Publisher's Synopsis
The Biglow Papers is a collection of satirical poems and essays written by James Russell Lowell. The book is divided into two series, the first published in 1848 and the second in 1867. The poems are written in the voice of Hosea Biglow, a fictional New England farmer, and his friend Birdofredum Sawin, a soldier in the Mexican-American War. Through their humorous and often scathing commentary on politics, society, and religion, Lowell critiques the American government and its leaders, as well as the hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness of the American people. The Biglow Papers is considered a landmark in American literature for its use of vernacular language and its exploration of social and political issues.1900. Lowell is one of the group of authors sometimes called the Fireside Poets, or the Schoolroom Poets, a group which also included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Because of their conservative approach to verse and the often blatant morality in their poetry, the very qualities that made them popular in their day, have put them out of favor for much of the twentieth century. However, given that Lowell was an ardent abolitionist he may not have been considered conservative in his day. The Biglow Papers, a political satire upon the Invasion by the United States of Mexico, the State of Slavery Question, etc., is one of his most esteemed works. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.