James Russell Lowell

Date of Birth: February 22, 1819

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Date of Death: August 12, 1891

Biography

James Russell Lowell was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. Born into a prominent Boston family, Lowell was highly educated and well-connected. He graduated from Harvard College in 1838 and earned a law degree in 1840, though he quickly turned to literature and journalism. Lowell became known for his poetry, which often focused on social and political issues of his day, including abolitionism and other reform movements. He was also a professor of languages at Harvard and served as editor of several literary magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and the North American Review. In addition to his literary career, Lowell had a significant diplomatic career, serving as U.S. Minister to Spain and later to the United Kingdom. He is remembered as one of the Fireside Poets, a group that included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and John Greenleaf Whittier.

5 Interesting Facts about James Russell Lowell

1. James Russell Lowell was a founding member of the American Republican Party.

2. He was an outspoken abolitionist and used his literary talents to support the anti-slavery movement.

3. Lowell was the first editor of the Atlantic Monthly, a prominent literary magazine.

4. He had a close friendship with fellow poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

5. Lowell’s home, Elmwood in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is now a National Historic Landmark.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from James Russell Lowell

1. “The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions.”

2. “Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.”

3. “Not failure, but low aim, is crime.”

4. “In creating, the only hard thing is to begin; a grass-blade’s no easier to make than an oak.”

5. “Mishaps are like knives, that either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

James Russell Lowell’s net worth is not precisely documented, but his career as a poet, editor, and diplomat would have afforded him a comfortable living by 19th-century standards.