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AUGUST

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Emperor Octavian, called the August,

I being his favorite, bestowed his name

Upon me, and I hold it still in trust,

In memory of him and of his fame.

I am the Virgin, and my vestal flame

Burns less intensely than the Lion's rage;

Sheaves are my only garlands, and I claim

The golden Harvests as my heritage.