Favorite last words from poets

"Hand me my pantaloons, if you please."

These were the last recorded words of Connecticut-born poet Fitz-Greene Halleck before his death 147 years ago today on November 19, 1867.

In honor of those not-so-glamorous last words, here are a few of my other favorite last words of American writers highlighted on the blog (in no particular order):

"I want to go away."

—Ohio/NY poet Phoebe Cary (died February 12, 1871)

"All is perfect peace with me."

—Georgia poet Thomas Holley Chivers (died December 18, 1858)

"Take me away. Take me away."

—"Poet of the Sierras" Joaquin Miller (died February 17, 1913)

"Your kisses are always sweet to me."

—Painter/poet Thomas Buchanan Read (died May 11, 1872)

"Beautiful!"

—New Hampshire poet Samuel Burnham (died June 22, 1873)

"Moose... Indian."

—Massachusetts writer Henry David Thoreau (died May 6, 1862)
*Note: The above was a guest post by historian Richard Smith

"In spite of it all, I am going to sleep; put out the lights."

—"Bad Boy" and poet Thomas Bailey Aldrich (March 19, 1907)