Bransford Vawter
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Bransford Vawter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1815 |
| Died | 1838 (aged 22–23) |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Genre | Poetry |
Bransford Vawter (1815–1838) was a poet from Lynchburg, Virginia. He has been described as Lynchburg's first poet. He is remembered for his poem "I'd Offer Thee This Hand Of Mine", which ended up becoming a popular song. He is also the subject of an award-winning screenplay The Poem.
Vawter, the son of a tailor was born in 1815.[1][2] His parents were Benjamin Vawter and Milly Gutrey.[3][4]
Earlier on he had an interest in literature, especially poetry. His poem, "I'd Offer Thee This Hand Of Mine", which turned out to be his most famous, was published in the Southern Literary Messenger in 1834.[1][5] It was actually published anonymously and caused something of a stir nationally. Once it became known that Vawter was its author, he was able to enjoy local celebrity status for a short period of time.[1] The story behind "I'd Offer Thee This Hand Of Mine" is that he was in love with Ann Norvell, who was from a different class from him. She ended up marrying another man, possibly one that her parents chose for her.[6][7][8] According to the Vawter Family website, there are claims by some people that it was written to a Miss Labby.[9]
In books such as High-school Journalism by Harold Spears, Charles Hubert Lawshe,[10] and Lynchburg: 1757-2007 by Dorothy Potter, Clifton W. Potter, he is referred to as Lynchburg's first poet.[1] In the book First Baptist Church, Lynchburg, he has been described as Lynchburg's first major poet.[11]