Early American Poetry “Beauty in Words” is a splendid introduction to poetry in America from the early colonial period in the 1600s through to the beginning of the twentieth century. Author Stephanie Buckwalter has set each of eleven prominent poets firmly in their historical setting and used their work to track both the development of poetic movements in America, as well as encouraging readers to enter more deeply into their work.

Tackling the greats, Buckwalter examines the life and work of: Anne Bradstreet, Philip Freneau, Phillis Wheatley, William Cullen Bryant, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and Paul Laurence Dunbar – arranged in approximate chronological order.

Buckwalter opens each poet’s chapter with a brief examination of their life and how it influenced their work. In most cases a likeness of the poet, whether engraving, painting, or photograph is also included. Two to three significant works are examined and analyzed with an eye for meter, rhyme, and other notable elements the poet is well known for.

Buckwalter’s inclusion of the opinion of critics in the poet’s day, and the influence their poems held is a charming addition, as are the red letter words and in-poem glossary that are provided for some trickier words and phrases such as “pelf.” Additional resources for discovering more about the poet are also included at the end of each chapter. The book also includes a glossary, index, notes, and even further resources, and I adore the sturdy, library reference style hardcover binding.

My only caveat is that some of the longer poems have been excerpted from. Trying to understand or analyze a poem based on two or three stanzas from a much larger work is futile – I wish that additional pages had been devoted to printing all of Freneau’s “The Prison Ship” and Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!”

Written for grades 9 – 12, I definitely recommend Early American Poetry as a supplement to any history program where the development of this art form in America is being explored. However, it makes an excellent introductory title to introduce newcomers to the works of some of America’s greatest, and most well known poets. After being exposed to their work, philosophies, and style, one can then dig in deeper to form a lasting association with the thoughts of these great men and women.

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