The Poets' Tributes to Lowell by James Russell Lowell

It's a bibliographic list — a catalog of poems written about Lowell by various poets. This list was probably put together as an appendix or reference note in a collection of Lowell's works or a critical study of his life. It lacks meter, rhyme, and a lyric speaker. Instead of being literary in the traditional sense, its value lies in its historical and documentary significance.

The list is linked to Lowell because it shows up in a volume connected to him—likely a collected works or memorial edition. It was probably put together by an editor instead of Lowell himself, as some entries are elegies written after he passed away in 1891.

Elmwood is the Lowell family estate located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where James Russell Lowell was both born and passed away. The estate became so closely linked to him that other poets began to use it as a shorthand reference for Lowell himself. By naming a poem Elmwood, they were essentially saying this poem reflects Lowell and all that he represented.

Lowell played a key role in 19th-century American literature. He edited The Atlantic Monthly, taught at Harvard, worked as a diplomat, and knew almost every major writer of his time. Writing a tribute to him was not only a heartfelt gesture of friendship but also a chance to engage in the cultural dialogue he had influenced.

Heartsease and Rue (1888) is one of Lowell's later poetry collections. The title combines two plants that carry symbolic meanings — heartsease, a type of pansy linked to comfort and ease, and rue, which represents regret and bitterness. Thomas's poem in response is a poem-about-a-poem, a familiar way to pay literary tribute.

Preston's inclusion is a small yet significant detail. Lowell was a passionate abolitionist, deeply aligned with Northern politics, yet a respected Southern poet chose to honor him. By the time of his later career and diplomatic service, his literary reputation had grown beyond his political affiliations, earning him admiration from different regions.

An In Memoriam poem is an elegy, written to honor someone who has passed away. Given that Lowell died in 1891, Stephen's poem must have been composed in 1891 or later. The title also intentionally references Tennyson's renowned In Memoriam A.H.H. (1850), associating Lowell's death with significant literary losses.

It reveals that poetry served as a social art form in the 19th century. Poets crafted verses to celebrate each other's birthdays, farewells, reunions, and deaths. There was a mutual recognition that significant events in a major poet's life warranted poetic acknowledgment. This tradition of literary tribute has largely faded today, making this list seem like a glimpse into a distinctly different literary landscape.