. Seven great American poets. rigate,(^l)l??<fitutioll, old and unseaworthy, was condemned bythe Navy Department to be destroyed. Holmes readof it in the newspapers, and immediately wrote theprotest, Olil Iro)tsidis. OLD IKOXSIDES Ay, tear her tatterid ensi<;ii dcjwn! Long has it waved on high,And many an eye has danced to see Tliiit banner in the sky ;Beneath it rung the battle shout, An<l burst tlie eannons roar; —The meteor of the ocean air Shall sw(!ep the clouds no more! Her (hck, once red witli liernes blood, AYhere knelt the vanquished foe,^Vhen winds were hurrying o<r t\\r
. Seven great American poets. rigate,(^l)l??<fitutioll, old and unseaworthy, was condemned bythe Navy Department to be destroyed. Holmes readof it in the newspapers, and immediately wrote theprotest, Olil Iro)tsidis. OLD IKOXSIDES Ay, tear her tatterid ensi<;ii dcjwn! Long has it waved on high,And many an eye has danced to see Tliiit banner in the sky ;Beneath it rung the battle shout, An<l burst tlie eannons roar; —The meteor of the ocean air Shall sw(!ep the clouds no more! Her (hck, once red witli liernes blood, AYhere knelt the vanquished foe,^Vhen winds were hurrying o<r t\\r flood, And \vaves were white below,No more shall feel the vii-tors tread, Or know the con(|uered knee ; —The harpies of tlie shore shall pluek The eagle of the sea! O better that her sliattored hulk Should sink beneath the wave ;Her thunders shook the mi<i;ht\ deep. And there should be her grave ;Nail to the mast her holy flag. Set every threadbare sail,And give her to the god of storms, The lighlning and the gale!. 260 OLIVER A\ENDBLL HOLMES The poem was published in TItr Boston Daily Adver-tiser, and from that was copied into almost every paperin the country, awakening national indignation againstan action done in the ordinary course of business. TheSecretary of the Navy, who was much surprised at theindignation, withdrew his order. The frigate wassaved, and a number of people of the United Statesheard for the first time of Oliver Wendell Holmes, alaw student at Cambridge, whu was one month pasthis majority. The next year, Holmes gave up law and began thestudy of medicine. In March, 1S31, he wrote, I iimst anntmiK-e to )c>u the startling position that I havebeen a medical stuilent for more tlian six months. I know Imiglit have made an indifferent lawyer,—I tliinii I may makea tolerable physician, — I do not like the one and I do like theother. And so you must know tha,t for the last several monthsI have been quietly occupj-ing- a room in Boston, attending medi-c
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectamerica, bookyear1901
