- Born:
- December 17, 1807, near Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Died:
- September 7, 1892, Hampton Falls, New Hampshire (aged 84)
- Awards And Honors:
- Hall of Fame (1905)
- Notable Works:
- “Maud Muller”
- “Snow-Bound”
- Movement / Style:
- American Renaissance
John Greenleaf Whittier
-
Who was John Greenleaf Whittier?
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892) was an American Quaker poet and abolitionist. He is known for poems with moral beauty and simple sentiments.
Whittier's career can be divided into four periods: poet and journalist (1826–32), abolitionist (1833–42), writer and humanitarian (1843–65), and Quaker poet (1866–92). William Lloyd Garrison, an abolitionist, published Whittier's poem "The Exile’s Departure" in the Newburyport Free Press, which led to their friendship. For a decade, Whittier was the abolition movement's most influential writer. His antislavery pamphlet Justice and Expediency made him prominent in the movement.
His best-known poem, the winter idyll Snow-Bound, was published in 1866. Whittier's 70th birthday was celebrated at a dinner attended by almost every prominent American writer, and his 80th birthday became an occasion for national celebration.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What kinds of writing is John Greenleaf Whittier known for?
John Greenleaf Whittier was an American poet, journalist, and abolitionist known for his writing, which can be divided into four periods.
- Poet and journalist (1826–1832): He wrote verse, sketches, and tales and published his first volume of poems, Legends of New England, in 1831.
- Abolitionist (1833–1842): Whittier's antislavery pamphlet Justice and Expediency made him a prominent and influential writer in the abolition movement.
- Writer and humanitarian (1843–1865): During this time, Whittier matured as a poet, publishing numerous volumes of verse, including Lays of My Home (1843), Voices of Freedom (1846), and Home Ballads and Poems (1860). He also published literary prose, including his novel, Leaves from Margaret Smith’s Journal (1849), along with articles and reviews.
- Quaker poet (1866–1892): Following the Civil War, he wrote Snow-Bound, The Tent on the Beach (1867), and The Pennsylvania Pilgrim (1872). Many of his poems are still sung as hymns.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What themes did Whittier often include in his poems?
John Greenleaf Whittier's poetry evolved through distinct periods, reflecting his personal growth and engagement with societal issues. Initially influenced by Robert Burns, he transitioned from romantic verse to become an advocate for justice and tolerance.
As an abolitionist, Whittier passionately addressed slavery in his writings. Later, he shifted his focus to nature and rural life, capturing homely incidents with simple sentiments. His work is celebrated for its moral beauty, spiritual values, and humanitarianism, earning him recognition as "America’s finest religious poet".
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Whittier's beliefs influence his work?
John Greenleaf Whittier's Quaker background and abolitionist sentiments profoundly shaped his literary work. His early career was marked by abolitionist writings, such as the pamphlet Justice and Expediency, which made him a prominent voice in the movement. Whittier's commitment to justice, tolerance, and humanitarianism, influenced by his spiritual and moral values, earned him recognition as "America’s finest religious poet". Even after the Civil War, when he shifted his focus to nature and rural life, his work retained a moral beauty rooted in his beliefs.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What role did Whittier play in the abolitionist movement?
John Greenleaf Whittier was an American poet and abolitionist who significantly contributed to the abolitionist movement. In 1833, he embraced Garrisonian abolitionism and released the antislavery pamphlet Justice and Expediency, becoming a prominent and influential writer in the movement for a decade. He also served in the Massachusetts legislature, spoke at antislavery meetings, and edited the Pennsylvania Freeman from 1838 to 1840 in Philadelphia. By 1843, Whittier shifted his focus, believing that abolitionist goals could be better achieved through regular political channels.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which of John Greenleaf Whittier’s works is considered most important, and why?
John Greenleaf Whittier's poem Snow-Bound, published in 1866, is often considered his most important work because of its nostalgic portrayal of 19th-century rural New England life. In Snow-Bound, Whittier reminisces about his childhood home, depicting a serene and secure family life amidst the harsh winter landscape. The poem, subtitled "A Winter Idyll," captures the beauty and simplicity of rural life, evoking a sense of warmth, unity, and peace. After the Civil War, Whittier shifted his focus to nature and simple incidents in rural life, and this poem is his best-known work.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
John Greenleaf Whittier (born December 17, 1807, near Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S.—died September 7, 1892, Hampton Falls, New Hampshire) was an American poet and abolitionist who, in the latter part of his life, shared with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow the distinction of being a household name in both England and the United States.
Born on a farm into a Quaker family, Whittier had only a limited formal education. He became an avid reader of British poetry, however, and was especially influenced by the Scot Robert Burns, whose lyrical treatment of everyday rural life reinforced his own inclination to be a writer.
Whittier’s career naturally divides into four periods: poet and journalist (1826–32), abolitionist (1833–42), writer and humanitarian (1843–65), and Quaker poet (1866–92). At age 19 he submitted his poem “The Exile’s Departure” to the abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison for publication in the Newburyport Free Press, and it was accepted. Garrison encouraged other poetic contributions from Whittier, and the two men became friends and associates in the abolitionist cause. Whittier soon turned to journalism. He edited newspapers in Boston and Haverhill and by 1830 had become editor of the New England Weekly Review in Hartford, Connecticut, the most important Whig journal in New England. He also continued writing verse, sketches, and tales, and he published his first volume of poems, Legends of New England, in 1831. In 1832, however, a failed romance, ill health, and the discouragement he felt over his lack of literary recognition caused him to resign and return to Haverhill.
Deciding that his rebuffs had been caused by personal vanity, Whittier resolved to devote himself to more altruistic activities, and he soon embraced Garrisonian abolitionism. His fiery antislavery pamphlet Justice and Expediency made him prominent in the abolition movement, and for a decade he was probably its most influential writer. He served a term in the Massachusetts legislature, spoke at antislavery meetings, and edited the Pennsylvania Freeman (1838–40) in Philadelphia. In 1840 he returned to live in Amesbury with his mother, aunt, and sister.
By 1843 Whittier had broken with Garrison, having decided that abolitionist goals could be better accomplished through regular political channels. He became more active in literature, in which new avenues of publication were now open to him. In the next two decades he matured as a poet, publishing numerous volumes of verse, among them Lays of My Home (1843), Voices of Freedom (1846), Songs of Labor (1850), The Panorama (1856), and Home Ballads and Poems (1860). Among his best-known poems of this period is “Maud Muller” (1854), with its lines “Of all sad words of tongue and pen/ The saddest are these, ‘It might have been.’ ” Most of his literary prose, including his one novel, Leaves from Margaret Smith’s Journal (1849), was also published during this time, along with numerous articles and reviews.
Whittier’s mother and his beloved younger sister died in the period from 1857 to 1864, but his personal grief, combined with the larger national grief of the Civil War, furthered his literary maturity. The publication in 1866 of his best-known poem, the winter idyll Snow-Bound, was followed by other triumphs in the verse collections The Tent on the Beach (1867), Among the Hills (1868), and The Pennsylvania Pilgrim (1872). Whittier’s 70th birthday was celebrated at a dinner attended by almost every prominent American writer, and his 80th birthday became an occasion for national celebration.
After outgrowing the Romantic verse he wrote in imitation of Robert Burns, Whittier became an eloquent advocate of justice, tolerance, and liberal humanitarianism. The lofty spiritual and moral values he proclaimed earned him the title of “America’s finest religious poet,” and many of his poems are still sung as church hymns by various denominations. After the Civil War he changed his focus, depicting nature and homely incidents in rural life. Whittier’s best poems are still read for their moral beauty and simple sentiments.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
