What Washington Irving was to American fiction, William Cullen Bryant was to American poetry. A renowned poet and journalist, William Cullen Bryant was one of the most celebrated figures of the 19th century America. His popularity was akin to Longfellow and Emerson with his work achieving the top ranked status. Though none of his poems or editorials survives as of today, he nevertheless is regarded as one of the goliaths of the literary field of the bygone era. Other than serving as a romantic poet and as the editor in chief of the New York Evening Post for five decades, he was an active activist. He worked for the rights of the workmen and the labour. Furthermore, he also voiced his opinion for the rights of the religious minorities and the immigrants. He was one of the principal authorities on homeopathy and was a hymnist for the Unitarian Church.
