[Rarebooks] FS: Oliver Wendell Holmes SIGNED Letter and SIGNED Quotation from "The Chambered Nautilus"

[Charles Agvent]

One of many interesting 19th Century American and British Literary items 
on our website: http://www.charlesagvent.com including signed pieces by 
William Wordsworth, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mark Twain, and many others.

HOLMES, Oliver Wendell. AUTOGRAPH QUOTATION SIGNED and AUTOGRAPH LETTER 
SIGNED. Boston, 7 March 1878. On a (6-7/8" x 9") piece of paper the 
author has written the following seven-line stanza from one of his best 
known poems "The Chambered Nautilus": "Build thee more stately mansions, 
O my soul,/As the swift seasons roll!/Leave thy low-vaulted past!/Let 
each new temple, nobler than the last,/Shut thee from heaven with a dome 
more vast,/Till thou at length art free,/Leaving thine outgrown shell by 
life’s unresting sea!" Below this he has SIGNED "Oliver Wendell 
Holmes/Boston, March 10th 1888." On the verso of the paper (though not 
on the exact reverse side of the poem, so that one could cut the paper 
and have two separate autographed pieces), is a brief AUTOGRAPH LETTER 
SIGNED by Holmes to a Miss Wright: "It gives one pleasure to comply with 
our slight request. Please turn this leaf. Very truly yours OW Holmes. 
Boston, March 10th 1888." Normal light creases. A Fine example from this 
noted author and doctor.

The nautilus is a sea creature that lives inside a spiral shell. As it 
grows, it makes new, larger chambers of its shell in which to live, 
closing off the old chambers and gradually forming a spiral. Holmes uses 
the nautilus as a metaphor for the human soul, emphasizing the idea that 
humans expand their horizons until they achieve the spiritual freedom of 
heaven or the afterlife. One of the most enduring nature poems of the 
nineteenth century, "The Chambered Nautilus" was first published in the 
periodical THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY and then in book form in Holmes's 1858 
classic THE AUTOCRAT OF THE BREAKFAST TABLE. $1,000.00

-- 
All items subject to prior sale. Cash with order; institutions may be billed. Postage additional: $10.00 for the first book; $5.00 each thereafter. Overseas postage billed at approximate cost. Pennsylvania residents must add 6% sales tax. Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover accepted. Books may be returned within 10 days of receipt for any reason provided they are in the same condition as sent and prior notice is given. Please insure returns for their full value. We carry a diverse stock with major specialties including Modern and 19th Century Literary First Editions, Autographed Books, and the world's largest inventory of Limited Editions Club books. We are celebrating our 23rd year of business and are proud to be members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). Please feel free to contact us with any wants or offerings. Thank you.

CHARLES AGVENT
291 Linden Road
Mertztown, PA 19539-8750
610-682-4750
info at charlesagvent.com
Please visit our shop: http://www.charlesagvent.com