The war between the states inspired the poets of the American nation. Popular writers of the day, such as Henry Wordsworth Longfellow and Ralph Waldo Emerson, wrote verse, as did those for whom recognition lay in the future, most notably Walt Whitman. CIVIL WAR POETRY includes verse by these celebrated figures as well as some who are now unfamiliar but were well-known in this defining period in America's history. Alongside the greats of literature the reader will discover Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (father of the future Supreme Court justice), Henry Timrod ("Laureate of the Confederacy"), and Margaret Junkin (sister-in-law of Stonewall Jackson). This collection includes poems from those who saw direct service, those who sought other means through which to contribute, and those for whom age or sex prevented direct participation. Includes poems by:• Ambrose Bierce• William Cullen Bryant• Ralph Waldo Emerson• Julia Ward Howe• Sindey Lanier• Herman Melville• James Whitcomb Riley• Walt Whitman• John Greenleaf Whittier• Constance Fenimore WoolsonBeautiful full-color illustrations throughout and short biographies of the poets help put their words into context.