An Old Man's Prayer: Poetry Guide and Free Edition
An Old Man's Prayer: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
An Old Man's Prayer is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Baker, George M. (George Melville) (1832–1890).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"An Old Man's Prayer" by George M. Baker is a moralistic poem written in the late 19th century. This work takes the form of a narrative that conveys a cautionary tale about the dangers of alcohol, exploring themes of loss, regret, and redemption. The likely topic centers on the old man's heartfelt plea to a group of young men to avoid the pitfalls of drinking, drawing from his own painful experiences. In the story, an elderly man intrudes on a festive gathering of young men celebrating one of their own who is about to leave for war. He shares his tragic tale of wealth turned to loss due to the curse of alcoholism, which claimed the lives of his three sons—one who succumbed to drinking, another who died at sea after excess, and a third who became a soldier. As he tells his story, he implores the young men to shun the temptations of alcohol, culminating in a powerful moment when one brave soldier takes a stand to reject wine in favor of pure water. The poem poignantly closes with the hopeful imagery of young men marching off to battle, armed not just with weapons, but with the protective shield of temperance instilled by the old man's prayer.
Book and edition facts
- Title: An Old Man's Prayer
- Author credits: Baker, George M. (George Melville) (1832–1890)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- American poetry -- 19th century
- Temperance -- Poetry
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Poetry
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Drugs/Alcohol/Pharmacology
- Category: Poetry
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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