A Year's Life

by James Russell Lowell

A YEAR'S LIFE.

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.

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.

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?

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

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