James Russell Lowell

LOWELL, James Russell. b. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 22 February 1819; d. Cambridge, Mass., 12 August 1891. The son of a Unitarian minister, he was educated at Harvard, where he was more interested in literature than his studies, and was suspended for a time, graduating in 1838. He decided on law as a career, and took an LLB degree in 1840, but devoted his time to writing rather than law. He published his first volume of poems, A Year’s Life (1841), followed by Poems (1844), and Poems: Second Series (1848). He was a prolific writer and editor in periodicals: he founded The Pioneer (1843-44), and later edited The Atlantic Monthly (1857-61); he co-edited The North American Review (1864-68)...