Published in 1865, John Greenleaf Whittier's Snow-Bound: A Winter Idyl symbolizes the poet's deep love of his family and the human family. Set during a snowstorm, the environment recreates the poet's nostalgia for happier days as he basks in a warm fire with his family. Whittier's commitment to abolition is the subtext of the poem.  Snow-Bound was his most successful poem, earning him national respect and financial reward.

A Life Dedicated to Liberty discusses Snow-Bound and Whittier's contributions to American history and literature.