This guy was a zealot on the right side of history. His abolitionist stance was based on his Biblical and Quaker roots. This book collects his poems from throughout his life including the political and war poetry. The highlight is Snow-bound, a slice of life in early 19th Century New England. Whittier’s rhyming poetry is remarkable, but he has fallen out of favor due to a movement away from hymn-like poems and less interest in the rural folk tales he often retells. ( )

NA

This was an interesting series of poems. While they are archaic, some of the language possesses a fervent expression of poetical poise that brings the work up as a whole. There are numerous good lines, but they are mixed with a fixed tonal modality throughout. Overall, worth reading- but barely so.

2.5 stars. ( )

This collection is a selection of Whittier's poetry. It is divided into five sections: "Prophet of the Republic" (social reform, especially in relation to slavery), "The Warming Haze of Yesterday" (memories), "Snow-Bound" (a long single poem), "Crafting the Past" (long, narrative poems), and "Tokens of an Inward Journey" (religious poems). The editor provides introductions to the work as a whole, each section, and each poem. In many cases, I found the introductions more interesting than the poems themselves although I liked some of the poetry very much. I was disappointed in the selection of religious poems; I much preferred those published in Selections from the Religious Poems of John Greenleaf Whittier published by the Tract Association of Friends in 1999. I particularly missed "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind," a hymn which appears in hymnals of various religions, for which Whittier wrote the words.

Unfortunately, this paperback book was very poorly bound; although I bought it new several years ago, it feel apart as I was reading it. ( )

"This volume offers a balanced and judicious selection of Whittier's best poems and lures the reader on with evocative headnotes. Joliff's literate and graceful introduction to the poet's life highlights the aesthetic and moral values that make Whittier's poetry worthwhile reading." ( )