Charles Stearns Wheeler
Charles Stearns Wheeler was a notable American writer, poet, essayist, and author of travel literature, active during the nineteenth century in New England. Born in Massachusetts, he displayed intellectual promise from an early age, leading him to pursue higher education at Harvard College, where he excelled in classics and formed friendships with influential peers like Henry David Thoreau. Wheeler's contributions to literature included essays on German culture published in The Dial, a prominent Transcendentalist journal, and he played a role in promoting works by literary figures such as Thomas Carlyle and Alfred Tennyson.
He was dedicated to educational reform at Harvard, advocating for a focus on studies rather than strict regulations on student conduct. Wheeler also penned memorials for friends who passed away young and enjoyed a fondness for nature, often retreating to a hut he built by Flint's Pond, which may have inspired Thoreau’s own cabin at Walden Pond. His travels in Europe, particularly in Germany, allowed him to deepen his literary connections and engage with prominent thinkers of his time, but his life was tragically cut short by illness shortly after he began his studies in Leipzig. Overall, Wheeler's life and work reflect a commitment to literature, education, and the exploration of cultural ideas.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Charles Stearns Wheeler
Writer
- Born: December 19, 1816
- Birthplace: Lincoln, Massachusetts
- Died: June 13, 1843
- Place of death: Leipzig, Germany
Biography
American writer Charles Stearns Wheeler was a poet, essayist, and author of travel literature who lived in nineteenth century New England. He was a contributor of essays describing the German culture that appeared in The Dial, a Transcendentalist publication published quarterly from 1840 to 1844. Wheeler also used his role as an editor to publish the works of Thomas Carlyle and Alfred Tennyson for the education of readers in America.
Wheeler was born in Massachusetts in the 1800’s. His father was a farmer and town official. Wheeler was interested in books from early childhood and displayed an above-average intelligence. In 1829, he was sent to stay with an uncle who taught him Latin and Greek. Wheeler then attended first the District School in Lincoln and later the Concord Academy.
In 1833 Wheeler enrolled at Harvard College where he roomed with his friend, Henry David Thoreau. Wheeler was an exemplary student at Harvard who excelled in the study of classics and he graduated second in his class in 1837. He valued friendships, books, and religion as important influences while he was in college. One of his essays argues that the influences of religion and corresponding virtue that result from the predominant culture of Christianity provide a motive that is nobler than the traditional motivation of characters in classical epics, namely the desire for distinction. He continued on at Harvard as a graduate student and a Greek tutor. He was a member of the Parietal committee, which disciplined students. He used his position to influence the school’s administration to reform a number of their strict guidelines in an effort to bring more focus to studies, rather than students’ conduct.
During this period Wheeler edited a number of anthologies, wrote reviews for the Christian Examiner and other publications, and contributed to various textbooks. In 1839, Wheeler anonymously published Biographical Notices of Mr. Charles Hayward, Jr., and Mr. Samuel T. Hildreth, which memorialized his two friends who had both died at the young age of twenty-one.
Wheeler built a hut on Flint’s Pond and enjoyed vacations there. Some historians believe that Thoreau modeled his decision to build on Walden Pond after Wheeler’s example. In 1842, Wheeler embarked on a tour of Europe. While in Europe, Wheeler studied at Heidelberg in Germany and met a number of literary figures. During his trip, Wheeler kept up a lively correspondence with his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. His letters would later be published in The Dial. In the spring of 1843, Wheeler traveled to Leipzig, Germany, to continue his studies. There he became seriously ill and died within six weeks.