A Year's Life

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A YEAR'S LIFE.

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A

YEAR'S LIFE.

BY

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.

Ich habe gelebt und geliebet.

BOSTON:
C. C. LITTLE AND J. BROWN.

 

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M DCCC XLI.

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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1841, by
C. C. Little and J. Brown,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

CAMBRIDGE:
FOLSOM, WELLS, AND THURSTON,
PRINTERS TO THE UNIVERSITY.

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DEDICATION.

 

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The gentle Una I have loved,
The snowy maiden, pure and mild,
Since ever by her side I roved,
Through ventures strange, a wondering child,
In fantasy a Red Cross Knight,
Burning for her dear sake to fight.

If there be one who can, like her,
Make sunshine in life's shady places,
One in whose holy bosom stir
As many gentle household graces,—
And such I think there needs must be,—
Will she accept this book from me?

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CONTENTS.

 

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PAGE

Threnodia ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3

The Serenade ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

10

Song. "Lift up the curtains of thine eyes" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

15

The Departed ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

17

The Boblink ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

24

Song. "What reck I of the stars, when I" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

30

The Poet ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

32

Flowers ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

35

The Lover ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

43

To E. W. G. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

46

Isabel ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

51

Music ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

54

Song. "O! I must look on that sweet face" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

30

Ianthe ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

65

Love's Altar ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

76

My Love ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

79

With a Pressed Flower ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

84

Impartiality ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

87

Bellerophon ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

89

Something Natural ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

97

The Syrens ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

99

A Feeling ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

105

The Beggar ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

107

Serenade ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

110

Irenè ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

112

The Lost Child ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

118

The Church ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

120

The Unlovely ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

124

Love-Song ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

128

Song. "All things are sad" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

130

A Love-Dream ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

134

Fourth of July Ode ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

138

Sphinx ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

140

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Sonnets. I. Disappointment ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

145

Sonnets. I.II. "Great human nature" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

146

Sonnets. I.III. To a Friend ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

147

Sonnets. I.IV. Continued ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

148

Sonnets. I.V. "O child of Nature" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

149

Sonnets. I.VI. "For this true nobleness" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

150

Sonnets. I.VII. To — ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

151

Sonnets. I.VIII. Continued ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

152

Sonnets. I.IX. "Why should we ever weary" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

153

Sonnets. I.X. Green Mountains ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

154

Sonnets. I.XI. "My friend, adown Life's valley" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

155

Sonnets. I.XII. "Verse cannot say how beautiful" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

156

Sonnets. I.XIII. "The soul would fain" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

157

Sonnets. I.XIV. "I saw a gate" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

158

Sonnets. I.XV. "I would not have this perfect love" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

159

Sonnets. I.XVI. "To the dark, narrow house" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

160

Sonnets. I.XVII. "I fain would give to thee" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

161

Sonnets. I.XVIII. "Much had I mused" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

162

Sonnets. I.XIX. "Sayest thou, most beautiful" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

163

Sonnets. I.XX. "Poet! who sittest in thy pleasant room" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

164

Sonnets. I.XXI. "No more but so?" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

165

Sonnets. I.XXII. To a Voice heard in Mount Auburn ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

166

Sonnets. I.XXIII. On reading Spenser again ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

167

Sonnets. I.XXIV. "Light of mine eyes!" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

168

Sonnets. I.XXV. "Silent as one who treads" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

169

Sonnets. I.XXVI. "A gentleness that grows of steady faith" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

170

Sonnets. I.XXVII. "When the glad soul is full" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

171

Sonnets. I.XXVIII. To the Evening-star ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

172

Sonnets. I.XXIX. Reading ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

173

Sonnets. I.XXX. To —, after a Snow-storm ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

174

Sonnet on Names. I. Edith ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

175

Sonnets. I.II. Rose ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

176

Sonnets. I.III. Mary ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

177

Sonnets. I.IV. Caroline ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

178

Sonnets. I.V. Anne ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

179

"Goe, Little Booke!" ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

180

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.

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This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.