Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
America: Vols. XXV–XXIX. 1876–79.

New England: Ossipee, the Lake, N. H.

Among the Hills

By John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892)

(Excerpt)

FOR weeks the clouds had raked the hills,

And vexed the vales with raining;

And all the woods were sad with mist,

And all the brooks complaining.

At last a sudden night-storm tore

The mountain veils asunder,

And swept the valleys clean before

The besom of the thunder.

Through Sandwich Notch the west-wind sang

Good-morrow to the cotter;

And once again Chocorua’s horn

Of shadow pierced the water.

Above his broad lake, Ossipee,

Once more the sunshine wearing,

Stooped, tracing on that silver shield

His grim armorial bearing.

Clear drawn against the hard blue sky,

The peaks had winter’s keenness;

And, close on autumn’s frost, the vales

Had more than Jane’s fresh greenness.

You should have seen that long hill-range

With gaps of brightness riven,—

How through each pass and hollow streamed

The purple lights of heaven;

Rivers of gold-mist flowing down

From far celestial fountains;

The great sun flaming through the rifts

Beyond the wall of mountains!