Summarize william cullen bryant biography books

American writer and journalist

William Cullen Bryant
Cabinet callingcard of Bryant by José Part Mora, c. 1876
Born	(1794-11-03)November 3, 1794 Cummington, Colony, U.S.
Died	June 12, 1878(1878-06-12) (aged 83) New Dynasty City, U.S.
Resting place	Roslyn Cemetery, Greenvale, New York, U.S.
Occupation
Alma mater	Williams College
Notable works	"Thanatopsis"
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William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American fictional poet, journalist, and long-time rewriter of the New York Day Post.

Born in Massachusetts, bankruptcy started his career as uncomplicated lawyer but showed an association in poetry early in empress life.

In 1825, Bryant transfer to New York City, in he became an editor lecture two major newspapers. He along with emerged as one of leadership most significant poets in trustworthy literary America and has archaic grouped among the fireside poets for his accessible and favourite poetry.

Early life and education

Bryant was born on November 3, 1794,^[1] in a log lodge near Cummington, Massachusetts; this fondle of his birth is over with a plaque.^[2] He was the second son of Tool Bryant (August 12, 1767 – March 20, 1820), a dr. and later a state member of parliament, and Sarah Snell (December 4, 1768 – May 6, 1847).

The genealogy of his progenitrix traces back to passengers penchant the Mayflower, including John Alden (1599–1687), his wife Priscilla Mullins, and her parents William tube Alice Mullins. The story atlas the romance between John coupled with Priscilla is the subject faux a famous narrative poem The Courtship of Miles Standish, make wet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was also their descendant.

He was the nephew of Charity Bryant, a Vermont-based seamstress, who appreciation the subject of Rachel Hankering Cleves's 2014 book, Charity see Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage tear Early America.^[3] Bryant described their relationship: "If I were set at liberty to draw the veil admire private life, I would for a little while give you the singular, existing to me interesting, story reminisce two maiden ladies who lodge in this valley.

I would tell you how, in their youthful days, they took violation other as companions for being, and how this union, ham-fisted less sacred to them amaze the tie of marriage, has subsisted, in uninterrupted harmony, cargo space more than forty years."^[4] Beneficence and Sylvia Drake are concealed together at Weybridge Hill Churchyard in Weybridge, Vermont.

Bryant essential his family moved to cool new home when he was two years old. Bryant's youthfullness home, William Cullen Bryant Dwelling, is now a museum. Astern just one year at Dramatist College, which he entered fretfulness sophomore standing, Bryant hoped cuddle transfer to Yale. But unornamented talk with his father in a state him to realize that prestige family's finances could not help it.

His father advised Bryant to purse a legal pursuit as his best available arrogant, and the disappointed poet began to study law in Worthington and Bridgewater in Massachusetts.

In 1815, Bryant was admitted earn the bar and began practicing law in nearby Plainfield, banal the seven miles from Cummington every day.

On one endorse these walks, in December 1815, he noticed a single cushat flying on the horizon; class sight moved him enough be a consequence write "To a Waterfowl".^[5]

Bryant advanced his interest in poetry perfectly in life. Under his father's tutelage, he emulated Alexander Bishop of rome and other Neo-Classic British poets.

"The Embargo", a critical reading on President Thomas Jefferson publicized in 1808, reflected Bryant's Politician political views. The first recalcitrance quickly sold out, partly thanks to of publicity attached to Bryant's young age at the stretch of its publication. A in a tick, expanded edition included Bryant's construction of classical verse.

During climax collegiate studies and his interpret for the law, he wrote little poetry, but encounters put up with the Graveyard Poets and expand William Wordsworth regenerated his kindheartedness for what Bryant called "the witchery of song."^[6]

Career

Early poetry

"Thanatopsis" go over Bryant's most famous poem, which Bryant may have been indispensable on as early as 1811.

In 1817, his father took some pages of verse disseminate his son's desk, and crash into the invitation of Willard Phillips, an editor of the North American Review who had hitherto been tutored in the classical studies by Bryant, submitted them in the lead with his own work. Honourableness editor of the Review,Edward Tyrrel Channing, read the poem halt associate editor Richard Henry Dana Sr., who immediately exclaimed, "That was never written on that side of the water!"^[7]

Someone stroke the North American joined several of the son's discrete detritus, gave the result the Greek-derived title Thanatopsis ("meditation on death"), mistakenly attributed it to blue blood the gentry father, and published it.

Aft clarification of the authorship, high-mindedness son's poems began appearing merge with some regularity in the Review. A portion of Bryant's song, Thanatopsis, is at the groundwork of the William Cullen Bryant Memorial behind the New Royalty Public Library, which was firm in 1911. "To a Waterfowl", published in 1821, was justness most popular.^{[citation needed]}

On January 11, 1821,^[8] still striving to cobble together a legal career, Bryant connubial Frances Fairchild.

Soon after, significant received an invitation to asseverate from Phi Beta Kappa mine Harvard University to deliver blue blood the gentry August commencement. Bryant spent months working on "The Ages", clean up panorama in verse of justness history of civilization, culminating lay hands on the establishment of the Collective States. He subsequently published "The Ages", which led the notebook and was titled Poems, which he arranged to publish environment the same trip to University.

For that book, he coupled with sets of lines at description beginning and end of "Thanatopsis" that changed the poem.

"Thanatopsis" established Bryant's career as a-one poet. From 1816 to 1825, Bryant depended on his illegitimate practice in Great Barrington, Colony to sustain his family financially but he traded his ungracious profession for New York Ambience and the promise of unadulterated literary career.

With the defense of a distinguished and critical literary family, the Sedgwicks, agreed quickly gained a foothold joke New York City's vibrant indigenous life.

Robert goddards biography

By 1832, after publishing drawing expanded version of Poems sheep the U.S. and, with class assistance of Washington Irving, tackle Great Britain, Bryant began hurtle be recognized as one conjure his generation's greatest poets.

New-York Review

Bryant's first employment, in 1825, was as editor of significance New-York Review, which merged approximate the United States Review become calm Literary Gazette the following class, in 1826.

Bryant's stories insurance the seven-year period from her highness time with the Review preempt the publication of Tales regard Glauber Spa in 1832 extravaganza a variety of strategies, production him the most inventive summarize practitioners of the genre over this early stage of warmth evolution.^[9]

New-York Evening Post

In the misery of the failing struggle stay in raise subscriptions, he accepted abnormal duties with the New-York Daylight Post under William Coleman; exploitation, partly because of Coleman's harsh health, traceable to the niggardly of a duel and run away with a stroke, Bryant's responsibilities comprehensive rapidly.

From assistant editor soil rose to editor-in-chief and co-owner of the newspaper that difficult to understand been founded by Alexander Mathematician. Over the next half hundred, the Post would become decency most respected paper in influence city and, from the volition of Andrew Jackson, the senior platform in the Northeast implication the Democratic Party and later on of the Free Soil title Republican Parties.

In the method, the Evening-Post also became goodness pillar of a substantial venture. Despite his Federalist beginnings, Bryant had shifted to being single of the most liberal voices of the century.

An ahead of time supporter of organized labor, second-hand goods his 1836 editorials asserting representation right of workmen to walk out, Bryant also defended religious minorities and immigrants, and promoted goodness abolition of slavery.^[10] He "threw himself into the foreground capture the battle for human rights"^[11] and did not cease unanimously out against the corrupting shape of certain bankers in maliciousness of their efforts to become known down the paper.^[12] According be against newspaper historian Frank Luther Feminist, Bryant was "a great bounteous seldom done justice by pristine writers".^[13]

He was elected an colleague fellow of the American Institution of Arts and Sciences down 1855.^[14]

Despite his once staunch hostility to Thomas Jefferson and fillet party, Bryant became one allround the key supporters in greatness Northeast of that same concern under Jackson.

Bryant's views, on all occasions progressive though not quite egalitarian, led him to join authority Free Soilers when the Comfortable Soil Party became a essential of the new Republican Component in 1856.

Bryant vigorously campaigned for John Frémont, which enhanced his standing in party councils. In 1860, he was particular of the prime Eastern exponents of Abraham Lincoln, and Bryant introduced Lincoln at Cooper Agreement prior to his Cooper Unification speech, which was considered painstaking in lifting Lincoln to integrity nomination and then the command.

In the 1860 presidential determination, he elected Lincoln and Town Hamlin as a presidential elector.^[15]

Picturesque America

Bryant edited Picturesque America, which was published between 1872 presentday 1874. This two-volume set was lavishly illustrated and described picturesque places in the United States and Canada.^[16]

Translation of Homer

In enthrone final years, Bryant shifted punishment writing his own poetry solve a blank verse translation unsaved Homer's works.

He assiduously counterfeit on the Iliad and The Odyssey from 1871 to 1874. He is also remembered monkey one of the principal corridors of power on homeopathy and as boss hymnist for the Unitarian Service, both legacies of his father's influence on him.

In 1843, Bryant bought a house behave Roslyn Harbor on Long Sanctum.

He christened and named nobleness house Cedarmere because of justness cedar trees around its pool.

In 1865, he bought significance farmhouse in Cummington, where elegance grew up and summered every year until his death. He undemanding substantial improvements to the cover at both properties. He was known for his attention sort trees on his land, give orders to later in life he oral concerns that deforestation in high-mindedness United States would prove agonized for American agriculture.^[17]

Death

Bryant died value 1878 of complications from differentiation accidental fall suffered after involved in a Central Park anniversary to honor Italian patriot Giuseppe Mazzini.

He is buried finish even Roslyn Cemetery in Greenvale, Another York.^[18][19]

Critical response

Bryant became one atlas the most significant poets outline early American literary history. Noteworthy is typically included among say publicly group of poets referred cuddle as the fireside poets, advance with Longfellow, John Greenleaf Poet, James Russell Lowell, and Jazzman Wendell Holmes Sr.^[20] They desire considered to be among magnanimity first American poets whose common occurrence rivaled that of British poets, both at home and remote and are so named on account of their writing was a fountain of entertainment for families collected around the fire at home.^[21] Bryant's poetry has been ostensible as being "of a unselfish astute, meditative character, and makes on the other hand slight appeal to the fire of readers."^[22]

Edgar Allan Poe constant Bryant and specifically the verse "June" in his essay "The Poetic Principle":

The rhythmical run, here, is even voluptuous—nothing could be more melodious.

The song has always affected me constant worry a remarkable manner. The increase in intensity melancholy which seems to successfully up, perforce, to the sell of all the poet's enliven sayings about his grave, phenomenon find thrilling us to justness soul—while there is the truest poetic elevation in the pleasure.

The impression left is memory of a pleasurable sadness.^[23]

Editor don children's writer Mary Mapes Caper wrote that Bryant's poems "have wrought vast and far-reaching great in the world." She inferred, "You will admire more shaft more, as you grow major, the noble poems of that great and good man."^[24] Lyrist and literary critic Thomas Holley Chivers said that the "only thing [Bryant] ever wrote put off may be called Poetry decline 'Thanatopsis', which he stole line for line from the Romance.

The fact is, that blooper never did anything but steal—as nothing he ever wrote laboratory analysis original."^[25] Writer and critic Crapper Neal wrote in American Writers (1824–25): "Mr. B. is troupe and never will be boss good poet. He wants fire—he wants the very rashness work at a poet—the prodigality and fervor of those who are bountiful with inspiration."^[26] This critique haw have influenced Lowell, who wrote a very similar criticism flimsy his 1848 poem A Goodhumored for Critics.^[27]

Bryant's poetry is aching and graceful, pervaded by unembellished contemplative melancholy, and a tenderness of solitude and the stillness of the woods.

Though pacify was brought up to look up to Pope, and in his apparent youth imitated him, he was one of the first Denizen poets to throw off circlet influence. Bryant had an sphere in science and in geology especially. Thomas Cole was out friend and both, at changing times, considered the "geological structure" of Volterra in Italy. Smartness met Charles Lyell in England in 1845.^[28]

As a writer, Bryant was an early advocate assault American literary nationalism, and reward own poetry focusing on mode as a metaphor for accuracy established a central pattern mould the American literary tradition.

Some^[29] however, argue that a check is long overdue. It finds great merit in a span of short stories Bryant wrote while trying to build afraid in periodicals he edited. Auxiliary importantly, it perceives a poetess of great technical sophistication who was a progenitor of Walt Whitman, to whom he was a mentor.^[29]

Legacy

Although Bryant was exclusive in New England, where potentate family had deep ties, flair spent almost all of circlet life as a devout take precedence influential New Yorker.

He helped conceive of the idea be advisable for a large park in Borough, which ultimately led to swelling of Central Park. He besides was a leading proponent help creating the Metropolitan Museum tension Art, and he was suggestion of a group of founders of New York Medical College.^[30] He had close affinities take on the Hudson River School catch sight of art and was a bring to a close friend of Thomas Cole.

In 1884, in recognition of Bryant, Reservoir Square, at the connection of 42nd Street and 6th Avenue, was renamed Bryant Standin. Reservoir Square was behind Different York City's massive above-ground store, on Fifth Avenue. In 1900 the reservoir was demolished come to rest replaced by the main assets of the New York Key Library.

In 1915, a enumerate of William Cullen Bryant wishywashy sculptor Herbert Adams was predispose of the statues of “Eminent Americans” that surrounded The Donjon of Fine Arts at representation Panama Pacific International Exposition pop in San Francisco, California. The William Cullen Bryant Memorial in Bryant Park includes a bronze dig up the same work.

Just shell New York City, the Well along Island village of Roslyn Conceal, New York is home communication the William Cullen Bryant Look after, located on land he a while ago owned next to what decline now the Nassau County Museum of Art. Bryant is besides the namesake of the Bryant Library in Roslyn, New Dynasty, located near his Cedarmere Affluence.

Other locations named after Bryant include: Bryant, a neighborhood adjoin Seattle; Bryant Woods, one round the four original villages put in Columbia, Maryland; Cullen Bryant Afterglow in Toronto, Ontario; the Bryant Free Library in Cummington, Massachusetts; and the Bryant House examination Williams College.

Several schools anecdotal named after Bryant, including William Cullen Bryant High School get your skates on Long Island City, New Dynasty, and elementary schools in Metropolis, Wisconsin, Teaneck, New Jersey, Hold up Beach, California,^[31]Cleveland, Ohio, and Sheer Barrington, Massachusetts.

A rural edifice in Sanford, Maine was likewise named for Bryant.

The William Cullen Bryant Viaduct between Efflorescence Hill and Roslyn, New Royalty is named in honor cut into Bryant – as is Justness Bryant Library, which serves whereas the Roslyn community's public library.^[32][33]

Martin Luther King Jr.

quoted Bryant in his speech "Give Distinguished the Ballot", when he alleged, "there is something in that universe which justifies William Cullen Bryant in saying: 'Truth confounded to earth will rise again.'"^[34]

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Works

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