Customer Reviews

William Cullen Bryant: Author of America

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If you like history, biography and poetry you will love this well written book. Even if you think you don't like poetry, you will be surprised. It captures the 19th century first, in the Berkshires, MA and then in NYC. His life is captivating, charming and he's very influential during his life time. The poetry is presented so pleasurably by telling you where, why and how he wrote it. This was a book I hated to have come to an end.

A well writen comibation biography/history. For those whom Bryant is an unknown he was an early to mid 19th. Century American Poet/Newspaper Owner/Editorial Writer. Prof. Muller combines these two side of Bryants live very well in his narrative. Bryant was a Northern Democrat who dealth with the changing opinion on slavery during this volital period. This personal transformation and him still remaining a loyal Democrat till 1860 is a remarkable story.

The only fault I can find with this book is that the author incorporates Bryants poetry into the narrative, I would have perfered that he added them to the end of each chapter and not break up his narrative. Other then that minor complaint this is over all and excellent book.

Because I have long been enamored by Bryant's poem "I Cannot Forget
With What Fervent Devotion" I decided to read this 2008 biography. It is written in chronological order, covering well all the events in Bryant's busy life, from his birth on 3 Nov 1794 in a log cabin two miles from Cummington, MA to his death on 12 June 1878 at his home at 24 W. 16th St in New York City. It discusses his poems as he wrote them and tells of his busy life as editor of the New York Post, his travels all over the world, his role in the nation's history during his time as editor, and the respect in which he was held as he grew to hold his positon as America's greatest poet. When I finished the book I had a good feeling that I had learned what one should know about the man. My only regret about the book is that it does not mention the poem which I memorized over 60 years ago, which poem includes this felicitous stanza:

'Mong the deep-cloven fells that for ages had listened
To the rush of the pebble-paved river between,
Where the kingfisher screamed and gray precipice glistened,
All breathless with awe have I gazed on the scene;