William Cullen Bryant

William Cullen Bryant was a 19th-century American Romantic poet and journalist. His meditative, nature-inspired poetry, often written in blank verse, deeply influenced American literature. Biography ↓More ↓

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To a Waterfowl

Whither, midst falling dew, While glow the heavens with the last steps of day Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way? Vainly the fowler's eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong As, darkly seen against the crimson sky, Thy figure floats along. Seek'st thou the plashy brink Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide, Or where the rocking billows rise and sing On the chafed ocean side? There is a Power whose care Teaches thy way along that pathless coast-- The desert and illimitable air-- Lone wandering, but not lost.

Biography

William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878) was an American poet and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post. He emerged as a leading voice of early American Romanticism with his contemplative, nature-focused verse. His poetry frequently explores themes of mortality, the sublime in nature, and transcendental ideals, employing a plain yet majestic style. Bryant is best remembered for his early masterpiece 'Thanatopsis,' a meditation on death and nature written when he was a teenager. As editor of the Evening Post for nearly five decades, he helped shape public opinion and supported liberal causes such as abolition and free speech. His blank verse translations of Homer further cemented his literary reputation. Bryant's work marked a shift from European imitations toward a distinctly American poetic identity. He remains a foundational figure in the development of American poetry.

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