti-slavery causes May have been the most talented, but personal tragedies disrupted literary career (deaths of three of four children, death of wife)

Oliver Wendell Holmes 1809-1894 Medical doctor – invented the term “anesthesia.” Composed “Old Ironsides,” which saved the U.S.S. Constitution from the scrap yard and “O Captain! My Captain” Father of Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Descendent of Anne Bradstreet

John Greenleaf Whittier 1807-1892 Born in poverty No formal education Quaker Composed Snow-bound and “Barefoot Boy” More involved than others in social issues Active in anti-slavery movement

Lasting Impact Longfellow remained the most popular American poet for decades. When Poe criticized Longfellow, Poe was all but ostracized. Longfellow remains the only American poet to be immortalized by a bust in Poet’s Corner in Westminster, London. They took on causes in their poetry, such as the abolition of slavery, which brought the issues to the forefront in a palatable way. Through their scholarship and editorial efforts, they paved the way for later Romantic writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman.