The Poetry of John Greenleaf Whittier: A Readers' Edition [Paperback]

John Greenleaf Whittier (Author), W. F. Jolliff (Editor), John B. Pickard (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

William Jolliff, Professor of English at George Fox University has selected 55 of John Greenleaf Whittier's more than 500 poems with the intention of turning readers into Whittier fans. His guiding focus for this edition is "readability by contemporaries." A biographical and critical introduction and the indentification of themes in each section are important guides. William Jolliff's brief introductions to the poems themselves give specific historical background and interpretive help when necessary. Includes Snow-Bound, "Icabod," "Telling the Bees," "The Barefoot Boy," "Skipper Ireson's Ride," and "In the Old South."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William Jolliff is Professor of English at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. His poetry and criticism have been published widely in literary journals, including Southern Poetry Review, Christianity and Literature, South Dakota Quarterly, Southern Humanities Review, Literature and Belief, Midwest Quarterly, and Quarterly West.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Friends United Press (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944350488
• ISBN-13: 978-0944350485
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #650,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Collection of the Work of a Fine American Poet, February 10, 2010

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Rob Jacques "Technical Writer" (Puget Sound) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Poetry of John Greenleaf Whittier: A Readers' Edition (Paperback)

An excellent selection of Whittier's best-known poems with a brief, clarifying introduction to each one by Professor Jolliff. This edition correctly emphasizes the role Whittier's faith played in his writing and should be read by anyone interested in 19th Century American literature dealing with abolition, rural life, and religious beliefs. All of this poet's most popular works are here, including Snowbound, Ichabod!, Barbara Frietchie, The Barefoot Boy, The Last Walk in Autumn, The Old Burying Ground, Telling the Bees, Maud Muller, and In School Days. While literary historians might not place Whittier's work in the first tier of American poetry, most would agree that for generations to come, Whittier's masterpiece, Snowbound, will be found high up on any list of America's greatest poems. Professor Jolliff's "Readers' Edition" of this fine poet's work would be a very welcome addition to any home library.