SPECIMENS OF AMERICAN POETRY, WITH CRITICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES

by (LONGFELLOW, Henry W; WHITTIER, John G; BRYANT, WILLIAM C; et al.) KETTELL, Samuel (editor)

First Edition

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Book Description

Boston: S. G. Goodrich. 1829. First Edition. 1/2 black morocco. Three volumes in contemporary half black morocco. Sabin 37655; BAL 3251. Containing work by 188 American poets from Cotton Mather to Whittier, most now all but forgotten, this anthology was an early attempt to "rescue from oblivion the efforts of native genius" and to establish a national literature. At the end of Volume 3 is a 14-page descriptive catalogue of American poetry which cites Poe's TAMERLANE, published only two years before, the first work to mention that title. Other poets included are Sarah Josepha Hale, William Cullen Bryant, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (this appearance preceding his first book, as does Whittier's). Some light rubbing to bindings. Old waterstain to bottom margin of the first ten or sopages of the third volume.. A Near Fine copy of an important anthology.. Keywords: Poetry, First Book, John G. Whittier, Anthology, 19th C. Amer. Lit., Sarah J. Hale, Edgar Allen Poe, Henry W. Longfellow, William C. Bryant.