Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Biography
Occup. | Poet |
From | USA |
Born | August 29, 1809 Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |
Died | October 8, 1894 Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
Aged | 85 years |
Early Life
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. was born on August 29, 1809, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. He was the boy of Reverend Abiel Holmes, a respected minister, and Sarah Wendell, the child of an effective vendor. The Holmes household took satisfaction in their distinguished lineage, as their forefathers shown up in New England throughout the 17th-century Puritan migration. Growing up, Holmes went to numerous colleges prior to getting in Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
Education and learning
After finishing from Phillips Academy, Holmes went to Harvard University, where he made a Bachelor of Arts level in 1829. Influenced by his dad's line of work, Holmes briefly researched faith yet quickly realized that it was not his calling. He after that transformed his interest towards poetry as well as literature, affected mostly by the jobs of British Romantic poet Samuel Coleridge.
In 1830, Holmes went to Paris to examine medicine, remaining there for three years. In 1833, he went back to the United States and also enlisted at Harvard Medical School, where he earned his doctor of medication level in 1836. Holmes's thesis, entitled "The Principle of the Suspension of the Laws of Animal Life", was an innovative hypothesis utilizing the idea of the human body as an adjustable machine.
Clinical Career as well as Academic Life
After completing his medical research studies, Holmes began a private medical technique in Boston. The task was requiring, as well as Holmes battled to stabilize his career as a doctor and also poet. He rapidly got a reputation as a clinical authority, as well as his research laid the structure for later explorations in the clinical area.
In 1840, Holmes was selected Parkman Professor of Anatomy as well as Physiology at the Dartmouth Medical College, yet he went back to Boston after just one year. In 1847, Holmes was designated to the very same position at Harvard Medical School, where he continued to be until 1882.
It was during his tenure at Harvard Medical School that Holmes made his most considerable medical contribution. In 1843, he published "The Contagiousness of Puerperal Fever", which suggested that the fever was an infectious illness and that physicians ought to practice proper hygiene to stop its transmission. This work assisted lay the foundation of contemporary germ theory and also recognized Holmes as an important number in the background of medication.
Literary Achievements
Oliver Wendell Holmes's literary and crucial jobs spanned over 6 decades, starting with his first magazine in 1820 at the age of eleven. His poems, essays, as well as books frequently intermingled clinical, medical, and also thoughtful topics with a stimulate of wit and humor, making his job appealing to numerous audiences.
Holmes published his first significant rhyme, "Old Ironsides", in 1830. The job was a homage to the USS Constitution, a ship that was about to be deactivated. His poem amassed much public passion and ultimately contributed to the preservation of the ship.
Between 1857 and also 1861, Holmes wrote a collection of essays titled "The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table" for The Atlantic Monthly, among America's many valued magazines. These items were later on collected as well as released as a publication, as well as they showcased Holmes's talents as an author and also humorist.
Holmes likewise authored a few stories, including "Elsie Venner: A Romance of Destiny" (1861), which blends fiction with clinical knowledge, attempting to discover the partnership in between an individual's physical constitution and moral personality.
Throughout his life, Holmes was pals with several contemporary literary numbers, consisting of
Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and
James Russell Lowell.
Personal Life as well as Legacy
In 1840, Holmes married Amelia Lee Jackson, the little girl of Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Charles Jackson. They had 3 kids: Edward Jackson Holmes, Amelia Lee Holmes,
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. who later worked as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Holmes was known for his social skills and also witty conversation, making him a precious number in literary and scholastic circles. He was also an active participant of a number of organizations, including the American Academy of Arts and also Sciences and the Massachusetts Historical Society.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. died on October 7, 1894, at the age of 85. He was extensively grieved, and his funeral in Boston involved a procession via the roads. Holmes's life as well as works left an enduring mark on American literary works and also case history. Both his verse as well as medical research remain to be remembered and also studied today as important contributions to the rich intellectual as well as social heritage of the United States.
Our collection contains 78 quotes who is written / told by Oliver, under the main topics:
Art -
Friendship -
Home -
Science -
Men.
Related authors: Ralph Waldo Emerson (Philosopher), Henry W. Longfellow (Poet), Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (Jurist), William Dean Howells (Author), James Russell Lowell (Poet), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Poet)
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Famous Works:
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