Sample Student
Mrs. Johnson
English 10 CPA
30 September 2011
John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier’s writing career spanned from the 1830’s to the 1890’s. His
works were varied in nature, some reflecting the ideals of the Romantics, other works focusing
on the abolition of slavery, and his later works characteristic of the Realist Movement. Although
his most famous work, “Snow-Bound,” does possess some characteristics of anti-slavery and
realist literature, it is largely a reflection of the Romantic Movement, inspired by the power of
Thesis
Statement
nature and the celebration of the imagination.
Whittier was one of four children born to Quaker parents, and he spent his early years
working on the family farm. “Spending his boyhood and youth on a farm, Whittier came close to
nature, and later described the rural scene of his locality more faithfully than had any other writer
up to that time” (“John Greenleaf Whittier”). Because of his responsibilities working on the
Biographical
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farm, Whittier received little formal education. He did, however, love to read and spent many
hours reading religious inspired stories and poetry. By the time he was fourteen, he began
writing his own poetry. In 1827, Whittier briefly attended Haverhill Academy, where he was
both a student and an instructor. Although school was not a large influence on him, he was
greatly affected by his parents and their religious views. Through their teachings, he gained an
appreciation for local history and the Quaker religion. Another great influence on his life was
his older sister, Mary. Unbeknownst to John, she sent one of his poems to the Newburyport Free
Press and at the age of nineteen, Whittier’s first poem was published (“Whittier, John
Greenleaf”). This was his first introduction to the world of publishing, where he spent many
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years as the editor of various publications, such as The American Manufacturer (1829), and The
New England Weekly Review (1834). It was through these work experiences that he came in
contact with another great influence, William Lloyd Garrison. The reading of Garrison’s
Thoughts on Colonization (1832), and actually meeting Garrison, caused Whittier to become an
abolitionist (“John Greenleaf Whittier”). Whittier spent the next several years of his life writing,
working for abolitionist publications, and immersing himself in politics. Some of Whittier’s
most passionate poetry was inspired by his strong belief that slavery should be abolished. He
had many of his anti-slavery poems published over the years, but these poems are not what he is
most well-known. His most famous poem, “Snow-Bound,” was inspired not by his political
views, but by his early childhood experiences growing up in rural Massachusetts.
“Snow-Bound,” published in 1866, is a three part poem set during a severe December
snowstorm in Massachusetts during Whittier’s youth. The first part of the poem talks about the
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arrival of the storm and the “transformed landscape” the next morning (Byrne). Full of
description and imagery, the poem goes on to tell the story of the boys, which include Whittier
and his brother, shoveling a path from the house to the barn so they could tend to the animals.
Part two of the poem focuses on stories told around the fire by his “father, mother, uncle, aunt,
and elder sister, now lately gone” (Byrne). In addition to these family members, a schoolteacher
Summary
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and a religious woman are at the house, waiting out the storm. Finally, in the third part of the
poem there are references to the world outside their comfortable home and “tales of war” along
with the busy life that people lead (Byrne). Although his subject matter in the poem changes
with the various parts, the beauty and power of nature is a constant throughout, as he clearly
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describes the beautiful landscape blanketed by snow. “Whittier (also) recalls the self-sufficiency
of his family and recounts their close-knit circle of domestic affection as seen through a week of
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enforced winter isolation” (Angyal). Clearly, he enjoyed spending time with his loved ones.
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The overall message of the poem is to enjoy time spent with family and friends because one
day they will not be with us on earth. Learning to appreciate the people and things we have in
life is one of the Romantic ideals he conveys in his poem, “Snow-Bound”.
In addition to appreciating the simple things in life, Romantic literature also celebrates
nature, stresses the importance and expression of emotions, and recognizes the beauty
Characteristics of the
literary movement
of the imagination. “American romantics emphasized material simplicity, living close to nature,
and the honest manual labor of the self-sufficient farmer and frontier dweller” (“Romanticism”).
This can be seen in “Snow-Bound” as Whittier depicts the life of a simple Massachusetts’
farming family as they deal with a snowstorm of great proportions. In the poem, the narrator,
“calls to mind the tales of the world of nature told by his uncle… of moons and tides, of weather
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signs, of birds and beasts” (Jaskoski). These images of nature abound in the poem, as the
snowstorm is described in great detail and memories of nature are recalled. “In his masterpiece
“Snow-Bound,” Whittier harnesses a scene from his youth…for a Romantic meditation
Examples from the
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on the value of family love and affection amid nature’s cruelest season. He interlaces scenes of
family activity, of work and leisure… Long passages linger on the frozen scenery, the
comfortable hearthside, and old tales told to pass the time” (Byrne). The comfort Whittier felt
throughout this experience is a testament to the love he felt for his family. Furthermore, the
importance of “feeling and emotion” is evident as Whittier’s expresses his admiration of family
members and friends in the poem (“Romanticism”). “The embracing theme of “Snow-Bound” is
that the lives of common, ordinary people — whether inhabitants of a rural New England farm or
tormented slaves — are worthy and full of dignity and delight” (Jaskoski). The poet shows
respect for the people he shares the experience with as he views the time spent as an opportunity
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be with loved ones and share stories, rather than as a forced confinement. His delight is evident
as the characters in the poem experienced, “a time of enforced inactivity and of restricted
movement (which) becomes an opportunity for reflection, insight, and enlightenment”
(Jaskoski). They take advantage of the opportunity to express and reflect on their emotions as
they sit around the fire waiting out the snowstorm. Yet another characteristic of the Romantic
Movement, “the value of the individual's experience” can be seen in the way Whittier describes
the snowstorm (“Romanticism”). Moreover, the beauty of the imagination comes alive in the
poem when the narrator describes the young children digging a “crystal-walled tunnel through
the deepest drift” (Jaskoski). Only the imagination of a young child could see a seemingly
difficult and dull task of clearing a path to a barn as creating a magical “crystal-walled tunnel”.
As you can see, the poem was written in the Romantic style as he describes these happy
childhood memories.
John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem “Snow-Bound” is a true reflection of the Romantic
Movement in the way he infuses nature, emotions, and the imagination. The poem shares his
fond memories of his family, spending a week together during a snowstorm, isolated from the
rest of the world (Angyal). The writing of this nostalgic poem helped him to deal with the “the
loss of his beloved sister, Elizabeth, in 1864, (which) left him increasingly isolated” (Angyal).
By writing this poem, Whittier felt less alone as he recalled the “Snow-Bound” experience. He
reminds the reader, through his reflections, that family is something to appreciate and treasure,
just as other Romantics believed nature should be appreciated and treasured.
Conclusion
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Works Cited
Angyal, Andrew J. "John Greenleaf Whittier." Critical Survey of Poetry. Rev. 2nd ed. Salem, 2003.
Literary Reference Center. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.
Byrne, Joseph P. "John Greenleaf Whittier." Magill’s Survey of American Literature. Rev. ed.
Salem, 2007. Literary Reference Center. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.
Jaskoski, Helen. "Snow-Bound." Masterplots. 4th ed. Salem, 2010: 1-3. Literary Reference Center.
Web. 25 Oct. 2011.
"John Greenleaf Whittier." Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
1936. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 8 Oct. 2010.
"Romanticism." Literary Movements for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on
Literary Movements. Ed. Ira Mark Milne. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 705-743. Gale
Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 Oct. 2011.
"Whittier, John Greenleaf (1807-1892)." Discovering Authors. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003.
Discovering Collection. Web. 8 Oct. 2010.