The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Halleck, Fitz-Greene

HALLECK, hǎl′ĕk, Fitz-Greene, American poet: b. Guilford, Conn., 8 July 1790; d. there, 19 Nov. 1867. At 18 he became a clerk in a New York bank, in which employment he remained for 20 years. For a long period after this he was the confidential agent of John Jacob Astor, and was named by him one of the original trustees of the Astor Library. In 1849 he retired to his native town. He wrote verses in his boyhood, but these early effusions were excluded from the collected edition of his poems. In 1819 he assisted Joseph Rodman Drake (q. v.) in the humorous series of ‘Croaker’ papers, contributed to the New York Evening Post. Drake’s death in the succeeding year was commemorated by Halleck in a most touching poem. In 1819 was published Halleck’s longest poem, ‘Fanny,’ a satire, in the measure of Byron’s ‘Don Juan,’ on the fashions, follies, and public characters of the day. From the variety and pungency of the local and personal allusions it enjoyed a great but fleeting popularity. In 1827 he published an edition of his poems in one volume, two of the best in the collection, ‘Alnwick Castle’ and ‘Burns,’ having been suggested by scenes and incidents of foreign travel. This edition also included the spirited lyric, ‘Marco Bozzaris,’ by which he will probably be longest kept in mind. Consult Wilson, ‘Life and Letters of Fitz-Greene Halleck’ (1869).