POETRY
A surprising collection of poems were written about the transit of Venus, most of these were written for the 1874 and 1882 transits. Here we have a short excerpt from the charming poem ''The Flaneur: Boston Common, During the Transit of Venus' written by American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894). More details about Oliver Wendal Holmes, and the complete text to this poem are also available [MORE]:
If Venus only comes to time,
Dimly the transit morning broke;
(And prophets say she must and shall,)
To-day will hear the tinkling chime
Of many a ringing silver dime,
For him whose optic glass supplies
The crowd with astronomic eyes --
The Galileo of the Mall.
The sun seemed doubting what to do,
As one who questions how to dress,
And takes his doublets from the press,
And halts between the old and new,
Please Heaven he wear his suit of blue,
Or don, at least, his ragged cloak,
With rents that show the azure through!
Responsible NASA Official:
Dr. James Thiemann
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