American Poets + 

Longfellow + 

Like fruit that’s large and ripe and mellow, + 

Sweet and luscious is Longfellow, + 

Melodious songs he oft did pour + 

And high was his Excelsior. + 

He shows in his Psalm of Life + 

The folly of our selfish strife, + 

With Hiawatha we bewail + 

His suffering in great Indian tale. + 

Indian nation was forlorn + 

Till great spirit planted corn; + 

His story of Evangeline + 

It is a tale of love divine. + 

Poe + 

A great enchanter too is Poe, + 

His bells do so harmonious flow, + 

Wondrous mystery of his raven + 

On our minds is ’ere engraven, + 

His weird, wonderful romances + 

Imagination oft entrances. + 

Lowell + 

With pleasure we would love to dwell + 

On the charming themes of Lowell. + 

Bryant + 

Some in front rank will defiant, + 

Boldly place the poet Bryant. + 

Whittier + 

Others seek for music in the twitter + 

Of the sweet, charming notes of Whittier. + 

Saxe + 

The mind that’s sad it doth relax + 

The humor of the witty Saxe, + 

He puts us in a cheerful mood, + 

Mirthful as our own Tom Hood. + 

Will Carleton + 

In homely apparel one + 

Clothes farming songs Will Carleton, + 

But they have a manly ring + 

And we his praises hearty sing. + 

Millar + 

And Millar poet of Sierras, + 

For bold deeds he doth prepare us, + 

And now he lives by the golden gate, + 

Honored in California’s state, + 

To poet ’tis position grand, + 

Commissioner of Forest land. + 

Holmes + 

O’er flowery fields full oft he roams, + 

The learned and pleasing genial Holmes. + 

Walt Whitman + 

For erratic style he leads van, + 

Wildly wayward Walt Whitman, + 

He done grand work in civil war, + 

For he did dress many a scar, + 

And kindly wet the hot parched mouth + 

Of Northern soldiers wounded South. + 