Customer Reviews

Walking with Elihu: poems on Elihu Burritt, The Learned Blacksmith

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Taylor Graham's poetry captures the life of an exceptional man of the nineteenth century. Elihu Burritt, born into a poor Connecticut family, was acclaimed "The Learned Blacksmith" by the Governor of Massachusetts when it was discovered he had mastered 50 foreign languages while working at the forge. Corresponding with Longfellow and others, Elihu Burritt became one of the most ardent peace activists in his century, helping organize international peace congresses, campaigning for a Congress of Nations, international law, and a World Court. Born nearly 200 years ago, he was well ahead of his time. President Lincoln appointed him Consular Agent to Birmingham, England.

In her inimitable style, poet Taylor Graham, portrays Burritt's passion for peace and the betterment of man's condition in 94 beautiful poems. This is truly poetry for history.

I remember as a kid. I would always read and listen to her poems. they are so uplifting amazing and of course. terrific. this is a buy!

This collection is a work of art wrought by a labor of love. Taylor Graham is an indirect descendent of Elihu Burritt, "Learned Blacksmith." She expertly weaves blacksmithing terminology and language metaphors into these 94 poems. These brilliant but accessible poems walk the reader through not only Burritt's life, but also through Graham's study of him and her growing appreciation for all this man did in his lifetime, such as teaching himself 50 languages while sweating over a forge, campaigning for peace in America and England, and instructing females in Sanskrit in a time when education for women was not encouraged. I especially enjoyed Taylor's attentions to Elihu's propensity for mathematics and his apparent compulsion to calculate everything (a compulsion I'm familiar with). "Walking with Elihu" is an astonishing and informative yet endearing masterpiece. I'm bought and sold -- I bought this book, and I'm sold on Elihu (and Taylor Graham too)!

Taylor Graham is an accomplished poet. It's said sometimes that a poet also needs the right topic. In Elihu Burritt, the 19th century American blacksmith, autodidact, diplomat, and peace activist, Graham has a found a topic that provides her scope to exercise her talent. Readers interested in good contemporary poetry, in peace activism, and in the life of a significant 19th century American should read this book.

In this collection, Graham uses a variety of poetic forms to loosely follow Burritt's like, quoting from his writings and posing questions to him. Especially effective is how she weaves images related to Burritt's like into the themes of the poems. "Walking with Elihu" can be grouped with work like William Carlos Williams' "In the American Grain" or "Paterson," Charles Reznikoff's "Testimony," or some aspects of Ezra Pound's "Cantos," although her poetic forms and voice are very much her own.

"Walking with Elihu" is very much worth your time and will reward rereading.

Seldom does one find a captivating book of poetry that illuminates a real undersung American hero in the quest for world peace. Elihu Burritt, nineteenth century humanitarian, "learned blacksmith", linguist, essayist, author, constantly working for emancipation, world peace, international justice, and the brotherhood of man is brought to life in 94 poems; some free verse, some in classic form; by the well-known poet, Taylor Graham.
There is power in these poems. I recommend them highly. - Hatch Graham, proud husband.