The Homestead
The story revolves around a family's struggle to maintain their homestead during the American Revolution. The family's patriarch, a veteran of the war, returns home with physical and emotional scars, struggling to adapt to civilian life. His wife and children face hardships, including poverty and illness, as they try to rebuild their lives amidst the turmoil of war.
By John Greenleaf Whittier · First published 1843 · Genre: Poetry, Nature Writing, Romanticism · 545 words
First lines
AGAINST the wooded hills it stands, Ghost of a dead home, staring through Its broken lights on wasted lands Where old-time harvests grew.
Unploughed, unsown, by scythe unshorn, The poor, forsaken farm-fields lie, Once rich and rife with golden corn And pale green breadths of rye.
What this Textopian page supports
The Homestead is listed on Textopian as a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, dated 1843 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: John Greenleaf Whittier
- Date: 1843 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Nature Writing, Romanticism, Historical Reflection, Nostalgia
- Length: 545 words
- Structure: 1 section, 19 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Homestead by John Greenleaf Whittier
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing meter and rhyme, characteristic of poetry.
- Nature Writing — The themes focus on the natural landscape, rural life, and the relationship between humans and their environment.
- Romanticism — The work reflects romantic ideals, emphasizing emotion, nature, and nostalgia for the past.
- Historical Reflection — The poem reflects on the past and the changes in rural life, evoking a sense of history.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Nature · Rural Life · Family · Love · Loss · Grief · Mortality · Spirituality · Philosophy