author
H. S. (Hannah S.) Battersby
d. 1886
A little-known 19th-century poet, she is remembered for Home Lyrics, a collection centered on home, feeling, faith, and everyday life. Her second volume appeared in Toronto in 1887, after her death, following her final wishes.
1 Audiobook
Home Lyrics: A Book of Poems
by H. S. (Hannah S.) Battersby
About the author
Little is firmly documented online about H. S. Battersby beyond her published work, but available library and public-domain records identify her as Hannah S. Battersby, a 19th-century poet best known for Home Lyrics. Her writing moves through domestic scenes, remembrance, religion, nature, and loss in a direct, heartfelt style that suits the title well.
Records for her books show an 1876 edition of Home Lyrics and a later Toronto edition from 1887. The preface to that second volume states that it was published after the author's death and in keeping with her last wishes, which fits the note that she died in 1886.
Because biographical details are scarce, her poems remain the clearest introduction to her life and voice. What comes through most strongly is a writer interested in family, moral feeling, memory, and the emotional texture of ordinary life.