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Primary sourceArtifact

To Sally

John Quincy Adams

A short poem by John Quincy Adams himself, beginning 'To Sally'. It describes a virtuous man protected from danger and ends with a wolf that flees after a shout.

Adams wrote this poem himself, so it shows his personal writing and his lighter, more playful voice beyond his official papers.

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Source: Wikisource

About this source

What it is

This is a short poem titled 'To Sally', written by John Quincy Adams. It is listed on Wikisource among works by him. The poem describes a man of virtue who is protected from danger on far-off journeys. It ends with a light episode in which the poet, walking down a valley, is approached by a wolf that runs away after he shouts.

Why it matters

This is one of Adams's own works, so it shows his personal writing style and taste. It is not an official record, so it tells us more about his imagination than about his public career. The available facts give no date for the poem, so we cannot be sure when he wrote it.

Look closer

  • Which faraway places and dangers does the poet use to describe a virtuous man, and why might he choose them?
  • Why does the poem end with a comic story about a wolf?
  • What parts of Adams's public life does this poem leave out?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Quincy Adams on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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