Whittier, John Greenleaf. American poet. Born of Quaker parents in 1807 at Haverhill, MA, and educated at the academy of his native place. In his younger days Whittier worked on his father's farm and learned the shoemaking trade, but early began to write for the press. In 1831 he published his first work, "Legends of New England," in prose and verse. He carried on the farm himself for five years and, from 1835-36, he was a member of the legislature of Massachusetts. After having edited several other papers, Whittier went to Philadelphia to edit the Pennsylvania Freeman, an anti-slavery paper, the office of which was burned by the mob in 1838. In the following year, he returned to his native state, settling at Amesbury, where (or at Danvers, MA) he chiefly resided until his death. Among the numerous volumes of poetry which he from time to time gave to the world, the following may be mentioned: "Moll Pitcher," "Lays of My Home," "Miscellaneous Poems," "The Voices of Freedom," "Songs of Labor," "The Chapel of the Hermits," "Home Ballads," and poems "Snow Bound," "In War-time," "National Lyrics," "Ballads of New England," "Miriam," "Mabel Martin," "Hazel Blossoms," "The Kings' Missive," and "Poems of Nature." Whittier died in 1892.

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