Frederick Goddard Tuckerman

Frederick Goddard Tuckerman

Frederick Goddard Tuckerman (February 4, 1821 – May 9, 1873) was an American poet. He gave up a law practice to pursue studies in astronomy, botany, and literature. He was recognized as an authority on local flora.

Sourced

• Then cricket sing thy song, or answer mine
  Thine whispers blame, but mine has naught but praises
  It matters not. — Behold the autumn goes,
  The Shadow grows,
  The moments take hold of eternity;
  Even while we stop to wrangle or repine
  Our lives are gone
  Like thinnest mist,
  Like yon escaping colour in the tree: —
  Rejoice! rejoice! whilst yet the hours exist
  Rejoice or mourn, and let the world swing on
  Unmoved by Cricket-song of thee or me.
  • "The Cricket" lines 120–131

• How oft in schoolboy-days, from the school's sway
  Have I run forth to Nature as to a friend, —
  With some pretext of o'erwrought sight, to spend
  My school-time in green meadows far away!
  Careless of summoning bell, or clocks that strike,
  I marked with flowers the minutes of my day.
  • "How oft in schoolboy-days" lines 1–6, Poems, 1860

• Why hold ye so my heart, nor dimly let
  Through your deep leaves the light of yesterday,
  The faded glimmer of a sunshine set?
  Is it that in your darkness, shut from strife,
  The bread of tears becomes the bread of life?
  Far from the roar of day, beneath your boughs
  Fresh griefs beat tranquilly, and loves and vows
  Grow green in your gray shadows, dearer far
  Even than all lovely lights and roses are?
  • "Dank fens of cedar, hemlock branches gray" lines 6–14, Poems, 1860