Chapter I: Front Matter

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THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS OF JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

Cabinet Edition

BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY THE RIVERSIDE PRESS, CAMBRIDGE

M DCCCC II

PUBLISHERS' NOTE

Mr. Lowell, the year before he died, edited a definitive edition of his works, known as the Riverside edition. Subsequently, his literary executor, Mr. C.E. Norton, issued a final posthumous collection, and the Cambridge edition followed, including all the poems in the Riverside edition, and the poems edited by Mr. Norton. The present Cabinet edition contains all the poems in the Cambridge edition. It is made from new plates, and for the convenience of the student the longer poems have their lines numbered, and indexes of titles and first lines are added.

_Autumn, 1899_.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EARLIER POEMS.

THRENODIA THE SIRENS IRENÉ SERENADE WITH A PRESSED FLOWER THE BEGGAR MY LOVE SUMMER STORM LOVE TO PERDITA, SINGING THE MOON REMEMBERED MUSIC SONG. TO M.L. ALLEGRA THE FOUNTAIN ODE THE FATHERLAND THE FORLORN MIDNIGHT A PRAYER THE HERITAGE THE ROSE: A BALLAD SONG, 'VIOLET! SWEET VIOLET!' ROSALINE A REQUIEM A PARABLE SONG, 'O MOONLIGHT DEEP AND TENDER'

SONNETS.
I. TO A.C.L.
II. 'WHAT WERE I, LOVE, IF I WERE STRIPPED OF THEE?'
III. 'I WOULD NOT HAVE THIS PERFECT LOVE OF OURS'
IV. 'FOR THIS TRUE NOBLENESS I SEEK IN VAIN'
V. TO THE SPIRIT OF KEATS
VI. 'GREAT TRUTHS ARE PORTIONS OF THE SOUL OF MAN'
VII. 'I ASK NOT FOR THOSE THOUGHTS, THAT SUDDEN LEAP'
VIII. TO M.W., ON HER BIRTHDAY
IX. 'MY LOVE, I HAVE NO FEAR THAT THOU SHOULDST DIE'
X. 'I CANNOT THINK THAT THOU SHOULDST PASS AWAY'
XI. 'THERE NEVER YET WAS FLOWER FAIR IN VAIN'
XII. SUB PONDERE CRESCIT
XIII. 'BELOVED, IN THE NOISY CITY HERE'
XIV. ON READING WORDSWORTH'S SONNETS IN DEFENCE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
XV. THE SAME CONTINUED.
XVI. THE SAME CONTINUED.
XVII. THE SAME CONTINUED.
XVIII. THE SAME CONTINUED.
XIX. THE SAME CONCLUDED.
XX. TO M.O.S.
XXI. 'OUR LOVE IS NOT A FADING, EARTHLY FLOWER'
XXII. IN ABSENCE
XXIII. WENDELL PHILLIPS
XXIV. THE STREET
XXV. 'I GRIEVE NOT THAT RIPE KNOWLEDGE TAKES AWAY'
XXVI. TO J.R. GIDDINGS
XXVII. 'I THOUGHT OUR LOVE AT FULL, BUT I DID ERR'
L'ENVOI

MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.

A LEGEND OF BRITTANY
PROMETHEUS
THE SHEPHERD OF KING ADMETUS
THE TOKEN
AN INCIDENT IN A RAILROAD CAR
RHOECUS
THE FALCON
TRIAL
A GLANCE BEHIMD THE CURTAIN
A CHIPPEWA LEGEND
STANZAS ON FREEDOM
COLUMBUS
AN INCIDENT OF THE FIRE AT HAMBURG
THE SOWER
HUNGER AND COLD
THE LANDLORD
TO A PINE-TREE
SI DESCENDERO IN INFERNUM, ADES
TO THE PAST
TO THE FUTURE
HEBE
THE SEARCH
THE PRESENT CRISIS
AN INDIAN-SUMMER REVERIE
THE GROWTH OF THE LEGEND
A CONTRAST
EXTREME UNCTION
THE OAK
AMBROSE
ABOVE AND BELOW
THE CAPTIVE
THE BIRCH-TREE
AN INTERVIEW WITH MILES STANDISH
ON THE CAPTURE OF FUGITIVE SLAVES NEAR WASHINGTON
TO THE DANDELION
THE GHOST-SEER
STUDIES FOR TWO HEADS
ON A PORTRAIT OF DANTE BY GIOTTO
ON THE DEATH OF A FRIEND'S CHILD
EURYDICE
SHE CAME AND WENT
THE CHANGELING
THE PIONEER
LONGING
ODE TO FRANCE. February, 1848
ANTI-APIS
A PARABLE
ODE WRITTEN FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COCHITUATE
WATER INTO THE CITY OF BOSTON
LINES SUGGESTED BY THE GRAVES OF TWO ENGLISH SOLDIERS ON CONCORD
BATTLE-GROUND
TO----
FREEDOM
BIBLIOLATRES
BEAVER BROOK

MEMORIAL VERSES.

KOSSUTH
TO LAMARTINE. 1848
TO JOHN GORHAM PALFREY
TO W.L. GARRISON
ON THE DEATH OF CHARLES TURNER TORREY
ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF DR. CHANNING
TO THE MEMORY OF HOOD

THE VISION OF SIR LAUNFAL LETTER FROM BOSTON. December, 1846 A FABLE FOR CRITICS THE UNHAPPY LOT OF MR. KNOTT FRAGMENTS OF AN UNFINISHED POEM AN ORIENTAL APOLOGUE THE BIGLOW PAPERS.

FIRST SERIES.

NOTICES OF AN INDEPENDENT PRESS
NOTE TO TITLE-PAGE
INTRODUCTION
NO. I. A LETTER FROM MR. EZEKIEL BIGLOW OF JAALAM TO THE HON.
JOSEPH T. BUCKINGHAM
NO. II. A LETTER FROM MR. HOSEA BIGLOW TO THE HON. J.T.
BUCKINGHAM
NO. III. WHAT MR. ROBINSON THINKS
NO. IV. REMARKS OF INCREASE D. O'PHACE, ESQ.
NO. V. THE DEBATE IN THE SENNIT
NO. VI. THE PIOUS EDITOR'S CREED
NO. VII. A LETTER FROM A CANDIDATE IN THE PRESIDENCY IN ANSWER
TO SUTTIN QUESTIONS PROPOSED BY Mr. HOSEA BIGLOW
NO. VIII. A SECOND LETTER FROM B. SAWIN, ESQ.
NO. IX. A THIRD LETTER FROM B. SAWIN, ESQ.

SECOND SERIES.

THE COURTIN'
NO. I. BIRDOFREDUM SAWIN ESQ., TO MR. HOSEA BIGLOW
NO. II. MASON AND SLIDELL: A YANKEE IDYLL
JONATHAN TO JOHN
NO. III. BIRDOFREDUM SAWIN, ESQ., TO MR. HOSEA BIGLOW
NO. IV. A MESSAGE OF JEFF DAVIS IN SECRET SESSION
NO. V. SPEECH OF HONOURABLE PRESERVED DOE IN SECRET CAUCUS
NO. VI. SUNTHIN' IN THE PASTORAL LINE
NO. VII. LATEST VIEWS OF MR. BIGLOW
NO. VIII. KETTELOPOTOMACHIA
NO. IX. SOME MEMORIALS OF THE LATE REVEREND H. WILBUR
NO. X. MR. HOSEA BIGLOW TO THE EDITOR OF THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY
NO. XI. MR. HOSEA BIGLOW'S SPEECH IN MARCH MEETING

UNDER THE WILLOWS AND OTHER POEMS.

TO CHARLES ELIOT NORTON
UNDER THE WILLOWS
DARA
THE FIRST SNOW-FALL
THE SINGING LEAVES
SEAWEED
THE FINDING OF THE LYRE
NEW-YEAR'S EVE, 1850
FOR AN AUTOGRAPH
AL FRESCO
MASACCIO
WITHOUT AND WITHIN
GODMINSTER CHIMES
THE PARTING OF THE WAYS
ALADDIN
AN INVITATION. TO JOHN FRANCIS HEATH
THE NOMADES
SELF-STUDY
PICTURES FROM APPLEDORE
THE WIND-HARP
AUF WIEDERSEHEN
PALINODE
AFTER THE BURIAL
THE DEAD HOUSE
A MOOD
THE VOYAGE TO VINLAND
MAHMOOD THE IMAGE-BREAKER
INVITA MINERVA
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
YUSSOUF
THE DARKENED MIND
WHAT RABBI JEHOSHA SAID
ALL-SAINTS
A WINTER-EVENING HYMN TO MY FIRE
FANCY'S CASUISTRY
TO MR. JOHN BARTLETT
ODE TO HAPPINESS
VILLA FRANCA. 1859
THE MINER
GOLD EGG: A DREAM-FANTASY
A FAMILIAR EPISTLE TO A FRIEND
AN EMBER PICTURE
TO H.W.L.
THE NIGHTINGALE IN THE STUDY
IN THE TWILIGHT
THE FOOT-PATH

POEMS OF THE WAR.

THE WASHERS OF THE SHROUD
TWO SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF BLONDEL
MEMORIAE POSITUM
ON BOARD THE '76
ODE RECITED AT THE HARVARD COMMEMORATION
L'ENVOI: TO THE MUSE
THE CATHEDRAL
THREE MEMORIAL POEMS.
ONE READ AT THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIGHT AT
CONCORD BRIDGE
UNDER THE OLD ELM
AN ODE FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1876

HEARTSEASE AND RUE.

I. FRIENDSHIP.

AGASSIZ
TO HOLMES, ON HIS SEVENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY
IN A COPY OF OMAR KHAYYÁM
ON RECEIVING A COPY OF MR. AUSTIN DOBSON'S 'OLD WORLD IDYLLS'
TO C.F. BRADFORD
BANKSIDE
JOSEPH WINLOCK
SONNET, TO FANNY ALEXANDER
JEFFRIES WYMAN
TO A FRIEND
WITH AN ARMCHAIR
E.G. DE R.
BON VOYAGE
TO WHITTIER, ON HIS SEVENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY
ON AN AUTUMN SKETCH OF H.G. WILD
TO MISS D.T.
WITH A COPY OF AUCASSIN AND NICOLETTE
ON PLANTING A TREE AT INVERARAY
AN EPISTLE TO GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS

II. SENTIMENT.

ENDYMION
THE BLACK PREACHER
ARCADIA REDIVIVA
THE NEST
A YOUTHFUL EXPERIMENT IN ENGLISH HEXAMETERS
BIRTHDAY VERSES
ESTRANGEMENT
PHŒBE
DAS EWIG-WEIBLICHE
THE RECALL
ABSENCE
MONNA LISA
THE OPTIMIST
ON BURNING SOME OLD LETTERS
THE PROTEST
THE PETITION
FACT OR FANCY?
AGRO-DOLCE
THE BROKEN TRYST
CASA SIN ALMA
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
MY PORTRAIT GALLERY
PAOLO TO FRANCESCA
SONNET, SCOTTISH BORDER
SONNET, ON BEING ASKED FOR AN AUTOGRAPH IN VENICE
THE DANCING BEAR
THE MAPLE
NIGHTWATCHES
DEATH OF QUEEN MERCEDES
PRISON OF CERVANTES
TO A LADY PLAYING ON THE CITHERN
THE EYE'S TREASURY
PESSIMOPTIMISM
THE BRAKES
A FOREBODING

III. FANCY

UNDER THE OCTOBER MAPLES
LOVE'S CLOCK
ELEANOR MAKES MACAROONS
TELEPATHY
SCHERZO
'FRANCISCUS DE VERULAMIO SIC COGITAVIT'
AUSPEX
THE PREGNANT COMMENT
THE LESSON
SCIENCE AND POETRY
A NEW YEAR'S GREETING
THE DISCOVERY
WITH A SEASHELL
THE SECRET

IV. HUMOR AND SATIRE.

FITZ ADAM'S STORY
THE ORIGIN OF DIDACTIC POETRY
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
CREDIDIMUS JOVEM REGNARE
TEMPORA MUTANTUR
IN THE HALF-WAY HOUSE
AT THE BURNS CENTENNIAL
IN AN ALBUM
AT THE COMMENCEMENT DINNER, 1866
A PARABLE

V. EPIGRAMS.

SAYINGS
INSCRIPTIONS
A MISCONCEPTION
THE BOSS
SUN-WORSHIP
CHANGED PERSPECTIVE
WITH A PAIR OF GLOVES LOST IN A WAGER
SIXTY-EIGHTH BIRTHDAY
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT

LAST POEMS.

HOW I CONSULTED THE ORACLE OF THE GOLDFISHES
TURNER'S OLD TÉMÉRAIRE
ST. MICHAEL THE WEIGHER
A VALENTINE
AN APRIL BIRTHDAY--AT SEA
LOVE AND THOUGHT
THE NOBLER LOVER
ON HEARING A SONATA OF BEETHOVEN'S PLAYED IN THE NEXT ROOM
VERSES, INTENDED TO GO WITH A POSSET DISH
ON A BUST OF GENERAL GRANT