Henry Timrod (December 8, 1828 – October 7, 1867) was an American poet, often called the "Poet of the Confederacy". His father, William Henry Timrod, was an officer in the Seminole Wars and a poet himself. <!--In fact, he composed the following poem on the subject of his eldest son, Henry:<br />

<br />

Harry, my little blue-eyed boy,<br />

I love to have thee playing near;<br />

There's music in thy shouts of joy,<br />

To a fond father's ear.<br />

<br />

I love to see the lines of mirth<br />

Mantle thy cheeks and forehead fair,<br />

As if all the pleasures of the earth<br />

Had met to revel there.<br />

<br />

For gazing on thee do I sigh<br />

That those most happy years must flee;<br />

And thy full share of misery<br />

Must fall in life on thee.<br />

<br />-->

The elder Timrod died from tuberculosis on July 28, 1838, in Charleston, at the age of 44, leaving behind his wife of 25 years, Thyrza Prince Timrod, and their four children, the eldest of which was Adaline Rebecca, 14 years; A few years later, their home burned down, leaving the family impoverished. He then studied at the University of Georgia beginning in 1847 with the help of a financial benefactor.

On March 1, 1862, Timrod enlisted into the military as a private in Company B, 20th South Carolina Regiment, and was detailed for special duty as a clerk at regimental headquarters, Due to the vigor of his editorials, he was forced into hiding, his home was burned,

In 1901, a monument with a bronze bust of Timrod was dedicated in Charleston. The state's General Assembly passed a resolution in 1911 instituting the verses of his poem "Carolina" as the lyrics of the official state anthem.

In September 2006, an article for The New York Times noted similarities between Bob Dylan's lyrics on the album Modern Times and the poetry of Timrod. A wider debate developed in The Times as to the nature of "borrowing" within the folk tradition and in literature.

See also

  • Ode: Sung on the Occasion of Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead at Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, S.C., 1867
  • Cisco, Walter Brian, Henry Timrod: A Biography, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2004, .

Notes

  • The Poems of Henry Timrod from Project Gutenberg
  • Image: Henry Timrod Portrait in the South Carolina State House