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Poems of Freneau

Freneau, Philip Morin (1752-1832)

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PART ONE POEMS OF FREEDOM
  
The RISING GLORY OF AMERICA.
  
DISCOVERY.
  
A POLITICAL LITANY.
  
TO THE AMERICANS,
  
ON A HESSIAN DEBARKATION. 1776.
  
AMERICA INDEPENDENT;
  
On the new AMERICAN FRIGATE ALLIANCE.
  
On the Death OF CAPTAIN NICHOLAS BIDDLE,
  
GEORGE THE THIRD'S SOLILOQUY.
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THE BRITISH PRISON SHIP
 1. 
CANTO I. The CAPTURE.
 2. 
CANTO II. The PRISON SHIP.
 3. 
CANTO III. The HOSPITAL PRISON SHIP.
  
On THE MEMORABLE VICTORY,
  
TO LORD CORNWALLIS,
  
ON THE FALL OF GENERAL EARL CORNWALLIS,
  
TO THE MEMORY Of the brave AMERICANS,
  
ARNOLD'S DEPARTURE.
  
THE POLITICAL BALANCE; OR, THE FATES OF BRITAIN AND AMERICA COMPARED: A TALE.
  
BARNEY'S INVITATION.
  
SONG,
  
A PICTURE OF THE TIMES,
  
To A CONCEALED ROYALIST
  
Occasioned By GENERAL WASHINGTON'S Arrival in Philadelphia,
  
On the EMIGRATION TO AMERICA and Peopling the Western Country
  
LITERARY IMPORTATION.
  
STANZAS
  
Epistle to THE PATRIOTIC FARMER.
  
ON THE PROSPECT OF A REVOLUTION IN FRANCE
  
THE DISTREST THEATRE.
  
The New England SABBATH-DAY CHACE.
  
On the Death of DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
  
EPISTLE
  
THE DEPARTURE:
  
THE AMERICAN SOLDIER.
  
Occasioned by A LEGISLATION BILL
  
To the PUBLIC.
  
LINES WRITTEN ON A PUNCHEON OF JAMAICAN SPIRITS.
  
A WARNING TO AMERICA.
  
On the FOURTEENTH OF JULY,
  
TO CRISPIN O'CONNER,
  
CRISPIN'S ANSWER.
  
To SHYLOCK AP-SHENKIN.
  
To MY BOOK.
  
To a PERSECUTED PHILOSOPHER.
  
TO AN ANGRY ZEALOT:
  
On the Demolition of the FRENCH MONARCHY.
  
On the FRENCH REPUBLICANS.
  
On MR. PAINE'S RIGHTS OF MAN.
  
ODE TO LIBERTY.
  
ODE
  
On the Death of a REPUBLICAN PRINTER:
  
On The ANNIVERSARY
  
To SHYLOCK AP-SHENKIN.
  
To a NOISY POLITICIAN.
  
Addressed to a POLITICAL SHRIMP,
  
To MY BOOK.
  
On the DEATH OF CATHARINE II.
  
PREFATORY LINES TO A PERIODICAL PUBLICATION.
  
THE REPUBLICAN FESTIVAL:
  
TO DUNCAN DOOLITTLE,
  
The MILLENNIUM—
  
To the SCRIBE OF SCRIBES.
  
TO THE AMERICANS OF THE UNITED STATES.
  
To the DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY EDITORS.
  
REFLECTIONS
  
The POLITICAL WEATHERCOCK.
  
REFLECTIONS
  
STANZAS
  
STANZAS
  
STANZAS
  
STANZAS
  
ON THE ABUSE OF HUMAN POWER
  
STANZAS
  
On the SYMPTOMS OF HOSTILITIES.
  
LINES ADDRESSED TO MR. JEFFERSON,
  
On the BRITISH COMMERCIAL DEPREDATIONS.
  
MILITARY RECRUITING
  
On the LAKE EXPEDITIONS.
  
The BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE
  
The VOLUNTEER'S MARCH.
  
The BATTLE OF STONINGTON
  
On the CONFLAGRATIONS AT WASHINGTON;
  
To THE LAKE SQUADRONS.
  
ROYAL CONSULTATIONS;
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PART TWO POEMS OF ROMANTIC FANCY
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The HISTORY of the PROPHET JONAH
 1. 
Canto I.
 2. 
Canto II.
 3. 
Canto III.
 4. 
Canto IV.
  
The PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT
  
THE POWER of FANCY.
  
THE PRAYER OF ORPHEUS.
  
The AMERICAN VILLAGE, &c.
  
THE DESERTED FARM-HOUSE.
  
THE CITIZEN'S RESOLVE.
  
THE DYING ELM.
  
ON RETIREMENT:
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The PICTURES OF COLUMBUS,
 1. 
Picture I. Columbus making Maps.
 2. 
Picture II. The Cell of an Inchantress.
 3. 
Picture III. The Mirror.
 4. 
Picture IV. Columbus addresses King Ferdinand.
 5. 
Picture V. Ferdinand and his First Minister.
 6. 
Picture VI. Columbus addresses Queen Isabella.
 7. 
Picture VII. Queen Isabella's Page of Honour writing a reply to Columbus.
 8. 
Picture VIII. Columbus at the Harbour of Palos, in Andalusia.
 9. 
Picture IX. A Sailor's Hut, near the Shore Thomas and Susan
 10. 
Picture X. Bernardo, a Spanish Friar, in his canonicals.
 11. 
Picture XI. Orosio, a Mathematician, with his scales and compasses.
 12. 
Picture XII. Columbus and a Pilot.
 13. 
Picture XIII. Discontents at Sea.
 14. 
Picture XIV. Columbus at Cat Island.
 15. 
Picture XV. Columbus in a Tempest, on his return to Spain.
 16. 
Picture XVI. Columbus visits the Court at Barcelona.
 17. 
Picture XVII. Columbus in Chains.
 18. 
Picture XVIII. Columbus at Valladolid.
  
THE SILENT ACADEMY.
  
THE VERNAL AGUE.
  
A SATIRE
  
The HOUSE of NIGHT
  
The JAMAICA FUNERAL.
  
The BEAUTIES OF SANTA CRUZ
  
THE JEWISH LAMENTATION at Euphrates.
  
ON AMANDA'S SINGING BIRD:
  
CAPTAIN J. P. JONES'S INVITATION.
  
THE SEA VOYAGE
  
The VANITY OF EXISTENCE.
  
TO AN OLD MAN
  
STANZAS
  
THE ARGONAUT;
  
SCANDINAVIAN WAR SONG.
  
THE PROPHECY of King TAMMANY
  
THE DYING INDIAN:
  
THE HURRICANE
  
Written AT PORT ROYAL
  
THE SEASONS MORALIZED.
  
On THE VICISSITUDES OF THINGS
  
TO SYLVIUS:
  
THE WILD HONEY SUCKLE.
  
On A BOOK CALLED UNITARIAN THEOLOGY
  
TO ZOILUS,
  
THE BERMUDA ISLANDS.
  
FLORIO TO AMANDA.
  
THE FAIR SOLITARY.
  
AMANDA IN A CONSUMPTION.
  
ELEGIAC LINES.
  
MAY TO APRIL.
  
TO AN AUTHOR.
  
TO MISFORTUNE.
  
THE INDIAN BURYING GROUND.
  
THE INDIAN STUDENT:
  
MAN OF NINETY.
  
ALCINA'S ENCHANTED ISLAND.
  
HORACE, LIB. I. ODE 15.
  
PALEMON TO LAVINIA.
  
TO LYDIA.
  
TO CYNTHIA.
  
AMANDA'S COMPLAINT.
  
HATTERAS.
  
St. CATHARINE's.
  
NEVERSINK.
  
The WANDERER
  
ON THE SLEEP OF PLANTS.
  
STANZAS,
  
The ORATOR OF THE WOODS.
  
THE BERGEN PLANTER.
  
TOBACCO.
  
THE BANISHED MAN.
  
LINES,
  
LINES,
  
MODERN DEVOTION.
  
THE PARTING GLASS.
  
THE DISH OF TEA.
  
STANZAS
  
ELEGY
  
TO SYLVIUS,
  
The DRUNKARD'S APOLOGY
  
To a DECEASED DOG.
  
JACK STRAW:
  
EPISTLE to a Student of Dead Languages.
  
HERMIT'S VALLEY.
  
TO A NIGHT-FLY,
  
THE INDIAN CONVERT.
  
On ARRIVING IN SOUTH CAROLINA, 1798.
  
LINES WRITTEN AT SEA.
  
THE NAUTICAL RENDEZVOUS.
  
A BACCHANALIAN DIALOGUE.
  
OCTOBER'S ADDRESS:
  
To A CATY-DID.
  
On Passing BY AN OLD CHURCHYARD.
  
ON A HONEY BEE,
  
REFLECTIONS on the Constitution, or Frame of Nature.
  
SCIENCE,
  
The BROOK OF THE VALLEY.
  
Lines on the ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW THEATRE
  
BELIEF AND UNBELIEF:
  
On the UNIVERSALITY AND OTHER ATTRIBUTES of the GOD OF NATURE.
  
On the UNIFORMITY AND PERFECTION of NATURE.
  
ON THE RELIGION OF NATURE.

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To A CATY-DID.

In a branch of a willow hid
Sings the evening Caty-did:
From the lofty locust bough
Feeding on a drop of dew,
In her suit of green array'd
Hear her singing in the shade
Caty-did, Caty-did, Caty-did!
While upon a leaf you tread,
Or repose your little head,
On your sheet of shadows laid,
All the day you nothing said:
Half the night your cheery tongue
Revell'd out its little song,
Nothing else but Caty-did.
From your lodgings on the leaf
Did you utter joy or grief—?
Did you only mean to say,
I have had my summer's day,
And am passing, soon, away
To the grave of Caty-did;—
Poor, unhappy Caty-did!
411

But you would have utter'd more
Had you known of nature's power—
From the world when you retreat,
And a leaf's your winding sheet,
Long before your spirit fled,
Who can tell but nature said,
Live again, my Caty-did!
Live, and chatter Caty-did.
Tell me, what did Caty do?
Did she mean to trouble you?—
Why was Caty not forbid
To trouble little Caty-did?—
Wrong, indeed at you to fling,
Hurting no one while you sing
Caty-did! Caty-did! Caty-did!
Why continue to complain?
Caty tells me, she again
Will not give you plague or pain:—
Caty says you may be hid
Caty will not go to bed
While you sing us Caty-did.
Caty-did! Caty-did! Caty-did!
But, while singing, you forgot
To tell us what did Caty not:
Caty-did not think of cold,
Flocks retiring to the fold,
Winter, with his wrinkles old,
Winter, that yourself foretold
When you gave us Caty-did.
Stay securely in your nest;
Caty now, will do her best,
All she can, to make you blest;
But, you want no human aid—
Nature, when she form'd you, said,
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“Independent you are made,
My dear little Caty-did:
Soon yourself must disappear
With the verdure of the year,”—
And to go, we know not where,
With your song of Caty-did.
1815
 

Text from the edition of 1815.

A well-known insect, when full grown, about two inches in length, and of the exact color of a green leaf. It is of the genius cicada, or grasshopper kind, inhabiting the green foliage of trees and singing such a song as Caty-did in the evening, towards autumn.

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