Nathaniel Evans

Edgar Legare Pennington (1891-1951), Nathaniel Evans: A poet of colonial America. Ocala, FL: Taylor, 1935. Courtesy Internet Archive.

Rev. Nathaniel Evans (June 8, 1742 - October 29, 1767) was a colonial American poet and cleric.

Life

Youth and education

Evans was born in Philadelphia, the son of a merchant.

He was educated at William Smith's academy in that city, and then apprenticed to a merchant.

After his apprenticeship expired, he enrolled in the University of Pennyslyvania, earning an M.A. by diploma in 1765. The same year he edited a collection of poetry by his friend, Thomas Godfrey.

Career

In 1765 Evans sailed to England, where he was ordained by the Bishop of London. He then returned to Philadelphia, and organized churches at Waterford and Gloucester in New Jersey, but died soon afterward of tuberculosis at the age of 25.

Writing

by Samuel Kettell

Evans published a few inconsiderable scraps in verse in the public press, but gave to the world nothing during his lifetime which could support a claim to any eminent rank as a poet. By his own directions a volume of his poems was published after his death. It is probable most of these were composed before he devoted himself to his clerical pursuits, as but a few pages among them contain anything of a devotional sort.

A tone of cheerfulness and gaiety pervades the smaller pieces of the collection, which must strike the reader as a special rarity in the lucubrations of an American clergyman of that day. Evans appears to have possessed a lively temperament, with a considerable share of enthusiasm. He was evidently imbued with a strong love for poetry, and a nice conception and feeling of its beauties. The fragment of an unfinished preface to his works contains evidence that his mind was of that delicate and refined stamp, over which the imagination exercises a powerful sway.

Evans, like his friend Godfrey, was cut off at an age when few have sufficiently developed their powers to execute any work of great and permanent excellence. Yet from what he has left behind him, his poetical talent may be estimated highly. His taste was excellent, and his imagination vivid. The "Ode on the Prospect of Peace" is decidedly the most finished and elegant production which the literature of our country could exhibit at that date.

Recognition

George Washington is known to have possessed a copy of Evans's Poems on Several Occasions.

Publications

Poetry

• Ode on the Late Glorious Successes of His Majesty's Arms; and present greatness of the English nation. Philadelphia: William Dunlap, 1762.
• A Dialogue on Peace: An entertainment given by the Senior Class at the anniversary commencement, held at Nassau-Hall September 28th, 1763. Philadelphia: printed by William Bradford, 1763.
• An Exercise, Containing a Dialogue and Ode on Peace. Philadelphia: printed by Andrew Steuart, 1763.
• Poems on Several Occasions, with some other compositions (edited by William Smith). Philadelphia: printed by John Dunlap, 1772.

Non-fiction

• The Love of the World Incompatible with the Love of God: A discourse. Philadelphia: printed by Henry Miller, 1766.

Edited

• Thomas Godfrey, Juvenile Poems on Various Subjects; with The Prince of Parthia: A tragedy. Philadelphia: printed by Henry Miller, 1765.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• Colonial American poets
• List of U.S. poets

External links

Poems

• "The Hymn to May"
• "Ode on the Prospect of Peace"
• "An Ode, on completing my One and Twentieth Year of Age"
• Evans in Specimens of American Poetry: "An Epistolary Ode to a Friend," "Ode on the Prospect of Peace, 1761," "Ode to My Ingenious Friend, Mr Thomas Godfrey," "Hymn to May"

Books

• Nathaniel Evans at Amazon.com

About

• Critical and Biographical Notice: Nathaniel Evans (1742-1727) in Specimens of American Poetry
• Rev. Nathaniel Evans (1741-1767), English Poetry, 1579-1830
• Nathaniel Evans: A poet of colonial America, 1935