Reminiscent Poems

John Greenleaf WhittierProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 35K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Reminiscent Poems by John Greenleaf WhittierAuthor: Whittier, John Greenleaf, 1807-1892,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Dec 1, 2005

Editor's review

This poetry collection comes from the nineteenth-century American poet Whittier and belongs to his late-life retrospective, reminiscent verse. Whittier was known for narrative and lyric poetry, often drawing on New England rural life, historical events, and the abolitionist movement, with plain language, a slow pace, and a strong Puritan moral concern and nostalgic air. As a public-domain ebook, it suits readers who wish to understand the landscape of nineteenth-century American poetry as selected reading or a research text. While reading, one need not seek plot but should note the recurring themes of memory, homeland, faith, and the passage of time, and appreciate the ethical feeling conveyed in its plain rhythms. For readers who enjoy Longfellow, Lowell, and other contemporary New England poets, this book can serve as supplementary reading to help outline the region's poetic tradition. Because it is an original English edition from an early period, some allusions and religious terms require background knowledge.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century American poetry who wish to broaden their reading
Scholars studying the New England literary tradition or literature of the American abolitionist era
Readers who enjoy slow-paced lyric and narrative poetry with a strong moral sense
Readers with some English reading ability willing to engage with public-domain English originals

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting modern poetic style or strongly experimental expression
Beginner readers who struggle with English and need Chinese translation and notes
Readers who prefer tightly plotted novels over poetry

Reading tips

Begin with shorter lyric poems with clear themes, then move on to longer narrative poems.
Learn about nineteenth-century New England history and the abolitionist movement for smoother understanding.
Look up religious or historical allusions as needed; do not expect to grasp everything in one reading.
Read alongside works by other New England poets to sense similarities and differences in style.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a Chinese translation or an English original?

According to the information, this is an English public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg, in English rather than a Chinese translation, so readers need some English reading ability.

What subjects does Whittier's poetry mainly address?

Whittier often drew on New England rural life, historical events, and the abolitionist movement, combining lyric and narrative poetry in a plain style with a nostalgic and moral tone. This book, titled as reminiscent poems, centers on memory, homeland, and time.

Can I read this book without a poetry background?

You can try, but patience is needed. The language is from an early period, and some religious and historical terms require looking up. It is best to start with short poems and read with background materials, without expecting to understand everything at once.

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About the author

John Greenleaf Whittier Author · American · 1807–1892

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892) was an American poet and abolitionist, a Quaker, and one of the nineteenth-century "Fireside Poets," born in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He devoted himself early to the anti-slavery cause, edited several abolitionist newspapers, and gave voice to the movement in verse collected in volumes such as the Anti-Slavery Poems. His poetry ranges widely: the narrative poem Snow-Bound depicts New England country life and family memory in plain, homely language, while other works include nature poems, subjective and reminiscent pieces, religious poems, and legendary narrative poems such as The Tent on the Beach. His writing is simple and warm in feeling, marked by strong local color and moral concern. The library holds 44 of his works. Public information is limited, so this note gives only the main points of his life and writing.