Daniel Bryan was a poet, a lawyer, and a member of the Senate of Virginia (1818–1820) representing Rockingham and Shenandoah counties. Publishing his works in periodicals and short books, he wrote in a neoclassical
style that was fashionable at the beginning of his literary career but that had fallen out of favor by the end
of his life. He corresponded with several important figures of his day, including Edgar Allan Poe, who praised Bryan's verse. Bryan is now remembered chiefly
for his epic about Daniel Boone, a minor poem that provides a wealth of information about American ideals and
aspirations early in the nineteenth century. As a Virginia senator, Bryan opposed slavery and during the American Civil War (1861–1865), he was a staunch Unionist. He
died in Washington, D.C., in 1866.
Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:12:12 EST
Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:12:12 EST