<P> Maria was in poor health , and the couple moved to Philadelphia shortly after their marriage , thinking that her lungs could heal there . In Philadelphia , he became a contributing editor for the Pennsylvania Freeman , an abolitionist newspaper . In the spring of 1845 , the Lowells returned to Cambridge to make their home at Elmwood . They had four children , though only one ( Mabel , born 1847 ) survived past infancy . Blanche was born December 31 , 1845 , but lived only fifteen months ; Rose , born in 1849 , survived only a few months as well ; their only son Walter was born in 1850 but died in 1852 . Lowell was very affected by the loss of almost all of his children . His grief over the death of his first daughter in particular was expressed in his poem `` The First Snowfall '' ( 1847 ) . He again considered suicide , writing to a friend that he thought `` of my razors and my throat and that I am a fool and a coward not to end it all at once '' . </P>
<P> Maria was in poor health , and the couple moved to Philadelphia shortly after their marriage , thinking that her lungs could heal there . In Philadelphia , he became a contributing editor for the Pennsylvania Freeman , an abolitionist newspaper . In the spring of 1845 , the Lowells returned to Cambridge to make their home at Elmwood . They had four children , though only one ( Mabel , born 1847 ) survived past infancy . Blanche was born December 31 , 1845 , but lived only fifteen months ; Rose , born in 1849 , survived only a few months as well ; their only son Walter was born in 1850 but died in 1852 . Lowell was very affected by the loss of almost all of his children . His grief over the death of his first daughter in particular was expressed in his poem `` The First Snowfall '' ( 1847 ) . He again considered suicide , writing to a friend that he thought `` of my razors and my throat and that I am a fool and a coward not to end it all at once '' . </P>
when was the first snowfall by james russell lowell written
when was the first snowfall by james russell lowell written
1847
1847