The Death of Wolfe

What it is

A poem written by Thomas Paine, imagining the grieving figure of Britannia mourning the death of General Wolfe, who is then taken up by the gods after his victory at Quebec.

Why it matters

Before becoming famous for political writing like Common Sense, Paine tried his hand at poetry using classical imagery of gods and goddesses, a common style of the time. The poem shows a less political, more literary side of Paine, and his early engagement with British military history before he became a revolutionary voice in America.

Look closer

• How does Paine use mythological figures like Jove and Mercury to tell this story?
• What does the choice of subject, a British general's heroic death, suggest about Paine's views before he moved to America?
• How does this poem's tone differ from the plain, direct style of Common Sense?