James Allen
James Allen, born in 1739, is often recognized as Boston's first literary maverick, though much of his life remains shrouded in mystery. The son of a prominent merchant, he attended Harvard University for three years but did not graduate. Allen gained some recognition for his poetry, particularly for a piece he wrote commemorating the Boston Massacre in 1772, which was initially accepted for publication but later censored due to political tensions. This incident earned him accusations of being a Loyalist sympathizer, despite his intentions to express patriotism. He later sought to clarify his nationalistic stance with another poem, "The Retrospect," published in Boston Magazine. Among his other works, he also penned a poem about the Battle of Bunker Hill, which reportedly received acclaim but has not survived. In addition to poetry, Allen wrote essays on various current and local topics. An eccentric figure, he kept a coffin in his bedroom, occasionally sleeping in it, and passed away in 1808. Posthumously, some of his poetry was included in an anthology edited by Samuel Kettell in 1829.
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James Allen
- Born: July 24, 1739
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: 1808
- Place of death: Unknown
Biography
Regarded as Boston’s first literary maverick, not much is known about James Allen. The son of a prominent Boston merchant, he was born in 1739 and attended Harvard University for three years without earning a degree. He wrote a poem about the Boston Massacre on the second anniversary of its occurrence, The Poem Which the Committee of the Town of Boston Had Voted Unanimously to Be Published with the Late Oration . . . (1772). The poem was meant to be published in a pamphlet on the same subject written by James Warren. Although the poem was initially accepted by the citizens of Boston, it was quickly censored because it was so patriotic that Loyalists began a rumor that Allen was a Loyalist sympathizer trying to deceive Bostonians. The poem was eventually published by Allen’s friends.
However, much of his other work was never published or did not survive his death. More than ten years after the controversy over the Boston Massacre poem, Allen, still eager to prove he was indeed a patriot, wrote another poem, “The Retrospect,” that was published in Boston Magazine. This poem succeeded in affirming his nationalistic allegiance. Allen also wrote a poem about the Battle of Bunker Hill which, unlike much of his other work, seems to have earned universal praise. However, this poem apparently was never printed and no longer survives. Allen also wrote essays on current and local affairs.
Allen kept his coffin in his bedchamber and even slept in it at times. He died in 1808. After his death, Samuel Kettell edited a multivolume anthology, Specimens of American Poetry (1829); volume one includes some of Allen’s poems.