THE POETICAL WORKS

OF

OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

[Volume 2 of the 1893 three volume set]

SONGS OF MANY SEASONS

1862-1874

OPENING THE WINDOW PROGRAMME

IN THE QUIET DAYS AN OLD-YEAR SONG DOROTHY Q: A FAMILY PORTRAIT THE ORGAN-BLOWER AT THE PANTOMIME AFTER THE FIRE A BALLAD OF THE BOSTON TEA-PARTY NEARING THE SNOW-LINE

IN WAR TIME TO CANAAN: A PURITAN WAR-SONG "THUS SAITH THE LORD, I OFFER THEE THREE THINGS" NEVER OR NOW ONE COUNTRY GOD SAVE THE FLAG! HYMN AFTER THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION HYMN FOR THE FAIR AT CHICAGO UNDER THE WASHINGTON ELM, CAMBRIDGE FREEDOM, OUR QUEEN ARMY HYMN PARTING HYMN THE FLOWER OF LIBERTY THE SWEET LITTLE MAN UNION AND LIBERTY

     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

MEMORIAL VERSES FOR THE SERVICES IN MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BOSTON, 1865 FOR THE COMMEMORATION SERVICES, CAMBRIDGE JULY 21, 1865 EDWARD EVERETT: JANUARY 30, 1865 SHAKESPEARE TERCENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, APRIL 23, 1864 IN MEMORY OF JOHN AND ROBERT WARE, MAY 25, 1864 HUMBOLDT'S BIRTHDAY: CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, SEPTEMBER 14, 1869 POEM AT THE DEDICATION OF THE HALLECK MONUMENT, JULY 8, 1869 HYMN FOR THE CELEBRATION AT THE LAYING OF THE CORNER-STONE OF HARVARD MEMORIAL HALL, CAMBRIDGE, OCTOBER 6, 1870 HYMN FOR THE DEDICATION OF MEMORIAL HALL AT CAMBRIDGE, 1874 HYMN AT THE FUNERAL SERVICES OF CHARLES SUMNER, APRIL 29, 1874

     RHYMES OF AN HOUR
          ADDRESS FOR THE OPENING OF THE FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE, N. Y. 1873
          A SEA DIALOGUE
          CHANSON WITHOUT MUSIC
          FOR THE CENTENNIAL DINNER, PROPRIETORS OF BOSTON PIER, 1873
          A POEM SERVED TO ORDER
          THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
          No TIME LIKE THE OLD TIME
          A HYMN OF PEACE, TO THE MUSIC OF KELLER'S "AMERICAN HYMN"

OPENING THE WINDOW

THUS I lift the sash, so long
Shut against the flight of song;
All too late for vain excuse,—
Lo, my captive rhymes are loose.

Rhymes that, flitting through my brain,
Beat against my window-pane,
Some with gayly colored wings,
Some, alas! with venomed stings.

Shall they bask in sunny rays?
Shall they feed on sugared praise?
Shall they stick with tangled feet
On the critic's poisoned sheet?

Are the outside winds too rough?
Is the world not wide enough?
Go, my winged v

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