The Guardian Angel; And Other Poems

Caroline M. Congdon was an American poet of the 19th century. She sometimes referred to herself as "Connie" in her writings. Congdon was a native of Onondaga County, New York and lived most of her life in Amber. The youngest of five brothers and sisters, her father died in early childhood, after which the family had little money left. Caroline was educated at home and the local district school, and showed an early taste for intellectual pursuits, but suffered from chronic poor health, including paralysis and fever, which left her bedridden at fourteen.. Left with only the help of her hand, she began to write poetry using a pencil and a specially made inverted table that held the paper over her head and chest. Thus she wrote enough poetry to fill the present volume of Guardian Angel, which was published in 1856. Her poetry ranges from shorter pieces on a wide variety of topics to long narrative pieces on romantic themes. This collection also contains a poem on the abolitionist theme.