Robert Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874. When he was a child, his family moved to New England, and he stayed there for most of his life. He started writing poems when he was sixteen, and he never stopped. He graduated at the top of his class, a rank he shared with the … Continue reading Robert Frost
Here are the links to our suggestions for beautiful things for February, with a focus on beautiful words, sounds, and places that are distinctly American and focus on the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was one of America’s greatest poets, but most of what she wrote wasn’t discovered until after her death. She was a recluse for most of her adult life. While she rarely left her house, she composed many poems about the outside world as well as the small world in which she lived. … Continue reading Emily Dickinson
Edna St. Vincent Millay, known as Vincent to her family and friends, was born in February 1892 in a small town in Maine. Though her family didn’t have much money, they were rich in love, books, music, and imagination. In spite of the fact that Vincent’s mother worked long hours, Vincent had many close-to-home adventures … Continue reading Edna St. Vincent Millay
While Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote hundreds of poems, we’ve found a few of his holiday-related pieces for your family to enjoy. Each graphic below links to the poem on either Poets.org or PoetryFoundation.com. You can read Longfellow’s biography here. Resources: Photo Credit: By Julia Margaret Cameron – http://www.geh.org/ne/mismi3/cameron_sum00001.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=836438
Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) was born in Illinois. As he grew into an adult, he worked many odd jobs before he entered the Spanish-American War as an Infantryman. By 1913, he was living in Chicago, writing for the Chicago Daily News. His first book of poetry was published shortly afterward. Sandburg wrote free verse poems of … Continue reading Carl Sandburg
James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916) was a poet who was born in Indiana countryside in the mid-nineteenth century. He wasn’t a very good student because he preferred to be outside reading books he chose creating rhymes and walking in his neighborhood. He quit school when he was 20 and did all sorts of strange charms from … Continue reading James Whitcomb Riley
Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) was born in West Africa and came to the New World on a slave ship. She was both purchased and eventually freed by Boston commercialist John Wheatley. Phillis was part of a group of refugee slaves who were too young or frail for rigorous labor. She did housework for the Wheatleys. They … Continue reading Phillis Wheatley
Anne Bradstreet (March 20, 1612 – September 16, 1672) was the first writer in England’s North American colonies to be published. She was born to a wealthy Puritan family in Northampton, England. She was well-educated, reading widely and in several languages. After she was married, she migrated to North America with her husband and children. Much … Continue reading Anne Bradstreet
These images will take you to the poems on the Poetry Foundation site. One of them is still under copywriter, and treating them all in the same way makes the most sense. The text under each picture is linked to information about each highlighted monument.
