Joseph Green
Joseph Green was an influential figure from Massachusetts born in the early 1700s, known for his contributions as a satirist and poet. A Harvard University graduate of 1726, he established himself as a merchant in Boston, but it was his sharp wit and critical commentary on contemporary events and figures that garnered him recognition. Green employed the Hudibrastic style, a form characterized by satirical and mock-heroic rhymes, which resonated with audiences of his time. His notable works include "Entertainment for a Winter's Evening" and "The Grand Arcanum Detected," where he humorously targeted political figures and social groups like the Freemasons. As tensions rose in the lead-up to the American Revolution, Green openly opposed the war, leading him to seek asylum in England, where he spent the last five years of his life. His writings not only reflect the cultural and political context of his era but also offer alternative perspectives on the American Revolution. Joseph Green passed away in 1780, leaving behind a legacy of satirical literature that continues to be of interest to historians and literary scholars alike.
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Subject Terms
Joseph Green
Writer
- Born: 1706
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: December 11, 1780
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Joseph Green was born in Massachusetts in the early 1700’s. He attended Harvard University and graduated in 1726, after which he became a merchant in Boston. Green became known as a gifted satirist and poet who wrote about famous people and events of the eighteenth century. Green’s verse was written in the Hudibrastic style, which is characterized as a satirical or mock-heroic style written in rhymed iambic pentameter couplets. This style was very popular in Green’s time.
Green enjoyed poking fun at political figures, such as the governor, and at groups such as the Freemasons. His satirical works include the books Entertainment for a Winter’s Evening: Being a Full and True Account of a Very Strange and Wonderful Sight Seen in Boston on the Twenty-Seventh of December at Noon-Day, and The Grand Arcanum Detected: Or, A Wonderful Phenomenon Explained Which Has Baffled the Scrutiny of Many Ages.
During the events leading to the American Revolution, Green spoke out against the war and was forced to flee America for England, where he lived in exile for the last five years of his life. Green’s body of works are of historical interest, but they also provide important examples of other views of the American Revolution. Green died in 1780.