author
Eleanor C. (Eleanor Cecilia) Donnelly
1838–1917
A prolific 19th-century American poet and writer, she became especially known for devotional verse and for a warm, accessible Catholic literary voice. Her work ranged from poetry and stories to biographies, and she published steadily over many decades.
1 Audiobook
Prince Ragnal, and other holiday verses
by Eleanor C. (Eleanor Cecilia) Donnelly
About the author
Born in Philadelphia on September 6, 1838, Eleanor Cecilia Donnelly was an American poet, short story writer, and biographer. She built a long literary career and became widely associated with religious and devotional writing, earning the nickname "The Poet of the Pure Soul."
Donnelly wrote extensively for Catholic magazines and newspapers and produced dozens of books across her lifetime. Her poetry was especially well known, but she also wrote prose works and biographies, showing a range that went beyond verse alone.
She died on April 30, 1917, in Pennsylvania. Today she is remembered as a prolific voice in American Catholic literature and as one of the notable women writers on the Philadelphia literary scene of her era.