Hemans, Mrs. Felicia D. Browne

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

hem'anz, Mrs. Felicia D. Browne (1794-1835), an English poet. She was born near Liverpool. She began to write poetry when only nine years old. Her first volume was Early Blossoms, published in 1808. The criticisms these poems received were, naturally enough, very painful to the fourteen year old poet. A few years later The Domestic Affections was more successful. Miss Browne married a Captain Hemans in 1812. After some years of married life Captain Hemans departed on a journey to the continent. It is believed that a separation had been agreed upon, for the couple never met again. Mrs. Hemans was left with five little children to care for. She continued her literary work until her death. Among her best known works are The Vespers of Palermo: a Tragedy, The Restoration of the Works of Art to Italy, The Skeptic, Lays of Many Lands. The poem best known to Americans is The Landing of the Pilgrims, beginning, The breaking waves dashed high On a stern and rock-bound coast, And the woods against a stormy sky Their giant branches tossed. And the heavy night hung dark The hills and waters o'er, When a band of exiles moored their bark On the wild New England shore. It is said that Mrs. Hemans burst into tears when told by an American friend that her "rock-bound coast" was in reality a low sandy shore. Parting from Mrs. Hemans and her boys on one occasion at Abbotsford, where they had been received as honored guests, Sir Walter Scott said to this gifted woman: "There are some whom we meet, and should like ever after to claim as kith and kin; and you are one of these." But calmly sitting in judgment on her work, the "Wizard of the North" was not so complimentary as he had been when speaking of her personality, for he said that her verses were "too poetical," in that they contained "too many flowers and too little fruit." This is the verdict of posterity.