Letter by Oliver Wendell Holmes to Alexander Ireland
Dublin Core
Title
Letter by Oliver Wendell Holmes to Alexander Ireland
Subject
Correspondence
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1809-1894 (author)
Ireland, Alexander, 1810-1894
Description
After the death of transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1882, Holmes was approached to write his biography for the “American Men of Letters” series. After publication, he received this letter from journalist Alexander Ireland (1810-1894), long a close friend of Emerson’s, who had himself printed a memorial volume and reminiscences of his visits to England in 1882. Holmes wrote of his own efforts, “I considered the task more than difficult…. The difference in the estimate of his writings is so great that any analysis of them with comments, interpretations, judgments, must fail to satisfy some, must exceed the estimate of others. I tried to be fair; I endeavored to follow as well as I might the course of Emerson’s thoughts and to reach as far as in me lay the inner nature of the man. On the whole I have been satisfied with the verdicts passed upon my book.”
Abstract
Letter from Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894) to Alexander Ireland concerning Holmes' biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Creator
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1809-1894
Date Created
1885 November 02
Rights
The Harvard Medical Library does not hold copyright on all materials in this collection. For use information, consult Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu
Access Rights
Access to the original work depicted requires advance notice. Contact Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu for additional information
Is Part Of
Hawes Vault Manuscripts
Format
text
Extent
excerpt (1 page)
Language
English
Type
text
Identifier
DigID0002206
Provenance
Purchased for the Library of Harvard Medical School, 1972
Files
Collection
Citation
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1809-1894, “Letter by Oliver Wendell Holmes to Alexander Ireland,” OnView, accessed May 6, 2024, https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/index.php/items/show/6311.