Poet. Younger sister of the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, it was Elizabeth, along with their mother, who is credited with first encouraging his interests in poetry and literature. John never married, but his sister Elizabeth was his closest companion throughout his life. The elder Whittier dedicated poems to his sister, including "To My Sister", which includes the lines: "The hillside flowers she loved to seek; / Yet following me where'er I went, / With dark eyes full of love's content." She was also mentioned in her brother's most famous poem, "Snow-Bound." She frequently suffered illness and left the Haverhill Academy because of her health. She was, briefly, a teacher, but spent the majority of life as a hostess for her family and her brother. She was known as the more talkative of the two. Like her brother, she also wrote poetry and even antislavery poems, a few of which were published in the "Liberator." One of John's published poetry collections, "Hazel-Blossoms" (1874), also included some of Elizabeth's verses. After her death at a young age, John was shocked and sorrowful. His poem "The Vanishers" is written in her memory and was read at her memorial service. In 1896, women in Amesbury formed the Elizabeth H. Whittier Club in her honor and focused on community service until the organization was dissolved in 2006.
Poet. Younger sister of the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, it was Elizabeth, along with their mother, who is credited with first encouraging his interests in poetry and literature. John never married, but his sister Elizabeth was his closest companion throughout his life. The elder Whittier dedicated poems to his sister, including "To My Sister", which includes the lines: "The hillside flowers she loved to seek; / Yet following me where'er I went, / With dark eyes full of love's content." She was also mentioned in her brother's most famous poem, "Snow-Bound." She frequently suffered illness and left the Haverhill Academy because of her health. She was, briefly, a teacher, but spent the majority of life as a hostess for her family and her brother. She was known as the more talkative of the two. Like her brother, she also wrote poetry and even antislavery poems, a few of which were published in the "Liberator." One of John's published poetry collections, "Hazel-Blossoms" (1874), also included some of Elizabeth's verses. After her death at a young age, John was shocked and sorrowful. His poem "The Vanishers" is written in her memory and was read at her memorial service. In 1896, women in Amesbury formed the Elizabeth H. Whittier Club in her honor and focused on community service until the organization was dissolved in 2006.
Family Members
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
