Holmes's Grandmother's Story of Bunker Hill Battle, etc.[34]
7, 8, 9. Hawthorne's Grandfather's Chair: True Stories from New
England History. 1620-1803. In three parts.[36]
The Annotated Edition
Holmes's Grandmother's Story of Bunker Hill Battle, etc.[34] by James Russell Lowell
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This entry serves as a bibliographic reference rather than a standalone poem — it discusses Nathaniel Hawthorne's *Grandfather's Chair*, which is a collection of historical stories aimed at young readers about New England history from 1620 to 1803.
- Themes
- childhood, home, identity
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This entry serves as a bibliographic reference rather than a standalone poem — it discusses Nathaniel Hawthorne's *Grandfather's Chair*, which is a collection of historical stories aimed at young readers about New England history from 1620 to 1803. Lowell, in his role as a critic and editor, is listing or commenting on this work as part of a broader compilation. The entry directs readers to Hawthorne's storytelling as a valuable resource for grasping American colonial and revolutionary history.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
7, 8, 9. Hawthorne's Grandfather's Chair: True Stories from New England History. 1620-1803.
Editor's note
This is a numbered bibliographic citation. Lowell lists Hawthorne's three-part work *Grandfather's Chair* as entries 7, 8, and 9, showing that it consists of three volumes. The subtitle 'True Stories from New England History' suggests that Hawthorne aimed to combine factual history with a narrative style, exploring nearly two centuries of American colonial life through to the early republic.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
The tone is documentary and curatorial. It lacks a lyrical voice or emotional depth, reading like a scholar’s meticulous record—clear and straightforward—allowing the titles and dates to convey their own significance.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- Grandfather's Chair
- The chair is a key element in Hawthorne's original work: an antique passed down through generations, serving as a way to link young readers to history. It symbolizes the passing of memory and identity through time.
- The date range 1620-1803
- These bookend dates — the Mayflower landing and the early Federal period — outline the complete narrative of New England's founding, tracing its journey from Puritan roots to a working American republic. This timeframe reflects a sense of ambition: it captures the entire beginning of a community’s story.
- The numbered list
- The catalogue format reflects Lowell's critical project: mapping and preserving American literary heritage by treating these works as monuments that deserve to be recorded and passed on.
§06Historical context
Historical context
James Russell Lowell (1819–1891) was a key figure in 19th-century American literature—a poet, critic, editor of *The Atlantic Monthly*, and later a diplomat. This entry seems to be part of a bibliographic or critical list that Lowell put together, likely during his work as an editor or scholar examining American literature and history. Nathaniel Hawthorne released *Grandfather's Chair* in three parts from 1840 to 1841, aimed at young readers with dramatized tales of New England's past. By cataloguing this work, Lowell helps situate Hawthorne's writing within the important context of American historical literature. The footnote markers ([34], [36]) indicate that this text is likely an excerpt from a larger annotated document, such as a reading list, lecture notes, or a critical essay aimed at young readers interested in American literature.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
No, not in a conventional way. This is a bibliographic entry — a numbered citation from what looks like a reading list or annotated catalog put together by Lowell. It points to Hawthorne's *Grandfather's Chair* instead of offering original poetry.
*Grandfather's Chair* is a three-part work by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published between 1840 and 1841. The book shares stories from New England's history, covering the Puritan settlers up to the Revolutionary era. These tales are presented as anecdotes that an old grandfather tells his grandchildren while they gather around an antique chair, which is said to have observed all these significant moments.
Because *Grandfather's Chair* was published in three parts, each part is listed separately in Lowell's entries. Grouping them under one description recognizes that they are part of a single, continuous work.
It outlines the historical range of Hawthorne's work, starting with the Pilgrims' arrival on the Mayflower in 1620 and extending to the early years of the American republic around 1803. This covers almost two hundred years of New England and American history.
Lowell believed that important American literature encompassed a wide range of forms. He considered historical stories for young readers to be part of the same cultural mission as poetry — both play a role in shaping national identity and preserving collective memory. Hawthorne's skill in bringing history to life made it worthy of being placed alongside poetry.
They show that this text is part of a bigger annotated document. The footnotes probably refer to extra commentary or source details that would be found at the bottom of the original page. Without the complete document, we can only view this specific entry.
The title refers to Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., the poet and essayist who was a contemporary of Lowell. The complete title indicates that Lowell was putting together a collection that featured Holmes's grandmother's account of the Battle of Bunker Hill along with other historical stories, such as those by Hawthorne.
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