Henry O'Meara Ballads of America

Notes to Ballads of America

by

Sheldon Brown

PRELUSIVE

PREFACE

PROEMIAL

THE BOSTON MASSACRE - 1770

SAM ADAMS - SONNET

THE BATTLE OF SHIRLEY STRAIT - BOSTON HARBOR

MARY WASHINGTON

THE MARTYR LIBERATOR - ON THE EMANCIPATION GROUP

MEMORIALS ON GETTYSBURG FIELD

RONDEAU ON U. S. GRANT

THE HERALD OF THE NEW SOUTH - FOR THE H. W. GRADY MEMORIAL

VETERANS' RALLYING SONG - NATIONAL G.A.R. CONVENTION 1890

ILLUMINED LIBERTY - THE BARTHOLDI STATUE IN NEW YORK HARBOR

JOHN HARVARD'S MEMORIAL

B. P. SHILLABER - MRS. PARTINGTON

TO GLADSTONE

BOSTON TO MARIETTA - ON THE OHIO CENTENNIAL

THE HERO COAST GUARD - LIFE-SAVING AT NANTASKET

WELCOME TO THE WHITE FLEET - AT RECEPTION TO SQUADRON OF EVOLUTION

THE FLAG ABOVE THE SCHOOL

ISABELLA - "MEASURE FOR MEASURE"

The character of Isabella is a nun, and there is probably some emotional connectoin between Isabella and O'Meara's sister, Sister Leo-Cate

IMOGEN - "CYMBELINE"

CORDELIA - "KING LEAR"

HARRY MURDOCH - BURNED AT BROOKLYN THEATRE

THE REOPENING OF THE BOSTON MUSEUM

TO LAWRENCE BARRETT

THE SPRING BULBS' ADVENT

A PRECOCIOUS HYACINTH

THE TEA-ROSE TRIAD

TO THE GOLDEN ROD

NYMPHOEA DEVONSIENSIS - NIGHT-BLOOMING WATER LILY

THE HEROES OF MONTMARTRE

TO A SISTER OF NOTRE DAME

This poem refers speficically to Henry O'Meara's sister, Sister Leo-Cate

A TRANSPLANTED BLOOM

A MOTHER'S MEMORY

A YOUNG HEART STRICKEN

THE HIGHER VISION - REPLY TO AN AGNOSTIC

Robert Ingersoll was a noted freethinker and agnostic in the late 19th century

LET NOT THY FACE AVERTED BE

O ESCA VIATORUM! - AFTER ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

AVE MARIA - FOR MUSICAL THEME ON BACH'S THIRD PRELUDE

THE MUSE OF ISRAEL

THE HARP OF MOORE

OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

Oliver Wendell Holmes (Senior) was a highly noted physician, poet and humorist, and one of the chief literary figures of 19th century Boston.

As a physician, he alienated many of his more conservative colleagues by his radical campaign to persuade them to wash their hands between patients.

His humorous The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table was hugely successful, as was his humorous poem The Deacon's Masterpiece, or, The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay. His poem "Old Ironsides" inspired a generation of schoolchildren to contribute their pennies to save U.S.S. Constitution from being scrapped.

Despite his very high renown, his reputation today is somewhat overshadowed by that of his son, Oliver Wendell Holmes jr, the legendary Supreme Court Justice.

A VIRGILIAN CHARADE

THE SACRED WHITE ELEPHANT FROM SIAM

THE LAST DAY OF POMPEII

THE SOLITARY

ON A GOLDEN WEDDING

A BOY'S CHRISTMAS GREETING

DUTY'S WEAR - ON W. H. BALDWIN'S BIRTHDAY

WEALTH AND WORTH

JOHN BOYLE O'REILLY

John Boyle O'Reilly was an Irish nationalist, sentenced to 20 years transportation to Australia. He escaped and came to America, where he became a highly-regarded poet and owner of The Pilot, the principal Catholic newspaper in Boston, if not in the U.S.

A LIFE'S LOVE SONG

This would be O'Meara's wife, Mary. From a family letter:
Mary went to school in Montreal and fluent in French. She became a writer, and wrote John L. Sullivan's autobiography. For a time Mary did the Children's page in the 'Boston Journal.' At that time it was owned by her brother-in-law, Stephen O'Meara. The Journal later became the 'Boston Traveler.' It was an evening paper owned when I was young by the same people who published the 'Boston Herald', a morning paper.

TO CONVALESCENCE - A SONNET

RONDEAU TO HEALTH

CONSECRATION OF A BISHOP

FLOWERING YEARS

A VANISHED RAY

WEDDING GREETINGS

ON A COMPOSER'S WEDDING

HARRY M'GLENEN'S BIRTHDAY

COLUMBIA THEATRE

"THE COUNTY FAIR"

THE GENIUS OF THE PRESS

A NEWSPAPER GREETING

THE WAR SONGS

ODE TO OUR NAVAL HEROES


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updated Wednesday, April 19, 2000
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