At the time of Alice Cary’s birth in 1820, her home state of Ohio was at the western frontier of the United States. Her father was a pious farmer, known to recite poetry and hymns while working his land. Alice began writing poems herself at a young age and had her first piece published when she was just 18 years old. At age 30, she moved to New York, writing every day and gradually earning herself a place among the creative luminaries of the time. This quote is from a poem titled “Nobility,” which gives us a glimpse into the writer’s passion for justice and social equity, themes that ran through her work for the entirety of her career.