Physician, poet, professor, lecturer, author. Commemorative poetry. Successfully concentrated his verse upon concrete objects with which he was long familiar, or had studied at length, such as the one-horse shay or a seashell. Connected the theme of nature to human relations and social teachings.

Critic of over-sentimental Transcendentalist and Romantic poetry, often slipped into sentimentality when writing his occasional poetry, but would often balance such emotional excess with humor. Connected the theme of nature to human relations and social teachings.

Believed poetry had "the power of transfiguring the experiences and shows of life into an aspect which comes from the imagination and kindles that of others".

Oliver Wendell Holmes the elder was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of a minister, was a physician by profession but his fame was achieved as a writer; he was one of the best regarded American poets of the 19th century. Educated at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and at Harvard University and accomplished a national reputation with his poem "Old Ironsides" about the 18th century battleship USS Constitution, which was to be broken up for scrap; the poem generated public sentiment that resulted in the historic ship being preserved as a monument. He studied medicine in Paris for three years then returned to get his doctorate at Harvard in 1836, the sam