My Name I Give to Thee

"My Name I Give To Thee" is a poem written by John Greenleaf Whittier upon the occasion of the settlement of Whittier, California being named for him. Whittier never visited the city but wrote a poem in honor of it.^[1] The poem is displayed in several places throughout Whittier, most notably at the Whittier Museum.

Dear Town, for whom the flowers are born,
Stars shine, and happy songbirds sing,
What can my evening give to thy morn,
My Winter to Thy Spring?
A life not void of pure intent
With small desert of praise or blame;
The Love I felt, the Good I meant,
I leave Thee with My Name.