The Vision of Sir Launfal

“The Vision of Sir Launfal” is an epic narrative poem by American poet James Russell Lowell. This very popular poem was published in 1848 and is considered one of the poet’s best works, while many of his later works were less well-received. The poem is based on the legend of the medieval English King Arthur and the Holy Grail. Sir Launfal was King Arthur’s steward. Despite the original English setting, Lowell’s poem contains a great deal of description of the American landscape. This focus on the beauty and importance of nature, as well as heroism and charity, led to Lowell’s inclusion among the Romantic poets, whose influence is evident in his work. In his role as man of letters, Lowell studied and wrote critical essays on the English Romantic poets such as Milton, Keats, and Tennyson.

Poet Biography

James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) was born into a wealthy family in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of six siblings, and his mother shared with him her appreciation for literature from an early age. Lowell attended Harvard College from the age of 15 but claimed to have done no academic work, although he edited the Harvardiana literary magazine in his senior year and some of his own poems were printed.