The Poets and Poetry of America, a 476-page volume released in 1842, defined Rufus Wilmot Griswold’s career and established his influence over the burgeoning United States literary market. As a relentless anthologist, journalist, and critic, he curated the reputations of contemporary writers while navigating a series of volatile professional rivalries and increasingly complicated domestic arrangements throughout his brief, turbulent life.
Early Ambition and Wandering
Born in 1815 in Benson, Vermont, Griswold was the twelfth of fourteen children. After leaving home at age fifteen, he adopted a nomadic existence, eventually finding work in Albany where he lived with journalist George C. Foster. His formal education at the Rensselaer School ended abruptly in 1830 following a disciplinary incident involving a professor. By the late 1830s, he had moved to New York City, working as an editor and briefly training as a Baptist clergyman, though he never secured a permanent congregation.
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Griswold gained prominence through his editing and critical work, particularly after relocating to Philadelphia in 1840 to join the staff of the Daily Standard. His reputation for abrasive and vindictive criticism often alienated contemporaries. His most significant professional rivalry involved Edgar Allan Poe; the two competed for editorial positions and the attention of poet Frances Sargent Osgood. Following Poe’s 1849 death, Griswold orchestrated a campaign to damage his rival’s legacy, styling himself as the executor of Poe's literary estate.
The Anthologist’s Reach
As an anthologist, Griswold shaped the American canon by compiling massive collections such as Female Poets of America and Prose Writers of America. These projects often prioritized his personal preferences and friendships, notably dedicating significant space in his 1842 poetry collection to his friend Charles Fenno Hoffman. Despite his public advocacy for copyright legislation and the inclusion of American poetry in school curricula, he was frequently accused of hypocrisy by peers who noted his own propensity for unauthorized borrowing of material.
Personal Tragedies
Griswold’s personal life was marked by instability, including three marriages and a public divorce. His first marriage to Caroline Searles ended in 1842 upon her death shortly after childbirth. His grief was profound and demonstrative; he kept vigil by her coffin and visited her vault weeks later. He died in Manhattan in 1857 at age forty-two and was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery, leaving behind a legacy defined by his dual roles as a gatekeeper of letters and a contentious public figure.
Fast facts
- Born: 1815, Benson, Vermont
- Died: 1857, Manhattan
- Burial site: Green-Wood Cemetery
- Primary occupations: Journalist, anthologist, critic
- Notable 1842 work: The Poets and Poetry of America
- Clerical status: Licensed Baptist clergyman
Questions readers ask
What caused the rivalry between Rufus Wilmot Griswold and Edgar Allan Poe?
The tension began when Griswold replaced Poe as editor of Graham's Magazine and deepened through their competing professional interests and personal rivalries over poets such as Frances Sargent Osgood.
How did Griswold influence American literature?
He produced comprehensive anthologies that helped establish a canon of American writers and actively lobbied for the integration of native literature into the formal school curriculum.
Achievements
- Genres: anthology
