"A Forest Hymn" is an 1824

poem Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...

written by William Cullen Bryant,Symington, p. 83. which has been called one of Bryant's best poems, and "one of the best nature poems of that age". It was first published in Boston in the '' United States Literary Gazette'' along with several other poems written by Bryant.

Analysis and reception

Said to have been only conceivable by someone familiar with the "thick foliage and tall trunks of heprimeval forests" in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, "A Forest Hymn" is said to have been Bryant's way of saying farewell to country life before moving to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1825, which came about during a period where he wrote a large number of works. It is reflective of Bryant's love of nature and religious belief, has been called a "picturesque poem", and Richard Henry Stoddard has said: At the pace of the wind "playing upon the leaves and the branches of the ancient woods, Eleanor O'Grady has suggested that the poem be read in a smooth and gliding manner, as done in Median Stress. The poem has been published many times, including an 1860 edition with illustrations by John A. Hows.

John Muir John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, a ...

's first article advocating forest protection, a February 5, 1876, editorial in the ''Sacramento Daily Record-Union'', alludes to Bryant's first line in its title: "God's First Temples: How Shall We Preserve Our Forests".Eric Rutkow, American Canopy: Trees, Forests, and the Making of a Nation, Scribner 2012, p149

References

Sources

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External links

*An outline of the poem: pages 113 to 117 i
Intensive studies in American literature
at

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. 1824 poems {{poem-stub