It’s likely the most successful poem in American literary history, selling more than 130,000 copies. And it’s epic in length.
In 1925, the highly regarded poet Stephen Vincent Benet (1898-1943) applied for a Guggenheim Foundation grant to write a long historical poem about the Civil War. The foundation came through with a $2,500 grant that supported Benet and his family. Along with a bit of freelance writing, while he researched and wrote. They moved to Paris for him to write; it was cheaper than living in the United States. He thought the effort would take seven years; in fact, it took only two. John Brown’s Body was published in 1928, catapulting Benet into literary stardom.
The poem contributed to Benet being the most read American poet between 1918 and his death in 1943. His other poems and short stories were widely popular as well, including the short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” Book One of a planned nine-volume narrative of the settlement of America, entitled Western Star, was published after his death and received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
To continue reading, please see my post today at Dancing Priest.
Some Wednesday Readings
At Two Temple Place – Spitalfields Life.
James Wilson, at Spotsylvania Court House, Wondered “What If…” – Chris Mackowski at Emerging Civil War.
The Many Ways to Be a Scoundrel in Early America – Timothy Hemmis at CrimeReads.
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