The Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, Complete
1884
The Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, Complete
1884
John Greenleaf Whittier was the conscience of 19th-century American poetry, a Quaker abolitionist who channeled moral fury into verse that still stings. This complete collection gathers his narrative and legendary poems spanning decades of literary output, including his revisions and personal reflections on works that helped ignite the anti-slavery movement. Here you will find ballads drawn from New England's Puritan past, poems that invoke Waldensian martyrs and cholera-stricken communities, and lyrics that sing the landscapes of Massachusetts in language both rugged and tender. Whittier was not the most technically sophisticated of the Fireside Poets, but he was arguably the most ethically urgent. His poetry refuses to look away from injustice, whether the suffering of enslaved people or the spiritual depletion of modern life. For readers willing to meet him on his own terms, this collection offers a window into an era when poets believed language could change the world.
Editions
X-Ray
“So all night long the storm roared on:The morning broke without a sun;In tiny spherule traced with linesOf Nature’s geometric signs,In starry flake, and pellicle,All day the hoary meteor fell;And, when the second morning shone,We looked upon a world unknown,On nothing we could call our own.Around the glistening wonder bentThe blue walls of the firmament,No cloud above, no earth below,”
— John Greenleaf Whittier
“And still we love the evil causeAnd of the just effect complain;We tread upon life's broken lawsAnd murmur at our self-inflicted pain.””
— John Greenleaf Whittier
“But dream not helm and harness The sign of valor true; Peace hath higher tests of manhood Than battle ever knew.””
— John Greenleaf Whittier
“Drop Thy still dews of quietness,Till all our strivings cease;Take from our souls the strain and stress,And let our ordered lives confessThe beauty of Thy peace.””
— John Greenleaf Whittier
Link to this book
Add a free, dofollow link to Lex on your blog, forum, syllabus, or reading list.
<a href="https://lex-books.com/book/the-works-of-john-greenleaf-whittier-complete-5bf0d7ca-f123-48c1-9f0e-9e182e91dbfe"><img src="https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg" alt="Read The Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, Complete by John Greenleaf Whittier free on Lex" width="160" height="40"></a>[](https://lex-books.com/book/the-works-of-john-greenleaf-whittier-complete-5bf0d7ca-f123-48c1-9f0e-9e182e91dbfe)[url=https://lex-books.com/book/the-works-of-john-greenleaf-whittier-complete-5bf0d7ca-f123-48c1-9f0e-9e182e91dbfe][img]https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg[/img][/url]Read The Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, Complete by John Greenleaf Whittier free on Lex: https://lex-books.com/book/the-works-of-john-greenleaf-whittier-complete-5bf0d7ca-f123-48c1-9f0e-9e182e91dbfeCite this book
Reading this edition for a paper or guide? Copy a citation.
Whittier, John Greenleaf. The Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, Complete. Lex, lex-books.com/book/the-works-of-john-greenleaf-whittier-complete-5bf0d7ca-f123-48c1-9f0e-9e182e91dbfe.Whittier, J. G. (1884). The Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, Complete. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-works-of-john-greenleaf-whittier-complete-5bf0d7ca-f123-48c1-9f0e-9e182e91dbfeWhittier, John Greenleaf. The Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, Complete. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-works-of-john-greenleaf-whittier-complete-5bf0d7ca-f123-48c1-9f0e-9e182e91dbfe.
