Famous Poems from Bygone Days

By Dover Publications

Over 80 poems from the 19th and early 20th centuries, from Hugh Antoine d'Arcy's "The Face on the Barroom Floor" to Phila Henrietta Chase's "Nobody’s Child," rich in rhythm and rhyme, filled with feelings and stories about love and war, ships and the sea, farms and family, life and death, heaven and hell. Introduction. Brief biographies of each poet. Alphabetical indexes of titles and first lines.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Feb 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9780486148564

Book preview

girl."

MABEL DOW (NORTHAM) BRINE

(1816–1913)

I HAVE uncovered nothing about Mabel Brine beyond the fact that she was born in New York and the author of numerous books of short stories and verse, mostly for children. Somebody’s Mother, her one famous poem, first appeared in Harper’s Weekly (March 2, 1878), and later in Madge, the Violet Girl and Other Poems (New York, 1881). An illustrated twelve-page edition of the poem, titled Somebody’s Mother, was printed in Bavaria and distributed in America by Dutton in 1891.

I can’t help recalling the joke about the boy scout who came home with a black eye. When his mother asked what happened, he said he had tried to help an old lady across the street, but she didn’t want to go.

Somebody’s Mother

The woman was old and ragged and gray

And bent with the chill of the Winter’s day.

The street was wet with a recent snow

And the woman’s feet were aged and slow.

She stood at the crossing and waited long,

Alone, uncared for, amid the throng

Of human beings who passed her by

Nor heeded the glance of her anxious eye.

Down the street, with laughter and shout,

Glad in the freedom of school let out,

Came the boys like a flock of sheep,

Hailing the snow piled white and deep.

Past the woman so old and gray

Hastened the children on their way.

Nor offered a helping hand to her—

So meek, so timid, afraid to stir

Lest the carriage wheels or the horses’ feet

Should crowd her down in the slippery street.

At last came one of the merry troop,

The gayest laddie of all the group;

He paused beside her and whispered low,

I’ll help you cross, if you wish to go.

Her aged hand on his strong young arm

She placed, and so, without hurt or harm,

He guided the trembling feet along,

Proud that his own were firm and strong,

Then back again to his friends he went,

His young heart happy and well content.

"She’s somebody’s mother, boys, you know,

For all she’s aged and poor and slow.

"And I hope some fellow will lend a hand

To help my mother, you understand,

"If ever she’s poor and old and gray,

When her own dear boy is far away."

And somebody’s mother bowed low her head

In her home that night, and the prayer she said

Was "God be kind to the noble boy,

Who is somebody’s son, and pride and joy!"

THOMAS EDWARD BROWN

(1830–1897)

A PRIEST in the Church of England, Father Brown was born on the Isle of Man, and after studying at Oxford, taught at several boys’ schools in England. He turned out at least five books of verse, and his Collected Poems was published posthumously in 1900. Much of his poetry was written in Manx dialect.

Only one lyric became famous, My Garden. I can’t resist following it with a parody by James Albert Lindon (1914–1979), my favorite British writer of comic verse. It appeared in Yet More Curious & Comic Verse, selected by J. M. Cohen (Penguin, 1959) and is included here with the author’s permission.

My Garden

A garden is a lovesome thing, God wot!

Rose plot,

Fringed pool,

Ferned grot—

The veriest school

Of peace; and yet the fool

Contends that God is not—

Not God! in gardens! when the eve is cool?

Nay, but I have a sign:

’Tis very sure God walks in mine.

My Garden (by J. A.

Reviews for Famous Poems from Bygone Days

[waltzmn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I saw this book, I had to ask myself whether I would have bought it had it been by someone other than Martin Gardner? And would it be a better book if someone else had written it?Interesting questions both. This is, of course, not the first volume of annotations by Gardner; The Annotated Alice was and is a much-beloved example of Gardner's skills as a commentator. But that book was also a better fit for Gardner, the much-loved creator of Scientific American's Mathematical Recreations column. To annotate Lewis Carroll requires a knowledge of Charles Dodgson's mathematical gifts as well as of his approach to nonsense.No such special skills are required here; this is simply an anthology of once-well-known poems. So there is no need for the "Gardner touch." And, indeed, it is probably a weaker book than the Annotated Alice or the Annotated Hunting of the Snark. In the commentary, Gardner often admits to being, in effect, stumped. Probably almost all the information here could be found with a quick Google search.On the other hand, it's a solid collection of poems, with a useful organization and helpful notes. A brilliant book? No. But a helpful and enjoyable one.