Holmes And Longfellow Fireside Poets
Fireside Poets
The Fireside Poets played an influential role in nineteenth century poetry. Comprised of Holmes, Longfellow, Bryant, Lowell, and Whittier, each of these writers brought their own unique twist to the genre. They all focus on morality and address the matter of defining its principles. However, Holmes and Longfellow emphasize legacy and man’s duty to uphold it, while Bryant, Lowell, and Whittier hone in on abolitionism and anti-slavery.
Oliver Wendell Holmes was a driving force for individuals valuing their history and preserving it. In his poem, “Old Ironsides,” he stirs a compelling desire to honor the vessel that withstood the violence of the War of 1812. In doing so, he implores people to uphold what makes Americans so. As a result of his poem, the USS Constitution became the oldest commissioned ship in the world. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow took a similar approach by emphasizing the importance of understanding one’s influence on the generations to come. He indicates that the potential for …show more content…
He, too, highlights life and death and depicts the transition between as a warm and fuzzy ordeal, a common Fireside characteristic. Furthermore, he used his reputation to lead the Antislavery Free-Soil movement and help facilitate Lincoln’s election. James Russell Lowell was also involved in the Abolitionist movement, and he is famous for A Fable for Critics, a satirical piece evaluating the fellow poets of his time. Of the five poets, John Greenleaf Whittier is arguably the strongest anti-slavery advocate. In “Massachusetts to Virginia,” Whittier captures the attitude of his fellow abolishers as he pronounces to slaveholders, “Be, if ye will, the scandal of God’s universe; / We wash our hands forever of your sin and shame and curse” (lines 55-56). This emphasis on disunion, as well as Bryant and Lowell’s abolitionist contributions, foreshadowed the looming Civil
The Fireside Poets played an influential role in nineteenth century poetry. Comprised of Holmes, Longfellow, Bryant, Lowell, and Whittier, each of these writers brought their own unique twist to the genre. They all focus on morality and address the matter of defining its principles. However, Holmes and Longfellow emphasize legacy and man’s duty to uphold it, while Bryant, Lowell, and Whittier hone in on abolitionism and anti-slavery.
Oliver Wendell Holmes was a driving force for individuals valuing their history and preserving it. In his poem, “Old Ironsides,” he stirs a compelling desire to honor the vessel that withstood the violence of the War of 1812. In doing so, he implores people to uphold what makes Americans so. As a result of his poem, the USS Constitution became the oldest commissioned ship in the world. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow took a similar approach by emphasizing the importance of understanding one’s influence on the generations to come. He indicates that the potential for …show more content…
He, too, highlights life and death and depicts the transition between as a warm and fuzzy ordeal, a common Fireside characteristic. Furthermore, he used his reputation to lead the Antislavery Free-Soil movement and help facilitate Lincoln’s election. James Russell Lowell was also involved in the Abolitionist movement, and he is famous for A Fable for Critics, a satirical piece evaluating the fellow poets of his time. Of the five poets, John Greenleaf Whittier is arguably the strongest anti-slavery advocate. In “Massachusetts to Virginia,” Whittier captures the attitude of his fellow abolishers as he pronounces to slaveholders, “Be, if ye will, the scandal of God’s universe; / We wash our hands forever of your sin and shame and curse” (lines 55-56). This emphasis on disunion, as well as Bryant and Lowell’s abolitionist contributions, foreshadowed the looming Civil