Sarah Piatt (1836–1919)

Sarah Piatt, née Sarah Morgan Bryan, was born near Lexington, Kentucky to a family descended from pioneers -- Daniel Boone was a relative. Her mother died when Sarah was eight years old, and she spent most of her childhood being shuttled among relatives. She attended Henry Female College in New Castle, Kentucky, and began writing and publishing poetry by age 19. Her work brought her to the attention of George Prentice, editor of the Louisville Courier, who championed her. Her poems appeared in some of the most popular periodicals of the day, and earned her national and international recognition and praise. In 1861, she married John James Piatt, a fellow poet and journalist, with whom she had seven children and lived in Ohio, Washington, D.C., Ireland, and New Jersey. In her career, she produced 18 books of poems and about 450 poems that appeared in magazines and journals. In the 20th century, after her work had fallen into obscurity, it began appearing in anthologies.