“Good luck is the willing handmaid of a upright and energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty.”

American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat

James Russell Lowell was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He belonged to the fireside poets, a New England group whose verse helped American poetry reach an audience that had long favored British writers. Lowell wrote in familiar forms and steady meters, which made his work accessible to family readers of his time. He is remembered not only for his poetry, but also for criticism, editorial work, and public service as a diplomat.