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A Roadside Harp: A Book of Verses

by Louise Imogen Guiney (1861–1920)

  • Free to read
  • 40 min read
  • 22 chapters
  • Reading level: 8th & 9th grade

"A Roadside Harp: A Book of Verses" by Louise Imogen Guiney is a collection of poetry published in the 1890s during the late 19th century. This book presents a variety of verses, exploring themes of nature, memory, love, and the human experience through Guiney's poignant and lyrical language. The collection encapsulates the sensibilities of the era, reflecting a deep appreciation for beauty and a yearning for connection with both the past and the unseen. In "A Roadside Harp," Guiney offers readers a tapestry of emotions and experiences woven through rich imagery and flowing verse. The collection features diverse poems, such as "Peter Rugg the Bostonian," which tells a timeless tale of a father's lost journey home, and "Two Irish Peasant Songs," which captures the simplicity and struggles of rural life. Each poem embodies a unique voice, whether reflecting on personal loss, the quiet beauty of nature, or the philosophical contemplation of existence. Through her work, Guiney invites readers to introspectively engage with life's ephemeral moments and the enduring power of art.

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  • American poetry · 19th century

Read the opening

Chapter I

THE mare is pawing by the oak,
The chaise is cool and wide
For Peter Rugg the Bostonian
With his little son beside;
The women loiter at the wheels
In the pleasant summer-tide.

“And when wilt thou be home, Father?”
“And when, good husband, say:
The cloud hangs heavy on the house
What time thou art away.”
He answers straight, he answers short,
“At noon of the seventh day.”

“Fail not to come, if God so will,
And the weather be kind and clear.”
“Farewell, farewell! But who am I
A blockhead rain to fear?
God willing or God unwilling,
I have said it, I will be here.”

He gathers up the sunburnt boy
And from the gate is sped;
He shakes the spark from the stones below,
The bloom from overhead,
Till the last roofs of his own town
Pass in the morning-red.

Upon a homely mission
North unto York he goes,
Through the long highway broidered thick
With elder-blow and rose;
And sleeps in sound of breakers
At every twilight’s close.

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Contents

  1. Front Matter
  2. Chapter I
  3. Chapter II
  4. Chapter III
  5. Chapter IV
  6. Chapter V
  7. Chapter I
  8. Chapter II
  9. Chapter III
  10. Chapter I
  11. Chapter II
  12. Chapter I
  13. Chapter II
  14. Chapter I
  15. Chapter II
  16. Chapter I
  17. Chapter IV
  18. Chapter V
  19. Chapter VII
  20. Chapter XI
  21. Chapter XII
  22. Chapter XIII

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About this edition

This free edition of A Roadside Harp: A Book of Verses by Louise Imogen Guiney comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #54822, released 2017-06-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Poetry, American Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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