[John Greenleaf Whittier] Incidental Poems, Accompanied with Letters, And A Few Select Pieces, Mostly Original, For Their Illustration, Together with a Preface, And A Sketch of the Author's Life

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[John Greenleaf Whittier] Incidental Poems, Accompanied with Letters, And A Few Select Pieces, Mostly Original, For Their Illustration, Together with a Preface, And A Sketch of the Author's Life, Robert Dinsmoor, A.W. Thayer printed by A.W. Thayer, Haverhill, Massachusetts, 1828. 7 7/8 x 5 inches, 264pp.

In original pedestrian boards, chipped and worn at edges. Muslin spine with paper pastedown label partially expired. Untrimmed edges all around. Binding remains firm. Good condition.

This contains a three-page poem by Whittier: "J. G. Whittier to the 'Rustic Bard'" which, except for a brief poem on the single leaf program for his graduating class at Haverhill, constitutes his earliest obtainable appearance in print as well as his first appearance in a book. Whittier's only previously published works were a few poems printed in the 'Newburyport Free Press' and the aforementioned poem in the program for his graduating class at Haverhill. Whittier would have been 19 years of age when this book was published.

Throughout the rest of the book are numerous poems by Robert Dinsmoor addressed to a virtual who's-who of the Massachusetts and New Hampshire Merrimack Valley. Dinsmoor was noted for these dialect poems, first published in local newspapers, usually celebrating local incidents and described in letters in the newspapers.

BAL 21662. First edition.