Joaquin Miller

Joaquin Miller
Joaquin Miller, born in 1837 as Cincinnatus Heine Miller, was an American poet and writer known for his romanticized depictions of the American West. He gained fame with his 1872 poetry collection "Songs of the Sierras," which celebrated the rugged beauty of the frontier. Miller was often called the "Poet of the Sierras" for his vivid portrayals of California landscapes, and his works blended myth, adventure, and history. In addition to poetry, he wrote autobiographical works like "Life Amongst the Modocs" and was known for his eccentric lifestyle, including living in a cabin in the Oakland hills.

Author's Books:


IN THE FORKS. Now there was young Deboon from Boston, who was a very learned man. He was in fact one of those fearfully learned men. He was a man who could talk in all tongues—and think in none. Perhaps he had sometime been a waiter. I am bound to say that the most dreadfully learned young men I have ever met are the waiters in the Continental hotels. Besides that he was very handsome. He was,... more...

With vast foundations seamed and knit, And wrought and bound by golden bars, Sierra's peaks serenely sit And challenge heaven's sentry-stars. Why this book? Because last year, in the heart of the Sierras, I saw women and children chained together and marched down from their cool, healthy homes to degradation and death on the Reservation. At the side of this long, chained line, urged on and... more...

THE LITTLE GOLD MINERS OF THE SIERRAS. Their mother had died crossing the plains, and their father had had a leg broken by a wagon wheel passing over it as they descended the Sierras, and he was for a long time after reaching the mines miserable, lame and poor. The eldest boy, Jim Keene, as I remember him, was a bright little fellow, but wild as an Indian and full of mischief. The next eldest child,... more...