Lowell, J(ames) R(ussell) (1819–1891)

US poet. His works range from the didactic The Vision of Sir Launfal 1848 to such satirical poems as The Biglow Papers 1848. As a critic, he developed a deep awareness of the US literary tradition. He was also a diplomat and served as minister to Spain 1877–80 and England 1880–85.

His early poetry, complex and tightly structured, focused on spiritual crises. His later poetry (from the 1850s) was looser and drew freely on his personal relationships, his involvement in left-wing politics, and his periods of mental instability.

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lowell graduated 1840 from Harvard Law School. He taught at Harvard and was editor 1857–61 of The Atlantic Monthly and coeditor 1863–72 of The North American Review. Among his critical works are essays on great masters, including Shakespeare, Dante, and Coleridge. Lowell was active in the abolitionist movement, publishing more than 50 antislavery articles between 1845 and 1850. Other works include Leaves from My Italian Journal 1854.