{"product_id":"2940012704795","title":"SKETCHES","description":"Scanned, proofed and corrected from the original hardcover edition for enjoyable reading. (Worth every penny spent!)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e***\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLydia Huntley Sigourney (1791-1865), was a popular American writer\/poet during the early and mid 19th century. She was commonly known as the \"Sweet Singer of Hartford\", \"female Milton\", and \"the American Hemans\" . Most of her works were published, simply with the name \"Mrs. Sigourney\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer main themes including old age, death, responsibility, religion  - a strong belief in God and the Christian faith.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe often wrote elegies or poems for recently deceased neighbors, friends, and acquaintances. Her work is one example of Victorian-era death literature which views death as an escape to a better place, especially for children. A contemporary critic called her work, infused with morals, \"more like the dew than the lightning\".  She enjoyed substantial popularity in her lifetime and her influences included the work of Hannah More, William Wordsworth, and William Cowper. Her influence was tremendous. She inspired many young women to attempt to become poets.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSince her death, her writings largely have been forgotten. When remembered, she has been criticized for being shallow or for catering to the society in which she lived where women were expected to avoid public lives. For example, much of her writing is referred to as \"hack work\" by Haight, her only biographer. Others have attributed her influence to her relationships with wealthy, powerful people of her day or to good business sense. Kolker points out that much of the criticism has come from modern ideas of finding a personal voice through poetry while Sigourney's avowed intent was to benefit others. This purpose would mean that she had no need to find a personal voice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, according to \"Nineteenth Century Criticism,\" \"recently... there has been a renewed interest in Sigourney, particularly among feminist literary scholars. Critics such as Annie Finch, Nina Baym, and Dorothy Z. Baker have studied Sigourney's successful attempt to establish herself as a distinctly American and distinctly female poet.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer writings were characterized by fluency, grace and quiet reflection on nature, domestic and religious life, and philanthropic questions; but they were too often sentimental, didactic and commonplace to have much literary value. Some of her blank verse and pictures of nature suggest Bryant. Among her most successful poems are 'Niagara' and 'Indian Names.' Throughout her life she took an active interest in philanthropic and educational work\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSigourney's commitment to education, writing, and charity was testimony to women’s possibilities for self-betterment and, no doubt, a role model for women. When Sigourney gave up her anonymity for good, she became the most widely known \"authoress\" and \"poetess\" in America. As a result, during the lyceum movement that flourished in the United States in the 19th century, women named literary societies and study clubs in her honor.","brand":"OGB","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47081835036912,"sku":"2940012704795","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012704795_p0.jpg?v=1763571821","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012704795","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}