The Poet At the Breakfast Table

by Oliver Wendell Sr. Holmes

Overview

This 1872 instalment in Holmes's popular Breakfast Table series is a fluent, gossipy exchange among the poet of the title and his breakfast companions—with the lion's share of conversation belonging to the poet, who delivers his somewhat eccentric and fitfully amusing opinions of books, people, and habits of thought. Written fifteen years after the start of the series, The Poet takes a comparatively calm and nostalgic tone.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783962724139
Publisher:	Otbebookpublishing
Publication date:	08/15/2018
Series:	Classics To Go
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	265
File size:	827 KB

About the Author

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894) was a multifaceted American physician, poet, professor, and author, whose influence extended far beyond the confines of his own era. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Holmes was a contemporary of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and he was deeply embedded in the intellectual and literary circles of 19th-century America.Holmes's literary contributions are vast, but he is perhaps best known for his witty and insightful essays and poems, which often appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, a publication he helped to found. His poem "Old Ironsides" is credited with saving the USS Constitution from being scrapped, demonstrating his ability to mobilize public sentiment through his writing.Holmes was also a pioneering figure in the medical field, serving as a professor at Harvard Medical School. His groundbreaking work on the contagiousness of puerperal fever significantly advanced the understanding of infectious diseases, showcasing his dual talents in both literature and science.Controversially, Holmes held some views that modern readers might find problematic, particularly his stance on race and eugenics, which reflect the prejudices of his time. Nonetheless, his influence on contemporary writers and thinkers was profound. He championed the idea of the "Boston Brahmin," an elite class of New England intellectuals, and his works often explored themes of social reform and the human condition.Holmes's legacy is a complex tapestry of intellectual rigor, literary brilliance, and social commentary, making him a figure of enduring fascination for those interested in the intersections of literature, science, and society.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (August 29, 1809 – October 7, 1894) was an American physician, poet, and polymath based in Boston. A member of the Fireside Poets, he was acclaimed by his peers as one of the best writers of the day. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table (1858). He was also an important medical reformer. In addition to his work as an author and poet, Holmes also served as a physician, professor, lecturer and inventor and, although he never practiced it, he received formal training in law. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)