Among the Hills by John Greenleaf Whittier
"Among the Hills" by John Greenleaf Whittier is a reflective poem that critiques the limited perspectives of New Englanders, suggesting that they are constrained by their own lack of vision despite living in a land rich with beauty. Whittier portrays a journey through the countryside, where a couple visits a farmhouse to purchase butter. The narrative unfolds with the housewife sharing her story about how she won over the reluctant farmer, ultimately transforming both their lives. The poem emphasizes themes of personal growth and the importance of appreciating the natural world, which Whittier sees as a reflection of divine beauty and love. As the couple returns home under the setting sun, the poet contemplates the changes they have undergone, suggesting a deeper connection to life and a departure from societal conventions. Through this journey, Whittier calls for a broader appreciation of life's simple joys and the enriching power of love and nature. The poem serves as both a critique and a hopeful invitation to embrace a more fulfilling existence.
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Among the Hills by John Greenleaf Whittier
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1869 (collected in Among the Hills, and Other Poems, 1869)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
In his prelude, Whittier criticizes the New Englanders of his time as crippled prisoners of their own lack of vision, with starved spirits though they live in a rich land. Optimistically he calls them to reach out for the beauty and joy provided by God and to appreciate the beauty of nature that reflects the love of God. As the poem opens, summer’s long cloudy disposition gives way to sunshine and the natural beauties it reveals as a couple drives through the countryside to a farmhouse to purchase butter. Here the housewife tells her tale of how she came to the farm and convinced the crusty New Englander that he needed a wife and that it should be she: “And so the farmer found a wife.” He was thus transformed as a man both private and public, as his “love thus deepened to respect.” She too was transformed to a simpler life and outlook, now shunning “the follies, born/ Of fashion and convention.” The couple returns home as the sun sets. and the poet reflects on her story and how “To rugged farm-life came the gift/ To harmonize and soften.”
Bibliography
Kribbs, Jayne K. Critical Essays on John Greenleaf Whittier. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1980.
Leary, Lewis, and Sylvia Bowman. John Greenleaf Whittier. New York: Macmillan, 1983.
Pickard, John B. John Greenleaf Whittier: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961.
Pickard, Samuel T. Life and Letters of John Greenleaf Whittier. Reprint. New York: Haskell House, 1969.
Wagenknecht, Edward C. John Greenleaf Whittier: A Portrait in Paradox. New York: Oxford University Press, 1967.
Woodwell, Roland H. John Greenleaf Whittier: A Biography. Haverhill, Mass.: Trustees of the Whittier Homestead, 1985.