author
Henry Abbey
1842–1911
Remembered for the enduring poem "What do we plant when we plant a tree?", this 19th-century American writer paired a gift for plainspoken verse with a life rooted in business and public service. His work often turns ordinary subjects—nature, duty, memory—into lines that still feel warm and direct.
1 Audiobook
Stories in Verse
by Henry Abbey
About the author
Born in Rondout, New York, on July 11, 1842, Henry Abbey was an American poet whose work appeared widely in newspapers and magazines before being gathered into book form. He is most often associated with the poem "What do we plant when we plant a tree?" and was also known for "The Bedouin's Rebuke."
Abbey was educated in several New York schools and, alongside his literary life, worked in business, including banking and his family's grain trade in Kingston. That mix of everyday professional life and steady writing helps explain the grounded, accessible tone of much of his poetry.
He died in Tenafly, New Jersey, on June 7, 1911. Though not among the most famous poets of his era, he has remained memorable for verse that is musical, reflective, and easy to carry in the mind.