This author quoted playwright James Shirley in remarks he made after the hanging of John Brown. For 10 points each:
[10h] Name this author, who described Brown’s career as “meteor-like” in an essay titled for Brown’s “Last Days.” This author also wrote “A Plea for Captain John Brown.”
ANSWER: Henry David Thoreau
[10e] John Brown’s actions inspired the marching song “John Brown’s Body,” whose tune was based on one of these devotional songs. “John Brown’s Body” inspired Julia Ward Howe’s song titled “Battle [this type of song] of the Republic.”
ANSWER: hymn [accept “Battle Hymn of the Republic”]
[10m] This author called John Brown “the meteor of the war” in his poem “The Portent.” This author wrote a novella about a slave revolt led by Babo.
ANSWER: Herman Melville (The novella is Benito Cereno.)
<American Literature>