{\b Oliver Wendell Holmes}.

{\b Date of Birth}.: August 29 1809

{\b Date of Death}.: October 7 1894

{\b Works}.

American poet, physician and writer. Although he began writing whilst at 
college, twenty years passed before his famous poem The Autocrat of the 
Breakfast Table (1857-8) was published. The Professor at the Breakfast Table 
(1858-9) followed, along with The Poet at the Breakfast Table (1872) and Over 
Tea-Cups (1891). His novels include Elsie Venner (1859-60) and The Guardian 
Angel (1867). He also published some volumes of poetry, the first of which was 
Songs in Many Keys (1862).

{\b Featured Works}.

'Old Ironsides', 'The Last Leaf', 'The Voiceless', 'L'Inconnue', 'The Height 
of the Ridiculous', 'Cacoethes Scribendi', 'The Chambered Nautilus', 'To an 
Insect', 'The Deacon's Masterpiece'.

{\b General Comment}.

Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was educated at 
Phillips Academy (1824-25), Harvard College (1822-29) and, finally, Harvard 
Law School (1829-30). After a period of indecision as to whether to preach or 
become a lawyer, he eventually rejected both careers in favour of medicine. He 
went to medical school in Boston for two years and then spent a further two 
years in Europe, visiting hospitals in England, Germany and France. Following 
his return he set up his own practice in Boston. He was then appointed 
professor of anatomy and physiology at Dartmouth College (1839-40) where he 
published the important medical document The Contagiousness of Puerperal Fever 
(1842). He finally moved back to Harvard to teach anatomy (1847-1882).

His career as a doctor was hampered somewhat by his reputation as a satirist. 
As a young undergraduate he had begun writing poetry and continued to do so 
until his poem Autocrat of the Breakfast Table appeared in Atlantic Monthly 
and was an instant success. His series of 'Breakfast Table' poems take the 
form of discourses by the author, with other characters making occasional 
interjections. Their appeal lay in their gentle, warm humour and their 
ingrained wisdom.

Among his other best-known poems are 'Old Ironsides', 'The Last Leaf', 'The 
Wonderful One-Hoss Shay' and 'Lord of all being! Throned afar'.

He is a member of the American Hall of Fame.