unpublished untitled 18-line handwritten poem on the statue "Grief" by Augustus Saint-Gaudens in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D. C.

[THEODORE LYMAN WRIGHT BELOIT COLLEGE 18 LINE HANDWRITTEN POEM ON SAINT GAUDEN'S STATUE ROCK CREEK CEMETERY WASHINTON, D.C., 1920s] THEODORE LYMAN WRIGHT, unpublished 18 line/3 stanza handwritten poem on the back of a 10" x 8" black-and-white photograph of the statue commonly known as "Grief" by the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens for the Adams Memorial in Washington D. C.'s Rock Creek Cemetery, the poem was presumably written for Wright's friend Theron J. Damon (see notes and provenance below) who worked in D. C. for the Office of War Information (OWI) during World War I, initialed twice"TLW", at the end of the first stanza and the end of the third stanza/end of poem, excerpts "She might have stormed, as Shakespeare's ladies should / In tears and laughter striding down the scene — She calmly sitteth in her little wood… 'Life and Grief are — good'…She sits above them in a Deathless mood…How many marvels glisten in God's sun…To hear the clatter of the stones and fame — But Time nor Doomsday touch this nameless one"…with two other black-and-white photographs of the statue, 9-3/4" x 7-1/4" and 8" x 6-1/4"; poem and initials authenticated by seller with lifetime guarantee; NOTES: THEODORE LYMAN WRIGHT, 1858-1926, born in Beloit, WI…graduated from Beloit College in 1881, taught the classics in Beloit Academy from 1881-83…received an M. A. in Greek at Harvard in 1884, studied at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens in 1887…in 1888 began teaching at Beloit College as assistant professor, in 1892 became full professor of Greek literature and art…from 1904 to 1926 he was summer lecturer for the Bureau of University Travel. (online sources); ADAMS MEMORIAL, Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D. C., grave marker for Marian Hooper Adams and Henry Adams…featuring a cast bronze allegorical sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens…The shrouded figure is seated against a granite block which forms one side of a hexagonal plaza, designed by architect Stanford White. Across from the statue is a stone bench for visitors. The whole is sheltered by a close screen of dense conifers.…Saint-Gaudens's name for the bronze figure is The Mystery of the Hereafter and The Peace of God that Passeth Understanding, but the public commonly called it Grief. (wikipedia); THERON J. DAMON, 1883-1975, lived on and off in Turkey in the first decades of the 1900s and traveled widely in the Middle East and Europe, during which times he worked variously as a teacher at Robert College in Constantinople, a journalist, an agent for the Vacuum Oil Company and U. S. government, and antiquities dealer…During World War I, he worked for the Office of War Information (OWI)…In November 1918, he was assigned to the peace-making council at Versailles. Early in 1919 he returned to Constantinople in an official capacity during negotiations, returning to Paris where he was present at the signing of the peace. In October 1919 he was 'demobilized.' (American Antiquarian Society obituary by James E. Mooney), Damon and Theodore Wright had a mutual interest in ancient Near Eastern art and culture /// PROVENANCE: this handwritten poem by Wright was among an archive of manuscript material from the Theron J. Damon estate in Connecticut purchased at an auction…several letters from Wright to Damon verify they had a personal relationship and corresponded with each other in the mid 1900s /// CONDITION: photograph with the poem on the back is well preserved, near fine, small loss at upper left corner in blank narrow margin, a couple of touches of edgewear, photograph itself fine condition, the two smaller photos fine condition.