ART - Fireside Poets

Fireside Poets

The Fireside Poets, also called the Household or Schoolroom Poets, were the first group of American poets to equal British poets in popularity in either country. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., James Russell Lowell, and William Cullen Bryant are the poets most commonly grouped together under this heading. In general, these poets wrote about common subjects most Americans could understand and preferred traditional forms over experimentation. Their poems are memorable and rhythmic, which made them popular for memorization and recitation in classrooms and oral readings by the fireside in American and British homes.  

As you move through the Romanticism module, complete the Characteristics of Romanticism Chart for each reading. This will help you with the unit's culminating project.

Characteristics of Romanticism Chart Link Links to an external site.

 

William Cullen Bryant

 

Reading Assignment: "Thanatopis"

Bryant wrote the poem, "Thanatopsis" when he was just 17 years old! It became one of most famous American poems worldwide and almost all schoolchildren had to memorize and recite it. Bryant actually made up the word thanatopsis, which means "view of death." His view of death in the poem is that it should not be feared because death is part of a natural cycle and dying allows us to return to nature, where we will feel at peace. As you read the poem, think about how Bryant might have rewritten it 20 or 50 years later, as he came closer tRoo facing his own death.

Now read the poem "Thanatopsis." Remember that when you read poetry, you don't stop at the end of a line. You read until you come to some form of punctuation that requires you to stop, such as a period or a semi-colon.   Keeping this tip in mind will help you to better understand "Thanatopsis." This can be a difficult poem to understand, so you want to ensure that you get the most out of it as you read. Therefore, use the study notes linked in the text and complete the Characteristics of Romanticism Chart linked below; this will help you with the culminating project.

"Thanatopsis" Text Link Links to an external site.

"Thanatopsis" Audio Link Links to an external site.

Characteristics of Romanticism Chart Link Links to an external site.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was the most popular of the Fireside Poets. In fact, during his life, he was considered the most famous American worldwide. He was also the first American poet honored with a bust in Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey, England.

Learn additional information about Longfellow by viewing the presentation below. Click the > to advance slides.

Reading Assignment: "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls"

You will read Longfellow's poem, "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls". Longfellow wrote this poem only three years before his own death, after having suffered the death of his second wife and numerous friends. In the poem, a traveler walks along a beach and leaves footprints that are then washed away as the tide rises. This should be a familiar concept to anyone who has visited the ocean and experienced the rising and falling of the tides. Nature provides the speaker with comfort and a sense that no matter what happens, the natural cycle continues and life moves forward. As you read, consider how Longfellow's poem reflects the values of Romanticism and complete the Characteristics of Romanticism Chart, which will help you with the culminating project.

"The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls" Text Link Links to an external site.

"The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls" Audio Link below

 

John Greenleaf Whittier

While not quite as popular as the other Fireside Poets, John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) was still a household name in America and England.

Here is a brief overview of his life:

• Born to a Quaker family in Massachusetts
• Influenced by the poetry of Robert Burns of Scotland
• Served as editor of New England Weekly Review in Hartford, Connecticut
• Most famous line: "Of all sad words of tongue and pen/ The saddest are these, 'It might have been' " - from "Maud Muller," 1854
• Outside of his writing, he was most famous as an abolitionist
• Publication of Snow-Bound in 1866 made him famous and wealthy

 

Reading Assignment: "Snow-Bound, A Winter Idyll"

You will read the first and last parts of Whittier's long poem, Snow-Bound, a Winter Idyl. The poem beautifully describes the experience of a family being confined within its home during a New England snowstorm. The poet describes the beauty of nature and how the coating of the land with snow forces everyone in his family and the town to stop hurrying about their busy lives and instead enjoy the moment, share time with one another, and reflect on loved ones who have passed away. He urges us to slow down every once in a while and reflect on our lives even after life returns to its normal busy-ness once the snow melts.

As you read, try to imagine the natural and household scenes the speaker describes. Don't forget to complete the Characteristics of Romanticism Chart for this poem as well; it will help you with the culminating project.

Excerpt from Snow-Bound, Winter Idyll Text Link Links to an external site.

Excerpt from Snow-Bound, Winter Idyll Audio Link Links to an external site.

 

Self-Assessment

Complete the following self-assessment over the poems in this lesson.

 

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