FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   >>   >|  
w sea horizon of the east, and on the other the sunset reddening the track of the winding river, has made it the theme and scene of her prose and verse." [Illustration: HAVERHILL ACADEMY] The visitor who approaches Whittier-Land by the way of Haverhill will find in that city many places of interest in connection with the poet's early life, and referred to in his poems. The Academy for which he wrote the ode sung at its dedication in 1827, when he was a lad of nineteen, and before he had other than district school training, is now the manual training school of the city, and may be found, little changed except by accretion, on Winter Street, near the city hall. As this ode does not appear in any of his collected works, and is certainly creditable as a juvenile production, it is given here. It was sung to the air of "Pillar of Glory:"-- Hail, Star of Science! Come forth in thy splendor, Illumine these walls--let them evermore be A shrine where thy votaries offerings may tender, Hallowed by genius, and sacred to thee. Warmed by thy genial glow, Here let thy laurels grow Greenly for those who rejoice at thy name. Here let thy spirit rest, Thrilling the ardent breast, Rousing the soul with thy promise of fame. Companion of Freedom! The light of her story, Wherever her voice at thine altar is known There shall no cloud of oppression come o'er thee, No envious tyrant thy splendor disown. Sons of the proud and free Joyous shall cherish thee, Long as their banners in triumph shall wave; And from its peerless height Ne'er shall thy orb of light Sink, but to set upon Liberty's grave. Smile then upon us; on hearts that have never Bowed down 'neath oppression's unhallowed control. Spirit of Science! O, crown our endeavor; Here shed thy beams on the night of the soul; Then shall thy sons entwine, Here for thy sacred shrine, Wreaths that shall flourish through ages to come, Bright in thy temple seen, Robed in immortal green, Fadeless memorials of genius shall bloom. Haverhill, although but three miles wide, is ten miles long, and includes many a fertile farm out of sight of city spires, and out of sound of city streets. As Whittier says in the poem "Haverhill:"-- "And far and wide it stretches still, Along its southward
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Haverhill

 

shrine

 

school

 

Science

 

splendor

 
training
 

sacred

 

Whittier

 

genius

 

oppression


banners
 

triumph

 

peerless

 

height

 

Wherever

 

promise

 

Companion

 
Freedom
 

Joyous

 

disown


tyrant

 

Liberty

 

envious

 

cherish

 

includes

 

memorials

 
immortal
 
Fadeless
 

fertile

 
stretches

southward

 

spires

 

streets

 
temple
 

Bright

 

unhallowed

 

control

 

Spirit

 
hearts
 

Wreaths


entwine

 

flourish

 

endeavor

 

Academy

 

dedication

 

referred

 
connection
 
manual
 

changed

 

district