Bartol

Amos Bronson Alcott 1799 (Wolcott, Connecticut) – 1888 (Boston, Massachusetts)



POET of the Pulpit, whose full-chorded lyre  
Startles the churches from their slumbers late,  
Discoursing music, mixed with lofty ire  
At wrangling factions in the restless state,  
Till tingles with thy note each listening ear,—  
Then household charities by the friendly fire  
Of home, soothe all to fellowship and good cheer!  
No sin escapes thy fervent eloquence,  
Yet, touching with compassion the true word,  
Thou leavest the trembling culprit’s dark offence
To the mediation of his gracious Lord.  
To noble thought and deep dost thou dispense  
Due meed of praise, strict in thy just award.  
Can other pulpits with this preacher cope?  
I glory in thy genius, and take hope!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 20, 2023

33 sec read
140

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCDEFGFHIHJJ
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 688
Words 113
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 15

Amos Bronson Alcott

Amos Bronson Alcott was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott pioneered new ways of interacting with young students, focusing on a conversational style, and avoided traditional punishment. He hoped to perfect the human spirit and, to that end, advocated a vegan diet before the term was coined. He was also an abolitionist and an advocate for women's rights. Born in Wolcott, Connecticut in 1799, Alcott had only minimal formal schooling before attempting a career as a traveling salesman. Worried about how the itinerant life might have a negative impact on his soul, he turned to teaching. His innovative methods, however, were controversial, and he rarely stayed in one place very long. His most well-known teaching position was at the Temple School in Boston. His experience there was turned into two books: Records of a School and Conversations with Children on the Gospels. Alcott became friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson and became a major figure in transcendentalism. His writings on behalf of that movement, however, are heavily criticized for being incoherent. Based on his ideas for human perfection, Alcott founded Fruitlands, a transcendentalist experiment in community living. The project was short-lived and failed after seven months. Alcott continued to struggle financially for most of his life. Nevertheless, he continued focusing on educational projects and opened a new school at the end of his life in 1879. He died in 1888. Alcott married Abby May in 1830 and they eventually had four surviving children, all daughters. Their second was Louisa May, who fictionalized her experience with the family in her novel Little Women in 1868.  more…

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