American poet
Esther Hayden |
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| Born | Esther Allen
1713 |
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| Died | 1758 |
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| Nationality | American |
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| Known for | |
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| Notable work | A Short Account of the Life, Death and Character of Esther Hayden |
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| Spouse | Samuel Hayden |
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Esther Hayden (1713–58) was an American poet who is known for her poem A Short Account of the Life, Death and Character of Esther Hayden (1759), written on her deathbed.
Biography and writing
Hayden was born in 1713.[1] She was the daughter of Samuel Allen and the identity of her mother is unknown.[2][3] Hayden was married to Samuel Hayden of Braintree, Massachusetts and together they had nine children. She died on February 14, 1785, aged 45 after experiencing over a year of serious illness.[1][2]
Short Account of the Life, Death and Character of Esther Hayden (1759) may have been published as a memorial to Hayden. The volume includes a short testimonial by an anonymous author and a longer tribute by a "near Relative". This near relative describes Hayden as a woman who "strove for Grace and Holiness, / That Christ might be her Part", and who "Appear'd a precious Saint."[2]
The poem written by Hayden is entitled Composed About Six Weeks Before Her Death, When Under Distressing Circumstances.[3] It consists of a verse of 167 lines dedicated to her family and friends.[1] Like many deathbed statements written at the time, the poem urges them to Christian devotion and expresses concern for their religious character.[2] She also describes her own religious insecurities as she laments her physical and mental pain, her "wasting sickness" and her "fear to die".[1]
Although this is Hayden's only extant work, the poem suggests the hand of an experienced writer.[2]
References
