Henry Van Dyke, Jr. (1852-1933) was sent as United States ambassador to Holland and Luxemburg in 1913, just before the Great War (World War I) erupted. Perhaps it was that…
NIneteenth-century poetry and exploding Looney Tunes villains. Thomas Moore set foot on the road to fame and a regular income in 1808, with the publication of the first of ten…
Years ago I bought this poster of an exuberant bouquet by Jan van Huysum (1682-1749), which was at the time on loan to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It's…
"The Lady Clare," by Alfred Lord Tennyson It was the time when lilies blow, And clouds are highest up in air, Lord Ronald brought a lily-white doe To give his…
This poem has always stuck in my mind because of the brilliant way de La Mare leaves the beginning of the story to the imagination. "The Listeners," by Walter de La Mare, 1912…
Knowledge is never wasted except on those too lazy to use it: Augustus Saint Gaudens produced exquisite portrait reliefs throughout his career using skills he learned at age thirteen, as a cameo-cutter. One…
Why choose just one? Here's a selection of my favorite New Year's cards from New York Public Library's digital collections: a little corny, a lot sincere. Most of them probably…
In honor of the 235th anniversary of the British surrender at Yorktown, here's a poem mocking Cornwallis that was originally published in Philadelphia on October 11, 1781. At that point,…
My taste in poetry runs to the old and traditional, but I've found a modern poet whose work I enjoy so much that I'm making my way through her website at the rate of…
While reviewing the notes for my walking tour of sculpture at Washington Square and Sheridan Square, I was reminded of how much I love the rhythm and the surprise twist…