THE BALLAD OF THE OYSTERMAN 1 OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894) was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the same year as Abraham Lincoln. He belonged to the group of writers known as the New England Group, which included Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Longfellow, Whittier, and Lowell. He wrote novels, essays, and poems, all of which show a delightful vein of humor. In his poetry the humor is particularly rollicking, as is plainly shown in the selection given below. See also: Halleck's History of American Literature, pp. 258-265, 284. It was a tall young oysterman lived by the riverside, It was the pensive oysterman that saw a lovely maid, He saw her wave a handkerchief, as much as if to say, Then up rose the oysterman, and to himself said he, "I guess I'll leave the skiff at home, for fear that folks should see; I read it in the story book, that, for to kiss his dear, and I will swim this here." 1 This poem is used by permission of, and by arrangement with, Houghton Mifflin Company, authorized publishers of Holmes's works. 2 Leander loved Hero, and visited her every night by swimming across the Hellespont. He was drowned in a storm, and Hero, in her grief, flung herself into the water. And he has leaped into the waves, and crossed the shining stream, And he has clambered up the bank, all in the moonlight gleam; Oh, there are kisses sweet as dew, and words as soft as rain But they have heard her father's steps, and in he leaps again! Out spoke the ancient fisherman: "Oh, what was that, my daughter?" ""Twas nothing but a pebble, sir, I threw into the water." "And what is that, pray tell me, love, that paddles off so fast?" "It's nothing but a porpoise, sir, that's been a-swimming past." Out spoke the ancient fisherman: "Now bring me my harpoon ! I'll get into my fishing boat, and fix the fellow soon." Down fell the pretty innocent, as falls a snow-white lamb; Her hair drooped round her pallid cheeks, like seaweed on a clam. Alas for those two loving ones! she waked not from her swound, And he was taken with the cramp, and in the waves was drowned; But Fate has metamorphosed1 them, in pity of their woe, And now they keep an oyster shop for mermaids down below. SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL READINGS The Deacon's Masterpiece. Oliver Wendell Holmes. The Courtin'. James Russell Lowell. For the teacher to read to the class: The Chambered Nautilus and The Boys, by Holmes. 1 Changed. THREE SEA PICTURES AND A MORAL SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) was born in Devonshire, England. He was a daydreamer from early childhood. For many years Coleridge lived in the Lake Country and he is known as one of the Lake Poets. The Ancient Mariner, from which these selections are taken, was composed while the poet was on a walking tour with his friends, Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. It is his poetical masterpiece. See also: Halleck's New English Literature, pp. 398–406. Herford's The Age of Wordsworth (Coleridge). Traill's Coleridge. Caine's Life of Coleridge. I The Antarctic Ocean and the Albatross AND now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wondrous cold: And ice, mast-high, came floating by, And through the drifts the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen: Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken The ice was all between. The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around: It cracked and growled, and roared and howled, And a good south wind sprung up behind; And every day, for food or play, Came to the mariner's hollo! In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, It perched for vespers nine; While all the night, through fog-smoke white, Glimmered the white moonshine. Why look'st thou so?". "With my crossbow I shot the Albatross." |