Will Carleton
Encyclopedia
William McKendree Carleton (21 October 1845 – 18 December 1912) was an American poet
. Carleton's poems were most often about his rural life.
, Hudson, Michigan
, Carleton was the fifth child of John Hancock and Celeste (Smith) Carleton. In 1869, he graduated from Hillsdale College
and delivered on that occasion the poem, Rifts in the Cloud.
. He had been in the habit of writing poetry as a youngster. His first significant work published was Betsy and I Are Out, a poignant tale of a divorce which was first published in the Toledo Blade, but then reprinted by Harper’s Weekly. Betsy and I Are Out was written in 1871 when Carleton was only twenty-five and employed as editor of the Detroit Weekly Tribune. This poem was soon followed in 1872 by Over the Hill to the Poor House developing the plight of the aged and those with indifferent families. This piece captured national attention and catapulted Carleton into literary prominence —a position he held the rest of his life as he continued to write and to lecture from coast to coast".
In 1878, Carleton moved to Boston, where he married Anne Goodell, and they moved to New York City
in 1882. Carleton remained active in his college fraternity and served as the New York City Delta Tau Delta
alumni chapter's president. In 1907, he returned to Hudson as a renowned poet. Carleton's quotes are also well known throughout America.
With the Public Act 51 of 1919, the Michigan legislature passed into law making it a duty upon teachers to teach at least one of his poems to children in school, and October 21st was officially named as Will Carleton Day in Michigan.. Furthermore, a school in Hillsdale has been named after him, Will Carleton Academy. On top of that, a section of the M-99
in Hillsdale is dubbed Will Carleton Road. In addition, the village of Carleton in Monroe County, Michigan is named after Will Carleton, with the road on Carleton's northern border that separates Monroe and Wayne counties being Will Carleton Road.
On June 24, 2007, it was reported that "the neglected burial plot of the family of rural Michigan poet, Will Carleton, whose 1872 work, Over the Hill to the Poor House, thrust him into national prominence, is getting a makeover".
did for the Scottish cotter and the Reverend William Barnes
has done for the English farmer, Will Carleton has done for the American-touched with the glamour of poetry the simple and monotonous events of daily life, and shown that all circumstances of life, however trivial they may appear, possess those alternations of the comic and pathetic, the good and bad, the joyful and sorrowful, which go to make up the days and nights, the summers and winters, of this perplexing world".
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. Carleton's poems were most often about his rural life.
Early years
Born in rural Lenawee CountyLenawee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
, Hudson, Michigan
Hudson, Michigan
Hudson is a city in Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,307 at the 2010 census. The city is located within Hudson Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
, Carleton was the fifth child of John Hancock and Celeste (Smith) Carleton. In 1869, he graduated from Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...
and delivered on that occasion the poem, Rifts in the Cloud.
Biography
After graduating from college in 1869, Carleton first worked as a newspaper journalist in HillsdaleHillsdale, Michigan
Hillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,305. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County, and is run as a council-manager government....
. He had been in the habit of writing poetry as a youngster. His first significant work published was Betsy and I Are Out, a poignant tale of a divorce which was first published in the Toledo Blade, but then reprinted by Harper’s Weekly. Betsy and I Are Out was written in 1871 when Carleton was only twenty-five and employed as editor of the Detroit Weekly Tribune. This poem was soon followed in 1872 by Over the Hill to the Poor House developing the plight of the aged and those with indifferent families. This piece captured national attention and catapulted Carleton into literary prominence —a position he held the rest of his life as he continued to write and to lecture from coast to coast".
In 1878, Carleton moved to Boston, where he married Anne Goodell, and they moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1882. Carleton remained active in his college fraternity and served as the New York City Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
alumni chapter's president. In 1907, he returned to Hudson as a renowned poet. Carleton's quotes are also well known throughout America.
With the Public Act 51 of 1919, the Michigan legislature passed into law making it a duty upon teachers to teach at least one of his poems to children in school, and October 21st was officially named as Will Carleton Day in Michigan.. Furthermore, a school in Hillsdale has been named after him, Will Carleton Academy. On top of that, a section of the M-99
M-99 (Michigan highway)
M-99 is a state highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from the Ohio state border, where it connects to SR 15, north to Lansing where it terminates at a junction with I-496...
in Hillsdale is dubbed Will Carleton Road. In addition, the village of Carleton in Monroe County, Michigan is named after Will Carleton, with the road on Carleton's northern border that separates Monroe and Wayne counties being Will Carleton Road.
On June 24, 2007, it was reported that "the neglected burial plot of the family of rural Michigan poet, Will Carleton, whose 1872 work, Over the Hill to the Poor House, thrust him into national prominence, is getting a makeover".
His works
"What Robert BurnsRobert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
did for the Scottish cotter and the Reverend William Barnes
William Barnes
William Barnes was an English writer, poet, minister, and philologist. He wrote over 800 poems, some in Dorset dialect and much other work including a comprehensive English grammar quoting from more than 70 different languages.-Life:He was born at Rushay in the parish of Bagber, Dorset, the son of...
has done for the English farmer, Will Carleton has done for the American-touched with the glamour of poetry the simple and monotonous events of daily life, and shown that all circumstances of life, however trivial they may appear, possess those alternations of the comic and pathetic, the good and bad, the joyful and sorrowful, which go to make up the days and nights, the summers and winters, of this perplexing world".
- Rifts in the Cloud (1869)
- Poems (1871)
- Betsy and I Are Out (1871)
- Over the Hill to the Poorhouse (1872)
- Farm Ballads (1873)
- Farm Legends (1875)
- Young Folks' Centennial Rhymes (1876)
- Our Travelled Parson (1879)
- Farm Festivals (1881)
- The First Settler's Story (1881)
- Her Tour (1882)
- The Old Reading Class (1883)
- The Hero Of the Tower (1884)
- City Ballads (1885)
- The Convict's Christmas Eve (1887)
- An Ancient Spell (1887)
- City Festivals (1892)
- The Vestal Virgin (1893)
- Four Dogs (1894)
- Rhymes of Our Planet (1895)
- The Lianhan Shee (1900)
- Out of the Old House, Nancy (1900)
- Songs of Two Centuries (1902)
- The Little Black-Eyed Rebel (1906)
- A Thousand Thoughts with Index of Subjects (1908)