To William Lloyd Garrison

What it is

To William Lloyd Garrison is a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, addressed directly to Garrison. The text is listed on Wikisource under works about Garrison. The facts give no date or publication details, and no image is attached. The poem calls Garrison a champion of people under oppression and praises his steadfastness in the face of poverty, hatred and death.

Why it matters

Whittier was an abolitionist who worked alongside Garrison, so the poem reflects how a fellow reformer saw him during the anti-slavery struggle. It also answers critics who called Garrison rash or vain, and it speaks of the enslaved and the chains of slavery. Reading it helps students see how the movement's supporters used poetry to defend its leaders and to call for the end of slavery.

Look closer

• What words does Whittier use to describe Garrison, and what qualities does he want readers to notice?
• Who are the critics the poem answers, and what charges does it mention?
• What does the poem leave out about the people who were enslaved and about Garrison's own disagreements with other reformers?