ADS-L Digest - 24 Jul 2005 to 25 Jul 2005 (#2005-207) WARNING: WAY OFF-TOPIC

Tue Aug 2 05:04:31 UTC 2005

Fred Shapiro wrote:

> Can anyone help me with the origin of "Semper Fidelis"?

Sam Clements wrote:

>1870.  Godey's Lady's Book.  APS.
>
>Sousa doesn't pick it up until 1888.

Looks like it was a popular verse title. Making of America takes it back
to 1860, as the title to a poem by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik in this
collection: <http://name.umdl.umich.edu/abf3094>.

The poem is also available here:

http://www.indiana.edu/~letrs/vwwp/craik/craik-poem1866.html

--Ben Zimmer