"A mind stretched by a new ideanever shrinks back to its original proportions. ~" ― Oliver Wendell Holmes From Oliver Wendell Holmes Poet Added on 1/31/2026 About Oliver Wendell Holmes Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. was an American physician, poet, and essayist associated with the Fireside Poets. He is known for poems such as Old Ironsides and for influential prose writing. Born: 1809-08-29 Died: 1894-10-07 View all quotes from Oliver Wendell Holmes