''The Polyanthos'' was a monthly literary magazine published in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, by
Joseph Tinker Buckingham from December 1805 – September 1814.
The magazine
The magazine was founded in 1805 by Joseph Tinker Buckingham and featured a large number of contributors of essays, biographical articles and other literature, such as Wilkes Allen, Rev. John Eliot (of New North Church), John Lathrop, Jr., Samuel Louder, John Lovering, John Randall, Solomon Stoddard,
Royall Tyler
Royall Tyler (June 18, 1757 – August 26, 1826) was an American jurist, teacher and playwright. He was born in Boston, graduated from Harvard University in 1776, and then served in the Massachusetts militia during the American Revolution. ...
, Samuel A. Wells, and Rufus Wyman.
Buckingham also wrote theatre reviews in each issue.
Buckingham had very strong views on nationalism and "against anything he felt to be false," and these view were reflected in the magazine. The first issue of ''The Polyanthos'' featured a biography of Samuel Harris, a review of the poem "Monody on the Victims and Sufferers by the Late Conflagration in Richmond, Virginia," a long essay on the alphabet, and "eleven paragraph-length bits which Buckingham apparently wished known as essays."
''The Polyanthos'' gave special attention to the theater,
[''An Introduction to American Magazines, 1800-1810'' by Benjamin Morgan Lewis, University of Michigan Issue 5, 1961, page 4.] with the magazine called "a journal of no small literary merit for that day, and which devoted particular attention to the New England stage. The theatrical notes in ''The Polyanthos'' are considered among the most valuable of that period.
[''A History of American Magazines: 1741-1850'' by Frank Luther Mott, Harvard University Press, 1938, page 169.]
Most issues featured "excellent portraits"
and engravings, such as a portrait by Samuel Harris (ca.1784-1810) or a
song
A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...
. The magazine ceased in 1814 "for the ungrateful or undiscerning public, — notwithstanding the expressed flattery of their taste and confidence in their liberality, — suffered it to wither and die."
Connection with Edgar Allan Poe
In 1807 ''Polyanthos'' was involved in an incident with American actor
David Poe Jr. and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
-born actress
Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe, the parents of
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
.
Initially Buckingham was supportive of the Poes in his magazine,
but later critiqued the actors by writing that "Mrs. Poe was a green Little Pickle. We never knew before that the Spoiled Child belonged to that class of being termed hermaphroditical, as the uncouthness of his costume seemed to indicate."
[''The Brief Career of Eliza Poe'' by Geddeth Smith, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1988, pages 90-91.] Buckingham also attacked David Poe Jr., saying "Of Mr. Poe's Barnwell we expected little satisfaction, and of course were not disappointed."
David Poe Jr. was enraged at the comments
and confronted Buckingham.
In Buckingham's memoirs, he noted how the actor "Mr. Poe — the father of ...
Edgar A. Poe, — took offence at a remark (in the magazine) on
his wife's acting, and called at my house to 'chastise my impertinence,' but went away without effecting his purpose. Both he and his wife were performers of considerable merit, but somewhat vain of their personal accomplishments."
According to a 1931 issue of ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'', this incident alone "merits at least footnote immortality" for the magazine.
Images
;Published in ''Polyanthos''
Image:1805 Polyanthos no1.png, ''Polyanthos'' no.1, December 1805; published by J.T. Buckingham, Winter Street, Boston
Image:1806 JohnBernard Polyanthus.png, Actor John Bernard, 1806
Image:1812 Madness Penrose Polyanthos April.png, Illustration to Thomas Penrose's "Ode to Madness," 1812
File:1812 Pawtucket Bridge and Falls in Polyanthos v1 no15.png, Pawtucket Falls, Rhode Island, 1812
Image:1813 CharlesStreetMeetingHouse Boston Polyanthus.png, Charles Street Meeting House
The Charles Street Meeting House is an early-nineteenth-century historic church in Beacon Hill at 70 Charles Street, Boston, Massachusetts.
The church has been used over its history by several Christian denominations, including Baptists, the ...
, Boston, 1813
Image:1814 Polyanthos.png, ''The Polyanthos'' new series v.4, 1814
Image:1814 JohnPhillips Polyanthos.png, John Phillips, 1814
Image:1814 DavidRittenhouse Polyanthos.png, David Rittenhouse
David Rittenhouse (April 8, 1732 – June 26, 1796) was an American astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman, and public official. Rittenhouse was a member of the American Philosophical Society an ...
, 1814
Image:1814 WilliamIngalls MD Polyanthos.png, William Ingalls M.D., 1814
Image:1814 IsaacHull Polyanthos.png, Isaac Hull
Commodore (rank), Commodore Isaac Hull (March 9, 1773 – February 13, 1843) was a United States Navy officer who served in the Quasi-War, Barbary Wars and War of 1812. During his military career, he commanded the warships , , , and . During the ...
, 1814
References
Further reading
* {{citation , title=Polyanthos , oclc=3938088 , location=Boston , year=1805–1814 , publisher=J.T. Buckingham }
v.1(1805-1806)
v.2(1806)
v.3v.4(1806-1807); new serie
v.1(1812)
v.2(June–September 1812)
v.3(October 1813-March 1814)
v.4(April–September 1814).
19th century in Boston
1810s in the United States
1800s in the United States
1805 establishments in Massachusetts
1814 disestablishments in Massachusetts
Monthly magazines published in the United States
Cultural history of Boston
Defunct literary magazines published in the United States
Magazines established in 1805
Magazines disestablished in 1814
Magazines published in Boston