Francis James Child

thumb| Francis James Child (February 1, 1825 – September 11, 1896) was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of English and Scottish ballads now known as the Child Ballads. Child was Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard University, where he produced influential editions of English poetry. In 1876 he was named Harvard's first professor of English. Quotes Widely different from the true popular ballads, the spontaneous products of nature, are the works of the professional ballad-maker, which make up the bulk of Garlands and Broadsides. These, though sometimes not without grace, more frequently not lacking in humor, belong to artificial literature, — of course to an humble department. English and Scottish Ballads (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1860), vol. 1, Preface, p. vii. Footnote: "This distinction is not absolute, for several of the ancient ballads have a sort of literary character, and many broadsides were printed from oral tradition." External links Category:1825 births Category:1896 deaths Category:Non-fiction authors from the United States Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Harvard University faculty Category:Philologists Category:People from Boston