Who is William Gilmore Simms

William Gilmore Simms (April 17, 1806 – June 11, 1870) was an American writer and politician from the American South who was a "staunch defender" of slavery. A poet, novelist, and historian, his History of South Carolina served as the definitive textbook on state history for much of the 20th century. Literary scholars consider him a major force in antebellum Southern literature; in 1845 Edgar Allan Poe pronounced him the best novelist America had ever produced. Throughout much of his literary career he served as editor of several journals and newspapers. He also served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1844–1846.

Early and family life

Simms was born on April 17, 1806, in Charleston, South Carolina, of Scots-Irish ancestors. His mother, Harrie...
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William Gilmore Simms Poems

  • The Swamp Fox
    WE follow where the Swamp Fox guides,
    His friends and merry men are we;
    And when the troop of Tarleton rides,
    We burrow in the cypress tree. ...
  • Sumter In Ruins
    I.
    Ye batter down the lion's den,
    But yet the lordly beast g'oes free;
    And ye shall hear his roar again, ...
  • The Bard
    Where dwells the spirit of the Bard--what sky
    Persuades his daring wing,--
    Folded in soft carnation, or in snow
    Still sleeping, far o'er summits of the cloud, ...
  • Song In March
    NOW are the winds about us in their glee,
    Tossing the slender tree;
    Whirling the sands about his furious car,
    March cometh from afar; ...
  • The Lost Pleiad
    NOT in the sky,
    Where it was seen
    So long in eminence of light serene,â??
    Nor on the white tops of the glistering wave, ...
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Top 10 most used topics by William Gilmore Simms

Love 8 Heart 8 I Love You 8 Soul 7 Ancient 7 Long 7 Sweet 7 Song 7 Away 6 Bright 6


William Gilmore Simms Quotes

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Comments about William Gilmore Simms

Ispands2819: stagnation is something worse than death. it is corruption also.,william gilmore simms,getting, going,
Robdix: "economists put decimal points in their forecasts to show they have a sense of humor." – william gilmore simms
Aovmz: “the only true source of politeness is consideration.” ― william gilmore simms.
Johnmcdonald15: william gilmore simms (1806-1870) poe considered him the greatest american novelist. many others think he is a major literary figure. i haven't read a line of his works. i probably should, but he was strongly pro-slavery in his fiction and his other works. whenever i think...
Johnmcdonald15: is ongoing, that i am still an part of it, carrying on the work against oppression in a small way. picture of william gilmore simms and a house belonging to my ancestors used extensively as a stop on the underground railway.
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Poem of the day

Edgar Albert Guest Poem
The Killing Place
 by Edgar Albert Guest

We're hiking along at a two-forty pace
We 're making life seem like a man-killing race,
With our nerves all on edge and our jaws firmly set
We go rushing along; with our brows lined with sweat
And our cheeks pale and drawn every minute we dash,
And the goal that we 're after is merely more cash.

We 're out for the money, the greenbacks and gold,
...

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