Freneau, << fruh NOH, >> Philip (1752-1832), was an American poet and journalist. He became known as the “Poet of the American Revolution” for the poetry he wrote attacking the British during the revolution (1775-1783). Freneau also wrote descriptive and imaginative poetry about nature. They include “The Wild Honey Suckle” (1786) and “The Indian Burying Ground” (1788).
Philip Morin Freneau was born on Jan. 2, 1752, in New York City. He was a sailor during the Revolutionary War and suffered greatly after being captured by the British. His experiences as a prisoner inspired the poem “The British Prison Ship” (1781). Freneau was active in politics during much of his life. From 1791 to 1793, he edited the National Gazette, a newspaper that opposed the Federalist Party led by Alexander Hamilton. Freneau died on Dec. 18, 1832.
