FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81  
82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   >>   >|  
Awkward form and homely face, Owing naught to outward grace; Yet, behind the rugged mien Were a mind and soul serene, And in deep-set eyes there shone Genius that was all his own. Humor quaint with pathos blent To his speech attraction lent; Telling phrase and homely quip Falling lightly from his lip. Eloquent of tongue, and clear, Logical, devoid of fear, Making plain whate'er was dense By the light of common sense. Tender as the bravest be, Pitiful in high degree, Wrathful only where offence Led to grievous consequence; Hating sham and empty show; Chivalrous to beaten foe; Ever patient in his ways; Cheerful in the darkest days; Not a demi-god or saint Such as fancy loves to paint, But a truly human man Built on the heroic plan. [Illustration: EMANCIPATION GROUP] Moses Kimball, a citizen of Boston, presented to the city a duplicate of the Freedman's Memorial Statue erected in Lincoln Park, Washington, D. C., after a design by Thomas Ball. The group, which stands in Park Square, represents the figure of a slave from whose limbs the broken fetters have fallen, kneeling in gratitude at the feet of Lincoln. The verses which follow were written for the unveiling of the statue, December 9, 1879. John Greenleaf Whittier, born December 17, 1807, in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He lived on a farm until he reached the age of eighteen, working a little at shoemaking and also writing poetry for the _Haverhill Gazette_. Later he became editor of a number of papers, and his poems in after life were full of patriotism and the love of human freedom, all of which attained a strong hold on the hearts of the people. He would have prevented war, if possible, with honor, but when war came he wrote in support of the Union cause, displaying no bitterness, and when the conflict was over he was most liberal and conciliatory. He was one of the most popular of poets. He died September 7, 1892. THE EMANCIP
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81  
82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

homely

 

Lincoln

 

Haverhill

 
December
 
unveiling
 

written

 

statue

 

Whittier

 
Massachusetts
 

Greenleaf


stands
 

Square

 

Thomas

 

Washington

 

design

 

represents

 

figure

 

kneeling

 
gratitude
 

verses


fallen

 

fetters

 

broken

 

follow

 

poetry

 

displaying

 

bitterness

 

support

 

conflict

 

September


EMANCIP

 

liberal

 
conciliatory
 

popular

 

prevented

 

Gazette

 

erected

 
editor
 
writing
 

eighteen


working

 
shoemaking
 

number

 

papers

 
strong
 
attained
 

hearts

 

people

 

freedom

 

patriotism