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Poetry Collection
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Folder

"A New Song for America's Soldery", n.d., 2 p.
"The True Lover's Song", n.d., 1 p.
"An Other Song", n.d., 1 p.
--all three are typewritten and stapled together

"A Satyr on [illegible], n.d., 2 p.

"A Song for the Drunkards", n.d., 2 p., "By Dr. Watts"

"A Temperance Song", 1848 May 10, 1 p., "by Miss J. E. Smith", "(sung by John B. Gough at his first lecture)", gift of Donald Weinhardt, 1999

"An Ode to death by Michael West of hopkinton ... Wrote Just before his death", n.d., 2 p., purchased from Gately Bros., 2005

"Did Joshua solemnly record ...", n.d., 1 p.

"Foolish and vain it is for those ...", n.d., 1 p.

"Here every page some flattery shews ...", n.d. [1840-1850?], 1 p.

"I'm going on to illinois ...", n.d. [ca. 1852?], 2 p., anti-temperance ditty sung to the tune of "Oh, Susannah", signed by Hetty Snowden, Harriet Wickham, Samuel Wickham, Rachel Ramsey, and Samuel Ramsey, purchased from R&A Petrilla, 2006

"In Defense of Masonry", 1750/1 January 1, 2 p., "To Mr. Clio, at North-Hampton", Northhampton
"Mr. Vini Doctor", 1750/1 January 21, 1 p.
--both are photocopies - originals in Misc. mss. under "Freemasons"

"Indian Hymn", n.d., 1 p.

"Lementation [sic] on the death of Betsey Caroline Emery Æ 14 months", 1810 February 9, 1 p., "composed by Sophia C. Tenny Æ 12 years Newbury..."

"Let Kossuth still, far from his fatherland ...", n.d., 2 p.

"Lines on the death of C. L. Clark. 'Of such is the kingdom of Heaven.", [1858?], 2 p., "From a friend", addressed to: Mr. & Mrs. Charles Clark Hardwick, Mass., gift of John Woodbury, 1989

"Lines to a Fallen Woman", n.d., 3 p.

"Lord from thy throne of flowing grace ...", n.d., 1 p.

"May you my dear sister forever [illegible] ...", n.d., 1 p.

"Oh! carry me back to my loved Carolina shore ...", 1862 December 16, 2 p., The last request of a S. Carolina Volunteer, found on the person of a dead soldier, at Drainesville Va. Dec 20th 1861."

"On Sunday while the [illegible] was fresh ...", n.d., 1 p., removed from The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris ... (New Brunswick, N.J., [1809]), 2001

"On the Death of Mr. John Gale", n.d., 2 p., "composed by his twin sister"

"Our hero dead a doleful sound ...", n.d., 4 p.,

"Scriptum per Amandam (P.P.-)Tenyson ...", 1778 August, 1 p.

"Scripture wish", n.d., 2 p., "For Master Dyght"

"Servant of the Heavenly Master ...", n.d., 2 p.

"Since of our lives another year ...", n.d., 1 p., gift of Avis Gebert, 1997

"Some Love to Roam", n.d., 1 p.

"The Blessed Day", n.d., 3 p.

"The Exile of Erin", n.d., 2 p.

"The Happy Man, and True Gentleman", 1786 February 9, 1 p., Grafton, gift of Mrs. Joseph L. Keith, 1969, transferred from the Graphic Arts Dept., 2006

"The Orphan", 1852, 1 p., "Maria L Moore Newtown L Island ...", removed from Poems by Clement C. Moore (1844), 1976

"The Robust Youth", n.d., 1 p., includes music

"The Virgins Wish", n.d., 1 p., photocopy-original in Orderly Books Collection, #2-F

"They are going - only going ...", n.d., 1 p., found in Newspaper Dept. office, 1997

"To a Friend in Badstown", n.d., 4 p., "Extract of a letter from a gentleman resident of the west side of the Mississippi on the banks of the Missouri. Being a description of the country"

"Turn gentle hermit of the dale", n.d., 4 p.,

"Weep! Weep oh Boston! ...", n.d., 1 p., "some satirical verses on the death of Molincux , yr late hot headed Patriot in Boston"

Poetry copied in: The pouring out of the seven vials ... / John Cotton. London: Printed for R.S. and are to be sold at Henry Overon's shop in Popes-head Alley, 1642, n.d., 7 p., photostatic copies

Oversize Folder

"Embargo", n.d., 1 p.

"Farewell Hymn, on the Death of Miss Polly Gould", n.d., 1 p.

"The Joy of Grief", n.d., 1 p.

"Upon the Death of ... Mr. Urian Oakes ...", 1681?, 1 p., written by Daniel Gookin, Jr.

Octavo Volumes

Octavo Volume 1
Dates: 1778-1789
Author: Hannah Adams (1755-1831)
Contents: "On the Winter. Addressed to Mira"; "On the Spring"; "To Serena"; "On Solitude"; "On Society"; "On the Shipwreck in 1779. Addressed to Luncinda"; "A Rural Meditation. Addressed to Miranda"; "To Laura"; "Seraphic Love"; "The Difference between Love and Friendship"; "On the Marriage of"; "To Laurinda"; "To an Unfortunate Young Lady"; "To Cleora"; "On the Death of Mr. Heman Harris, who departed the life August 18th 1782. aged 32. Address'd to Miss H-----"; "On the Death of Mrs. Fisher"; "On the Resurrection"; "On Leaving Mr B-----'s Country Seat"; "On the Death of Mrs. Abigal Prentice"; "On the Death of Miss Betsy Adams. Who died June 25 1789"

Octavo Volume 2
Dates: n.d.
Author: Elizabeth Paine Trumbull
Contents: "To Winter"; "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick"; "To Miss Margaret Forbes with a box of cotton & needles"; "To Miss Emma Forbes with a pair of cuffs"; "To Caroline"; "An acrostical Epitaph on a favourite dog by my GrandFather Trumbull"; "A Letter to I Forbes at Canton"; "An Acrostic"; "An Invitation"; "The poetical part of a letter to Mrs. Perkins describing a visit from Mrs. Grout"; "Letter to Miss M. P."; "To Mrs. Branish a Letter"; "An Epistle to Mr. S. Paine"; "To Miss P. Perkins"; "Pray My Dear Brother what could hinder"
Notes: the volume was mistakenly attributed to Louisa Clap Trumbull; gift of Benjamin Tighe, 1959

Octavo Volume 3
Dates: 1847-1850
Author: unknown
Contents: "Days gone by"; "My Childhood's Tune" by Francis Brown; "A ballad by gretta"; "To Mary"; "To the unsatisfied"; "Funeral Hymn, sung July 22st 1847"; "The Hermit"; "Lady Washington"; "Mary's Dream"; "Death of Genl. Wolfe"; "Thoughts of a dying Hebrew"; "The Village" by C. W. Baird; "Bonaventura's Hymn"; "Will you love me when I am old?"; "O'er the Hill"; "No more"; "Judge not lest ye be judged"; "Hatty"; "The Convict to his Mother"; "Weep Not"; "Long of Death"; "My Times are in thy hand"; "The Child's search for Heaven"; "Fragment"; "There's a Charm"; "Farewell of the soul"; "My Little Cousins" by Winthrop M. Praed; "The Loved & Lost"; "Longings"; "To Sleep"; "Death and the Christian"; "Respite"; "Death Song"; "The Broken Household"; "Annie Clayville"; "Yesternight"; "The First Snowfall"; "The Little Boy That Died" by Dr. Chambers
Notes: the volume also contains many untitled poems

Octavo Volume 4
Dates: undated
Author: unknown
Notes: the volume contains untitled poems; some with illustrations; bequest of Michael Papantonio, 1978

Octavo Volume 5
Dates: 1805
Author: unknown
Contents: "Lines on the deceased Mrs. Lydia Mason, consort of the Rev. Thomas Mason, Northfield"; "An Occasional Address"; "Song"; "Spring"; "Summer"; "Autumn"; "The Miseries of Human Life"; "The Answer"; "An Acrostic"; "Acrostic"; "The Dove"; "Fancy"; "An Acrostic"; "Poetry"; "Contentment"; "The Indian Philosopher"; "Line On reading the Vagabond"; Notes: the volume may have been a penmanship book

Octavo Volume 6
Dates: undated
Author: unknown
Contents: "The Apple Girl"; "The Mariner's Dream"; "The Soldier's Dream"; "Judy O'Flannikin"; "The Wounded Hussar"; "Laura"; "The Garland of Love"; quot;Song"; quot;Celia"; "Glenowen"; "The Chimney Sweeper" Notes: gift of Mrs. A. B. Crawford, 1944

Octavo Volume 7
Dates: 1776-1837
Author: unknown
Contents: "Eternity"; "Sick Bed Devotions"; "Another"; "An Acrostick"; "A Song of Praise for Recovery"; "On My Own Estate"; "An Apropriating Sight of Christ"; "An Hymn"; "A Short Poem on the War Between Great Briton & America"
Notes: this volume also includes some untitled poems

About this collection

This collection consists of two folders (one oversize) and seven volumes of miscellaneous poetry, mostly anonymous and undated, on a variety of subjects including childhood, death, freemasonry, politics, religion, and temperance/anti-temperance. Many of the poems are untitled; a few have been published.

One of the miscellaneous poems in the oversize folder was written in 1681 by Daniel Gookin, Jr. (1650-1717/18) and titled "Upon the Death of the reverend ... Urian Oakes" (c. 1631-1681), president of Harvard College. There are also photostatic copies of two poems found in a copy of The Powring out of the Seven Vials ... (London, 1642) by John Cotton (1585-1642). The poetry is of a religious nature and may have been written by William Robie ( - ) in 1670. The collection contains a bound volume of a collection of poems of Elizabeth Paine Trumbull (1766-1832), the youngest daughter of Timothy Paine (1730-1793) and Sarah Chandler Paine (1726-1811), of Worcester, Mass. This collection was copied by her grandson, George Clap Trumbull (1818-1885), in 1834 and he writes at the beginning of the volume that the poems were composed by her when she was sixteen and were published in the Massachusetts Spy. Contrary to his statement, the contents of the poems indicated that they were written over a span of years--some must have been written before her marriage at age twenty and others appear to have been written shortly before her death. There are references in one poem to "Negroes in arms" that appears to be an allusion to Nat Turner. The same poem includes references to events in Belgium and Poland. One poem was written to her brother, Samuel Paine (1754-1807), and others mention members of the Perkins family. References in her poetry indicate that she was well-educated and interested in contemporary events. The poetry in this volume was at one time erroneously attributed to Louisa Clap Trumbull (1798-1885).

There is also a bound volume of a collection of poetry of Hannah Adams (1755-1831), who is considered to be the first professional female writer in America. The poems were written on a variety of subjects; some were addressed to particular people. Four of the poems were written specifically "On the death of ..." individuals: Heman Harris (1750-1782); Mrs. Fisher; Mrs. Abigal Prentice; and Betsey Adams (1753-1789), Hannah's sister. A number of the poems are dated and fall within the period 1778 to 1789.

The remaining volumes are unidentified and some are undated. One volume, however, begins with "Lines on the deceased Mrs Lydia Mason, consort of the Rev. Thomas Mason, Northfield." Lydia Kendall Mason (1777-1803) was the first wife of Rev. Thomas Mason (1769-1851), who graduated from Harvard in 1796 and was minister in Northfield, Mass., from 1799 to 1828. The volume also contains acrostics for Thomas Mason; James Kendall (1769-1859), brother of the above-mentioned Lydia; and Lucy Tuttle Fox (1776-1814).


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