Henry Timrod
| Henry Timrod | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
December 8, 1829 Charleston, South Carolina |
| Died | October 7, 1867 (aged 37) |
| Cause of death | Tuberculosis |
| Resting place | Trinity Episcopal Church |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Georgia |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Spouse(s) | Kate Goodwin |
| Children | Willie Timrod |
Henry Timrod (December 8, 1829 – October 7, 1867) was an American poet, often called the poet laureate of the Confederacy.
Timrod was born on December 8, 1829, in Charleston, South Carolina, to a family of German descent. His grandfather Heinrich Dimroth emigrated to the United States in 1765 and anglicized his name. His father, William Henry Timrod, was an officer in the Seminole Wars and a poet himself. In fact, he composed the following poem on the subject of his eldest son, Henry:
Harry, my little blue-eyed boy,
I love to have thee playing near;
There's music in thy shouts of joy,
To a fond father's ear.
I love to see the lines of mirth
Mantle thy cheeks and forehead fair,
As if all the pleasures of the earth
Had met to revel there.
For gazing on thee do I sigh
That those most happy years must flee;
And thy full share of misery
Must fall in life on thee.
The elder Timrod died from tuberculosis on July 28, 1838, in Charleston, at the age of 44, leaving behind his wife of 25 years, Thyrza Prince Timrod, and their four children, the eldest of which was Adaline Rebecca, 14 years; Henry was nine. A few years later, their home burned down, leaving the family impoverished.
He studied at the University of Georgia beginning in 1847 with the help of a financial benefactor. He was soon forced by illness to end his formal studies, however, and returned to Charleston. He took a position with a lawyer and planned to begin a law practice. From 1848 to 1853, he submitted a number of poems to the Southern Literary Messenger under the pen name Aglaus, where he attracted some attention for his abilities. He left his legal studies by December 1850, calling it "distasteful", and focused more on writing and tutoring. He was a member of Charleston's literati, and with John Dickson Bruns and Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, could often be found in the company of their leader, William Gilmore Simms, whom they referred to as "Father Abbot," from one of his novels.
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