William Ross Wallace (1819 – May 5, 1881) was an
American poet
The poets listed below were either born in the United States or else published much of their poetry while living in that country.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I–J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
*George Quasha (born 1942 in poetry, 1942)
R
...
, with Scottish roots, best known for writing "
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle Is The Hand That Rules The World".
Early life
Wallace was born in
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...
in 1819.
[Wallace's obituary in ''The New York Times'' lists his place of birth as ]Paris, Kentucky
Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...
. Most sources state he was born in Lexington, however. His father, a Presbyterian preacher, died when Wallace was an infant.
Wallace was educated at
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universit ...
and
Hanover College
Hanover College is a private college in Hanover, Indiana, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded in 1827 by Reverend John Finley Crowe, it is Indiana's oldest private college. The Hanover athletic teams participate in the H ...
, Indiana, and studied law in Lexington, Kentucky.
Career
In 1841, he moved 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 ...
, where he practiced law, and at the same time engaged in literary pursuits.
[.] "Perdita", a poem, was his first work. Published in the ''Union Magazine'', it attracted favorable criticism and was followed by "Alban" (1848), a poetical romance, and "Meditations in America" (1851). Other poems that attained popularity include "The Sword of
Bunker Hill" (1861), a national hymn; "Keep Step with the Music of the Union" (1861); "The Liberty Bell" (1862); and his most famous poem, "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle Is The Hand That Rules The World" (1865), a poem praising motherhood.
He contributed to ''
Godey's Lady's Book
''Godey's Lady's Book'', alternatively known as ''Godey's Magazine and Lady's Book'', was an American women's magazine that was published in Philadelphia from 1830 to 1878. It was the most widely circulated magazine in the period before the Civil ...
'', ''
Harper's Magazine
''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...
'', ''
Harper's Weekly
''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...
'', the ''
New York Ledger
''The New York Ledger'' was a weekly story paper published in Manhattan, New York. It was established in 1855 by Robert E. Bonner, by transforming the weekly financial journal called ''The Merchant's Ledger'' that he had purchased in 1851. Bo ...
'', and the ''
Louisville Daily Journal''.
William Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the ''New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poetry ...
said of his writings: "They are marked by a splendor of imagination and an affluence of diction which show him the born poet."
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
, a friend of Wallace, referred to him as "one of the very noblest of American poets". Wallace died at his home in New York City on May 5, 1881, a week after suffering a stroke.
He was working on a book to be titled ''Pleasures of the Beautiful'' at the time of his death.
Personal life
Wallace married his second wife Ann Polhemus Riker, the daughter of Daniel Riker (1771–1828) and Helen Polhemus (1783–?), in October 1856. They had two daughters and a son.
Books by Wallace
*''The Battle of Tippecanoe, Triumphs of Science, and Other Poems'' (1837)
*''Wordsworth: A Poem'' (1846)
*''Alban the Pirate: A Romaunt of the Metropolis'' (1848)
*''Meditations in America, and Other Poems'' (1851)
*''Prattsville, an American Poem'' (1852)
*''The Loved and the Lost'' (1856)
*''Progress of the United States: Henry Clay, an Ode "Of Thine Own Country Sing"'' (1856)
*''Patriotic and Heroic Eloquence: A Book for the Patriot, Statesman and Student'' (1861)
*''The Liberty Bell'' (1862)
Notes
References
*
External links
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, William Ross
1819 births
1881 deaths
Poets from Kentucky
Hanover College alumni
Indiana University alumni
19th-century American poets
American male poets
19th-century American male writers