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"Out of the hills of Habersham, Sidney Clopton Lanier was born February 3, 1842 in Macon, Georgia. He was educated at Olglethorpe College in Atlanta, where he was inspired by the writings of Byron, Tennyson and the Romantics, such as Richter and Novalis.
Down the valleys of Hall,
I hurry amain to reach the plain,
Run the rapid and leap the fall,
Split at the rock and together again,
Accept my bed, or narrow or wide,
And flee from Folly on every side,
With a lover's pain to attain the plain,
Far from the hills of Habersham,
Far from the valleys of Hall."
His childhood was influenced greatly by the poet Scott, whose works were prominently displayed in his father's library.
Lanier was a man concerned, almost obsessed, with the musical qualities of verse, and rarely went out into nature without his pen and paper or flute. His writings reflect his love of the area, passion for music and poetry, and the traditional "Old South" values of chivalry. He died at the age of 39 from tuberculosis he contracted during the Civil War.
The lake created by Buford Dam was named in his honor because of the tribute he gave the area in his "Song of the Chattahoochee."
He was also honored for his many literary contributions by the U.S. Postal Service, which came out with an 8 cent Sidney Clopton Lanier commemorative stamp in 1972.
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