Rufus Wilmot Griswold

Rufus was a man who loved books.

He worked as an editor. This means he helped make books. He put many poems in one big book.

He wanted to show the best poems. Many writers hoped to be in his books. Some writers did not like his mean ways.

He also had a rivalry with Edgar Allan Poe. They both worked with poems and magazines. They did not get along well.

Rufus spent his life around words. He is still known for his big books of poetry.

Rufus Wilmot Griswold was a man of many jobs.

He was a poet, a critic, and an editor. An editor helps make books. He was famous for making large books of poetry. His most known book was called "The Poets and Poetry of America."

Griswold had a very difficult life. His first wife and their baby died young. He was very sad for a long time. Later, he married a woman named Charlotte Myers.

They had many differences. They eventually lived apart and ended their marriage.

He was also known for being a harsh man. Many writers wanted to be in his books. Still, they did not like his mean ways. He had a famous rivalry with the poet Edgar Allan Poe. They both worked for magazines. After Poe died, Griswold wrote things that hurt Poe's name. He wanted to be seen as a top expert on poetry. He even spoke to Congress about laws for books.

Rufus Wilmot Griswold was a famous man of letters in America.

He worked as a poet, a critic, and an editor. An editor is someone who helps prepare books for readers. He was most known for making large collections of poems. His biggest book was called "The Poets and Poetry of America."

This book was very large and held works from many authors. He wanted to show the best poetry from the country. Many writers hoped to be included in his famous collections. However, many people thought Griswold had a very difficult personality.

Making these books was a big job that required many steps. Griswold would write to living poets to ask for their help. He asked them which poems they wanted to include. He also gathered facts to write short biographies about them. He even made books just for women poets. He called one of these "The Female Poets of America." He chose poems that showed good values and morals. This was his way of organizing the world of art.

His life began in a small place called Vermont. He was born on February 13, 1815, to Rufus and Deborah Griswold. He was the twelfth child in a very large family. His father worked as a farmer and a shoemaker. When Griswold was only 15 years old, he left his home. He moved to Albany, New York, to live with a journalist. He later worked as a printer's apprentice to learn his trade. These early years helped him start his career in writing.

Griswold's personal life was filled with many hard moments. He married a woman named Caroline Searles in 1837. They had two daughters, but then tragedy struck.

Both Caroline and their new baby son died in 1842. Griswold was very sad and stayed by her side for a long time. Later, he married Charlotte Myers in 1845. This marriage was also very difficult for both people. They eventually signed a contract to live apart forever. He moved back to Philadelphia to continue his work.

He is often remembered for his rivalry with Edgar Allan Poe.

Both men worked for magazines and loved poetry. After Poe died in 1849, Griswold wrote a very unkind obituary. He claimed he was the person chosen to handle Poe's writing. He then spent years trying to hurt Poe's reputation. Griswold also worked with the government on laws for books. He spoke to Congress about copyright for the publishing industry. His life was a mix of great work and many fights.

Rufus Wilmot Griswold was a prominent American man of letters.

He served as an anthologist, editor, poet, and literary critic. An anthologist is a person who selects and compiles writings from various authors into a single volume. Griswold played a vital role in shaping the American literary landscape during the mid-19th century. He was particularly famous for his large collections of poetry. His most significant work was the 1842 anthology titled "The Poets and Poetry of America."

This massive 476-page volume aimed to showcase the finest American poetry of the era. While he was a powerful figure, he was also known for having a very abrasive and difficult personality.

Creating these large anthologies required a complex, multi-step process. First, Griswold would contact living authors to request their participation. He did not simply take their work; he asked them for suggestions on which specific poems they wanted to include. This allowed authors to have some control over their literary presentation. Second, he gathered biographical information to write short life sketches for each contributor. This helped readers understand the people behind the verses. He also organized these collections based on specific themes or groups. For example, he produced "The Female Poets of America," which focused on women writers. He selected poems for this collection that emphasized traditional morality and specific social values.

His career involved many different types of publications and roles. He worked as a journalist and a printer's apprentice early on. Later, he founded "The Opal," which was an annual gift book containing essays, stories, and poetry. He also served as an editor for the "Saturday Evening Post." Griswold produced several different types of collections, including "Biographical Annual," which focused on the memoirs of recently deceased eminent persons. He even wrote prose collections like "Prose Writers of America" in 1847. He created this specific book to compete with other anthologies published by rivals like Cornelius Mathews and Evert Augustus Duyckinck. This competitive spirit was a defining feature of his professional life.

Griswold's early life was marked by independence and movement. He was born on February 13, 1815, in Benson, Vermont. He was the twelfth of fourteen children born to Rufus and Deborah Griswold. His father worked as a farmer and a shoemaker. At the age of 15, Griswold left home and moved to Albany, New York. He lived with a journalist named George C. Foster for two years. After a brief time as a printer's apprentice, he moved to Syracuse, New York. There, he started a newspaper called "The Porcupine," which was known for its harsh and malicious critiques of local people.

His personal life was defined by significant loss and complicated relationships. In 1837, he married Caroline Searles, and they had two daughters. In 1842, tragedy struck when both Caroline and their newborn son died. Griswold was deeply affected by this loss and spent much time in mourning. He later married Charlotte Myers in 1845.

This marriage was difficult due to differences in religious beliefs and other personal issues. The couple eventually signed a legal contract in 1846 to separate permanently. This contract included a payment of $1,000 to Griswold in exchange for certain conditions. These personal struggles often occurred alongside his rising professional reputation in cities like New York and Philadelphia.

One of the most famous aspects of Griswold's life was his intense rivalry with Edgar Allan Poe.

The tension began when Poe published a critical response to Griswold's anthology. The conflict grew when Griswold became the editor of "Graham's Magazine," earning a higher salary than Poe. They also competed for the attention of the poet Frances Sargent Osgood. After Poe's mysterious death in 1849, Griswold wrote a very unsympathetic obituary. He claimed to be Poe's literary executor, which gave him control over Poe's writings. Griswold then spent the next eight years conducting a campaign to damage Poe's reputation.

Beyond literature, Griswold was involved in the legal and political structures of publishing. He was an early advocate for including American poetry in school curricula. He also spoke before the United States Congress to support copyright legislation. He believed this would help the publishing industry grow. However, his relationship with the law was inconsistent. While he argued for copyright protections, he was also known to infringe upon the copyrights of others. One fellow editor noted that while Griswold was loudly arguing for rules, he was also quickly stealing work. His life remains a complex study of how power and reputation functioned in the early American literary world.