About
William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878) was an American poet and editor. Born in Massachusetts, he wrote an early draft of his most famous poem, 'Thanatopsis,' at age 17, published in 1817 in the North American Review. His collection Poems (1821) established him as a major nature poet. After a law career, he moved to New York City in 1825 and became editor-in-chief of the New York Evening Post in 1829, a position he held for 50 years. Under his leadership, the paper championed free trade, workers' rights, free speech, and abolition. He translated the Iliad and the Odyssey in his later years.
Major works
- Thanatopsis (1817)poem
- Poems (1821)poetry collection
- To a Waterfowl (1818)poem
- The Iliad of Homer (1870)translation
- The Odyssey of Homer (1871)translation
Key milestones
- 1817Publication of 'Thanatopsis' in the North American Review.
- 1829Becomes editor-in-chief of the New York Evening Post.
- 1870Publication of his translation of the Iliad.
Themes
NatureDeathSpiritualityFreedomSocial justice
Sources: britannica.com · id.loc.gov · poetryfoundation.org