The Writings of Oliver Wendell Holmes: Poetical worksPrinted at the Riverside Press, 1891 |
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ÆNEID beneath Benjamin Robbins Curtis bloom breast breath bright brow burning cheek claim crown dead dear Dighton rock dream earth eyes faded fair fire flame flower Four freshmen friends gleam glow golden grave green greet hand hands united hear heard heart Heaven heaven shall burn hour knew laugh leaves life's lift light Lily lips listening lives lonely look lyre memory moidore morning never o'er OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES once pale peaceful PHILLIPS ACADEMY poem poet poet's rhymes robe rose round Saint Etienne secret shade shine shore sigh silent skies smile song soul speak star star and rose story summer sweet swelling ocean tale Teacups tears tell thee thine thou hast throbbing throne toil told trembling turn verse voice wait wandering warm waves whisper wild words Yankee girls young youth
Popular passages
Page 269 - Then up arose the oysterman, and to himself said he, 'I guess I'll leave the skiff at home, for fear that folks should see; I read it in the story-book, that, for to kiss his dear, Leander swam the Hellespont — and I will swim this here.
Page 175 - Hail, Columbia ! happy land ! Hail, ye heroes, heaven-born band! Who fought and bled in Freedom's cause, Who fought and bled in Freedom's cause; And when the storm of war was gone, Enjoyed the peace your valor won. Let independence be our boast, Ever mindful what it cost; Ever grateful for the prize, Let its altar reach the skies. Firm united let us be, Rallying round our liberty! As a band of brothers joined, Peace and safety we shall find.
Page 268 - IT was a tall young oysterman lived by the river-side, His shop was just upon the bank, his boat was on the tide; The daughter of a fisherman, that was so straight and slim, Lived over on the other bank, right opposite to him. It was the pensive oysterman that saw a lovely maid, Upon a moonlight evening, a sitting in the shade ; He saw her wave her handkerchief, as much as if to say, "I'm wide awake, young oysterman, and all the folks away.
Page 256 - We meet again," — I dreamed not in that idle glance Thy latest image came. And only left to memory's trance A shadow and a name. The few strange words my lips had taught Thy timid voice to speak. Their gentler signs, which often brought Fresh roses to thy cheek, The trailing of thy long loose hair Bent o'er my couch of pain, All, all returned, more sweet, more fair...
Page 59 - I come not here your morning hour to sadden, A limping pilgrim, leaning on his staff, — I, who have never deemed it sin to gladden This vale of sorrows with a wholesome laugh.
Page 270 - Down fell that pretty innocent, as falls a snowwhite lamb, Her hair drooped round her pallid cheeks, like sea-weed on a clam. Alas for those two loving ones ! she waked not from her swound, And he was taken with the cramp, and in the waves was drowned; But Fate has metamorphosed them, in pity of their woe, And now they keep an oyster-shop for mermaids down below.
Page 188 - IF all the trees in all the woods were men ; And each and every blade of grass a pen ; If every leaf on every shrub and tree Turned to a sheet of foolscap ; every sea Were changed to ink, and all earth's living tribes Had nothing else to do but act as scribes, And for ten thousand ages, day and night, The human race should write, and write, and write, Till all the pens and paper were used up, And the huge inkstand was an empty cup. Still would the scribblers clustered round its brink Call for more...
Page 125 - And which the nobler calling, — if 't is fair Terrestrial with celestial to compare, — To guide the storm-cloud's elemental flame, Or walk the chambers whence the lightning came, Amidst the sources of its subtile fire, And steal their effluence for his lips and lyre ? If lost at times in vague aerial flights, None treads with firmer footstep when he lights ; A soaring nature, ballasted with sense, Wisdom without her wrinkles or pretence, In every Bible he has faith to read, And every altar helps...
Page 1 - All the achings and the quakings of " the times that tried men's souls ; " When I talk of Whig and Tory, when I tell the Rebel story, To you the words are ashes, but to me they 're burning coals. I had heard the muskets...
Page 39 - While stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand; 'When falls the Coliseum, Rome shall fall; 'And when Rome falls — the World.