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University of Virginia Library

The complete poetical works of Oliver Wendell Holmes

Holmes, Oliver Wendell (1809-1894)

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THE CAMBRIDGE CHURCHYARD

REFLECTIONS OF A PROUD PEDESTRIAN

THE DORCHESTER GIANT

TO THE PORTRAIT OF “A LADY”

THE MUSIC-GRINDERS

THE TREADMILL SONG

THE SEPTEMBER GALE

THE HEIGHT OF THE RIDICULOUS

THE LAST READER

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1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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POEMS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1837 AND 1848

THE PILGRIM'S VISION

ON LENDING A PUNCH-BOWL

THE ISLAND HUNTING-SONG

THE ONLY DAUGHTER

NUX POSTCŒNATICA

VERSES FOR AFTER-DINNER

A MODEST REQUEST

THE PARTING WORD

A SONG OF OTHER DAYS

A RHYMED LESSON

AN AFTER-DINNER POEM

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THE MORNING VISIT

THE STETHOSCOPE SONG

EXTRACTS FROM A MEDICAL POEM

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RIP VAN WINKLE, M. D.

1.

2.

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SONGS IN MANY KEYS

THE MORAL BULLY

THE MIND'S DIET

OUR LIMITATIONS

TO GOVERNOR SWAIN

TO AN ENGLISH FRIEND

AFTER A LECTURE ON WORDSWORTH

AFTER A LECTURE ON MOORE

AFTER A LECTURE ON KEATS

AFTER A LECTURE ON SHELLEY

AT THE CLOSE OF A COURSE OF LECTURES

SEMI-CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY

FOR THE MEETING OF THE BURNS CLUB

ODE FOR WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY

BIRTHDAY OF DANIEL WEBSTER

THE TWO STREAMS

THE LIVING TEMPLE

AT A BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL

A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE

IN MEMORY OF CHARLES WENTWORTH UPHAM, JR.

MEETING OF THE ALUMNI OF HARVARD COLLEGE

THE PARTING SONG

FOR THE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL SANITARY ASSOCIATION

FOR THE BURNS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

AT A MEETING OF FRIENDS

BOSTON COMMON; THREE PICTURES

NOVEMBER 14, 1859

THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

INTERNATIONAL ODE

BROTHER JONATHAN'S LAMENT FOR SISTER CAROLINE

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POEMS OF THE CLASS OF '29

A SONG OF “TWENTY-NINE”

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

THE OLD MAN DREAMS

REMEMBER—FORGET

OUR INDIAN SUMMER

A VOICE OF THE LOYAL NORTH

VOYAGE OF THE GOOD SHIP UNION

“CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE”

THE LAST CHARGE

OUR OLDEST FRIEND

SHERMAN 'S IN SAVANNAH

THE OLD CRUISER

ADDED FOR THE ALUMNI MEETING, JUNE 29, 1869.

HYMN FOR THE CLASS-MEETING

THE SMILING LISTENER

OUR SWEET SINGER

H. C. M. H. S. J. K. W.

WHAT I HAVE COME FOR

FOR CLASS MEETING

“AD AMICOS”

HOW NOT TO SETTLE IT

THE LAST SURVIVOR

THE ARCHBISHOP AND GIL BLAS

BENJAMIN PEIRCE

IN THE TWILIGHT

A LOVING-CUP SONG

THE GIRDLE OF FRIENDSHIP

THE LYRE OF ANACREON

THE BROKEN CIRCLE

THE ANGEL-THIEF

AFTER THE CURFEW

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POEMS FROM THE AUTOCRAT OF THE BREAKFAST-TABLE

THE CHAMBERED NAUTILUS

A PARTING HEALTH

WHAT WE ALL THINK

SPRING HAS COME

LATTER-DAY WARNINGS

A GOOD TIME GOING!

THE LAST BLOSSOM

THE DEACON'S MASTERPIECE

PARSON TURELL'S LEGACY

ODE FOR A SOCIAL MEETING

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POEMS FROM THE PROFESSOR AT THE BREAKFAST-TABLE

UNDER THE VIOLETS

THE CROOKED FOOTPATH

ROBINSON OF LEYDEN

ST. ANTHONY THE REFORMER

THE OPENING OF THE PIANO

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POEMS FROM THE POET AT THE BREAKFAST-TABLE

HOMESICK IN HEAVEN

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WIND-CLOUDS AND STAR-DRIFTS

1.

2.

3.

4.

IV MASTER AND SCHOLAR

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

EPILOGUE TO THE BREAKFAST-TABLE SERIES

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SONGS OF MANY SEASONS

OPENING THE WINDOW

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IN THE QUIET DAYS

AN OLD-YEAR SONG

THE ORGAN-BLOWER

AT THE PANTOMIME

A BALLAD OF THE BOSTON TEA-PARTY

NEARING THE SNOW-LINE

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“THUS SAITH THE LORD, I OFFER THEE THREE THINGS”

GOD SAVE THE FLAG!

UNDER THE WASHINGTON ELM, CAMBRIDGE

FREEDOM, OUR QUEEN

THE FLOWER OF LIBERTY

THE SWEET LITTLE MAN

UNION AND LIBERTY

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SONGS OF WELCOME AND FAREWELL

AMERICA TO RUSSIA

WELCOME TO THE GRAND DUKE ALEXIS

AT THE BANQUET TO THE GRAND DUKE ALEXIS

AT THE BANQUET TO THE CHINESE EMBASSY

AT THE BANQUET TO THE JAPANESE EMBASSY

BRYANT'S SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY

A FAREWELL TO AGASSIZ

AT A DINNER TO ADMIRAL FARRAGUT

AT A DINNER TO GENERAL GRANT

TO H. W. LONGFELLOW

TO CHRISTIAN GOTTFRIED EHRENBERG

A TOAST TO WILKIE COLLINS

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MEMORIAL VERSES

FOR THE SERVICES IN MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

FOR THE COMMEMORATION SERVICES

“OUR FIRST CITIZEN”

TERCENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

IN MEMORY OF JOHN AND ROBERT WARE

HUMBOLDT'S BIRTHDAY

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RHYMES OF AN HOUR

NOVEMBER 10, 1864

CHANSON WITHOUT MUSIC

FOR THE CENTENNIAL DINNER

A POEM SERVED TO ORDER

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

NO TIME LIKE THE OLD TIME

A HYMN OF PEACE

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BUNKER-HILL BATTLE AND OTHER POEMS

GRANDMOTHER'S STORY OF BUNKER-HILL BATTLE

AT THE “ATLANTIC” DINNER

A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE

JOSEPH WARREN, M. D.

WELCOME TO THE NATIONS

A FAMILIAR LETTER

HOW THE OLD HORSE WON THE BET

AN APPEAL FOR “THE OLD SOUTH”

TO RUTHERFORD BIRCHARD HAYES

THE SHIP OF STATE

A FAMILY RECORD

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THE IRON GATE AND OTHER POEMS

VESTIGIA QUINQUE RETRORSUM

ON THE THRESHOLD

TO GEORGE PEABODY

AT THE PAPYRUS CLUB

FOR WHITTIER'S SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY

TWO SONNETS: HARVARD

FOR THE MOORE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

TO JAMES FREEMAN CLARKE

WELCOME TO THE CHICAGO COMMERCIAL CLUB

AMERICAN ACADEMY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

THE SILENT MELODY

OUR HOME—OUR COUNTRY

RHYMES OF A LIFE-TIME

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BEFORE THE CURFEW

AT THE SATURDAY CLUB

OUR DEAD SINGER

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TWO POEMS TO HARRIET BEECHER STOWE

1.

I. AT THE SUMMIT

2.

II. THE WORLD'S HOMAGE

A WELCOME TO DR. BENJAMIN APTHORP GOULD

TO FREDERICK HENRY HEDGE

TO JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

TO JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER

PRELUDE TO A VOLUME PRINTED IN RAISED LETTERS FOR THE BLIND

BOSTON TO FLORENCE

AT THE UNITARIAN FESTIVAL

HYMN—THE WORD OF PROMISE

ON THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD

THE GOLDEN FLOWER

HAIL, COLUMBIA!

ADDITIONAL VERSES

TO THE POETS WHO ONLY READ AND LISTEN

FOR THE DEDICATION OF THE NEW CITY LIBRARY, BOSTON

TO JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

FOR THE WINDOW IN ST. MARGARET'S

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

IN MEMORY OF JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER

TO THE TEACHERS OF AMERICA

FRANCIS PARKMAN

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POEMS FROM OVER THE TEACUPS

TO THE ELEVEN LADIES

THE PEAU DE CHAGRIN OF STATE STREET

CACOETHES SCRIBENDI

THE ROSE AND THE FERN

I LIKE YOU AND I LOVE YOU

TOO YOUNG FOR LOVE

THE BROOMSTICK TRAIN; OR, THE RETURN OF THE WITCHES

AT THE TURN OF THE ROAD

INVITÂ MINERVÂ

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READINGS OVER THE TEACUPS

TO MY OLD READERS

THE BANKER'S SECRET

THE EXILE'S SECRET

THE LOVER'S SECRET

THE STATESMAN'S SECRET

THE MOTHER'S SECRET

THE SECRET OF THE STARS

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1.

I. VERSES FROM THE OLDEST PORTFOLIO

THE MEETING OF THE DRYADS

THE MYSTERIOUS VISITOR

THE SPECTRE PIG

TO A CAGED LION

THE STAR AND THE WATER-LILY

ILLUSTRATION OF A PICTURE

A ROMAN AQUEDUCT

FROM A BACHELOR'S PRIVATE JOURNAL

OUR YANKEE GIRLS

LINES BY A CLERK

THE PHILOSOPHER TO HIS LOVE

TO A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER

TO THE PORTRAIT OF “A GENTLEMAN”

THE BALLAD OF THE OYSTERMAN

A NOONTIDE LYRIC

AN EVENING THOUGHT

“THE WASP” AND “THE HORNET”

“QUI VIVE?”

THE DYING SENECA

THE LAST PROPHECY OF CASSANDRA

TO MY COMPANIONS

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2.

ASTRÆA: THE BALANCE OF ILLUSIONS

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TOO YOUNG FOR LOVE

Too young for love?
Ah, say not so!
Tell reddening rosebuds not to blow!
Wait not for spring to pass away,—
Love's summer months begin with May!
Too young for love?
Ah, say not so!
Too young? Too young?
Ah, no! no! no!

Too young for love?
Ah, say not so,
While daisies bloom and tulips glow!
June soon will come with lengthened day
To practise all love learned in May.
Too young for love?
Ah, say not so!
Too young? Too young?
Ah, no! no! no!