Ada Reedy Vance (, Reedy; ca. 1840 – no sooner than 1896) was an American poet of the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

. Her writings were characterized as being southern in manner and spirit.

Early life and education

Sallie Ada Reedy was born in northern

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

about 1840. Captain James Reedy, her father, removed to

Lexington, Mississippi Lexington is a city in and the county seat of Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. The county was organized in 1833 and the city in 1836. The population was 1,731 at the 2010 census, down from 2,025 at the 2000 census. The estimated popul ...

, during her infancy. From an early age, Vance enjoyed studying and reading. She had a liberal education and traveled extensively in the U.S., having visited most places of note between the

Canadian border The borders of Canada include: * To the south and west: An international boundary with the United States, forming the Canada–United States border, longest shared border in the world, ; (Informally referred as the 49th parallel north which make ...

and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. While still a child, she began to write poetry.

Career

She contributed to a large number of newspapers in the southwest, as well as some in the northwest, among these being the ''The Louisville Journal''. Before the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, her poetry appeared in the literary weeklies of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, including ''The Examiner'' and ''The Courant'', both published at the state capital. Also before the civil war, Vance's poem, "Charity", went the rounds of U.S. newspapers, credited to the ''London Journal''. It was assumed to be English, and was appreciated accordingly. Its reflective character was thought to indicate mature, if not advanced age in its author. But the history of this poem is noteworthy. The editor of the ''Jackson Mississippian'' gave it during the poem's early notoriety. It had been published originally, and under the author's full name, in his paper. It had made its way somehow to England, and was reproduced there as an original contribution to the ''London Journal''. It was upon its return to the U.S. that it went the rounds of the press so extensively. The author who received this compliment, was then a teenager, Miss Sallie Ada Reedy, of Lexington, Mississippi. In addition to "Charity", other well-known poems are: "Death by the Wayside", a lyric tragedy related to the death of an only brother; and "The Sisters", an allegorical lyric. In 1860, her poems were collected for publication in book form. The civil war caused the idea to be abandoned for more auspicious times. In 1865, about the close of the war, she married Mr. Vance (died December 1868), of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, and resided in Lexington, Mississippi. Around 1869, Vance worked on a novel with the theme of "love". This theme, without being original, was considered well suited to the author's mental nature. From Mississippi, Vance removed first to Kentucky and, by 1896, to

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

Style

An intuitive sense of melody, rather than rigid art-study, rendered her versification in musical style. Her later productions bore evidence of stricter culture in verse-art. The character of Vance's poetry was subjective. Her melody of versification was considered remarkable. Her versification was easy and musical. Of her style, J. Wood Davidson wrote thus:—

Selected works

* "Charity" * "Death by the Wayside" * "Guard Thine Action" * "Strauss' First Love " * "The Bridal" * "The Sisters" * "The Two Angels"

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vance, Ada Reedy 1840s births 19th-century American poets 19th-century American women writers American women poets People from Alabama Writers of American Southern literature Year of birth uncertain Year of death unknown