Collin Danz

Philip Freneau: An Inspired Citizen

I believe Philip Freneau should be added to the class anthology. Freneau is remembered as a revolutionary with strong anti-English sentiments. Despite this, his influence did not emerge during his lifetime. Rather, he was criticized by his contemporaries. George Washington referred to Freneau as a “rascal,” and often dismissed his writings, despite the intentions of removing English rule from America. Essentially, although Freneau was anti-English, his views were not considered pro-American. This makes his case so interesting. He did not seek to develop America into a political, global powerhouse. Rather, he sought freedom in its purest form, to be out from under the hand of the monarchy. Freneau makes this evident in pieces such as On Retirement and The Wild Honeysuckle.

In both poems, Freneau harps on the harm of English themes to those in America. He both likens the decay of life under the monarchy to that of a flower’s death and follows by stating that he would rather be a lazy retiree than to ever sit upon the throne. For instance, in The Wild Honeysuckle, Freneau states: “They died—nor were those flowers more gay,/ The flowers that did in Eden bloom;/ Unpitying frosts and Autumn's power/ Shall leave no vestige of this flower” (Freneau). He likens America to an “Eden,” claiming that the frosts of autumn would cause their death. Here, he refers to England as Autumn, and that the blossoming of Eden is withheld by their power. Essentially, he believes that England holds America from true progress. In On Retirement, Freneau diminishes the desirability of the crown: “A Hermit's house beside a stream/ With forests planted round,/ Whatever it to you may seem/More real happiness I deem/Than if I were a monarch crowned.” (Freneau) Quite literally, he is more interested in sitting in a secluded area than be crowned a monarch. He finds the position essentially offensive to American freedom.

Despite holding these views, Freneau’s revolutionary ideals held more importance than just being anti-monarchy. During this time period, the revolution was tied to nationalism, or pride in being “Americans” as opposed to English citizens living in America. 18^th Century American nationalism focused on establishing a new state separate from England. However, it was still focused primarily on the establishment of a new Western State. Perhaps what was most revolutionary amongst his writing is the cultural recognition of Native American tradition. In his poem The Indian Burying Ground, Freneau lauds Native American burial culture, specifically how he believes their burials provide for greater pride in death than Western burials. Support of Native Americans was inherently against nationalist views of the period; Freneau has distanced himself from nationalism and formally attached himself to being a true revolutionary. Being a revolutionary requires fervor in altering societal norms, Freneau challenged norms that attacked both “Americans” and Native Americans. Recognizing a writer with these ideals is important in our modern setting. America is on the precipice of reform (hopefully) and reading into the mind of a true revolutionary will inspire us moving forward.