An Old Man's Prayer by George M. Baker

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About this eBook

Author Baker, George M. (George Melville), 1832-1890
Illustrator Billings, Hammatt, 1818-1874
Title An Old Man's Prayer
Note Reading ease score: 74.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
Credits Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive)
Summary "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. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Subject United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Poetry
Subject American poetry -- 19th century
Subject Temperance -- Poetry
Category Text
EBook-No. 47934
Release Date
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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