| Higginson and Bigelow, comps. American Sonnets. 1891. | | | | To J. G. Whittier on His Eightieth Birthday | | By Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–1894) |
| | | FRIEND, whom thy fourscore winters leave more dear | |
| Than when life’s roseate summer on thy cheek | |
| Burned in the flush of manhood’s manliest year, | |
| Lonely, how lonely! is the snowy peak | |
| Thy feet have reached, and mine have climbed so near! | 5 |
| Close on thy footsteps mid the landscape drear | |
| I stretch my hand thine answering grasp to seek, | |
| Warm with the love no rippling rhymes can speak! | |
| Look backwards! From thy lofty height survey | |
| Thy years of toil, of peaceful victories won, | 10 |
| Of dreams made real, largest hopes outrun! | |
| Look forward! Brighter than earth’s morning ray | |
| Streams the pure light of Heaven’s unsetting sun, | |
| The all unclouded dawn of life’s immortal day! | | | | |
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