The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Quizzes

Illustration of "The Lamb" from "Songs of Innocence" by William Blake, 1879. poem; poetry

A Study of Poetry

4:043 Dickinson, Emily: A Life of Letters, This is my letter to the world/That never wrote to me; I'll tell you how the Sun Rose/A Ribbon at a time; Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul

Famous Poets and Poetic Form

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) only confirmed photograph of Emily Dickinson. 1978 scan of a Daguerreotype. ca. 1847; in the Amherst College Archives. American poet. See Notes:

Poetry: First Lines

The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket

poem by Lowell

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

Share to social media

Facebook X

URL

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Quaker-Graveyard-in-Nantucket

Feedback

Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).

Feedback Type

Your Feedback

Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Academy of American Poets - "The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket"

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

Share to social media

Facebook X

URL

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Quaker-Graveyard-in-Nantucket

Feedback

Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).

Feedback Type

Your Feedback

Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Academy of American Poets - "The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket"

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket, poem by Robert Lowell, published in 1946 in the collection Lord Weary’s Castle. This frequently anthologized elegy for a cousin who died at sea during World War II echoes both Herman Melville and Henry David Thoreau in its exploration of innocence, corruption, and redemption. all played out against the violent backdrop of the ocean. The poem is divided into seven parts and is written in rhymed iambic pentameter with occasional trimeter lines.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.