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William Cullen Bryant's Lifetime
William Cullen Bryant was born on November 3, 1794 and died on June 12, 1878. -
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Lifetime
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born on February 27, 1807 and died on March 24, 1882. -
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John Greenleaf Whittier's Lifetime
John Greenleaf Whittier was born on December 17, 1807, exactly 186 years before Brian Hamilton, and died on September 7, 1892. -
"Thanatopsis" First Published
William Cullen Bryant's most popular poem "Thanatopsis" is first publsihed in 1817, despite being written in 1811, when Bryant was only 17. -
"The Song of Hiawatha" First Published
Inspired by Native American legends, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem "The Song of the Hiawatha" is first published on this date. -
"Paul Revere's Ride" First Published
Inspired by Paul Revere's midnight ride in 1775, "Paul Revere's Ride" was written in 1860 and first published in January 1861. It is a landmark poem in the school of Fireside Poets. -
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The Civil War
Fireside Poets reacted strongly to the Civil War, urging unity and peace; "Paul Revere's Ride" was originally written by Longfellow as a call to action for the North. -
"Snow-Bound" First Published
John Greenleaf Whittier's most popular poem, "Snow-Bound" was first published in book form in 1866. -
Longfellow Translates "The Divine Comedy"
After several years of work, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's translation of Dante's The Divine Comedy" was released. -
Whittier's 70th Birthday Party
This party, thrown by Henry Oscar Houghton of the Atlantic Monthy magazine, was attended by many literary heavyweights, from Emerson to Longfellow to Holmes. It was a sort of culminating event in the Fireside Poetry movement. It was here that Mark Twain gave an infamous satiric speech about poets.
