Background
Adams, John was born in 1704 in probably Nova Scotia. Son of John Adams.
Adams, John was born in 1704 in probably Nova Scotia. Son of John Adams.
John Adams (merchant) of Nova Scotia, and he graduated from Harvard University in 1721.
Clap"s friends formed a new society, and Adams was dismissed in about two years.He also was in a period of time where the French and Britain were in war. Adams was distinguished for his intellect and piety. As a preacher he was much esteemed.
Adams published a sermon on his ordination, 1728, and a poem on the love of money.
He published two volumes of poetry: A Collection of Poems by Several Hands (1744), and Poems on Several Occasions (1745), which contains imitations and paraphrases of several portions of scripture, translations from Horace, and the whole book of Revelation in heroic verse, together with original pieces. The versification is remarkably harmonious for the period and the country.
The following is an extract from his poem on Cotton Mather:
What numerous volumes, scattered from his hand,
Lightened his own, and warmed each foreign land? What pious breathings of a glowing soul
Live in each page, and animate the whole? The breath of heaven the savory pages show,
As we Arabia from its spices know.—
Ambitious, active, towering was his soul,
But flaming piety inspired the whole. (Massa.-magazine for April
1789;Backus" history abr.
158. Pref. to his poems;Specimens of America poetry, I. 67. He died at Cambridge, Massachusetts in January, 1740, at the age of 36, deeply lamented by his acquaintance.