Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
(1807–1882)
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the most popular poet America has ever had. During his lifetime, people eagerly awaited each new poem, and his works were translated into twenty-four languages. Schoolchildren took a holiday to celebrate Longfellow's seventy-fifth birthday, and people stood up or took off their hats when Longfellow walked into a room. He is also famous in England. He was the first American poet to have his bust placed in London's Westminster Abbey, where memorials are placed to England's greatest writers.
Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine. Four of his ancestors were pilgrims at Plymouth, and Longfellow was inspired by the American past. His poems present American history in memorable ways so that people around the world can understand. He emphasized freedom and wrote fearlessly against slavery at a time when many, less courageous writers were silent. His poem "Paul Revere’s Ride" was based on stories his grandfather told him about the Revolutionary War. His long poems, The Courtship of Miles Standish, Evangeline, and The Song of Hiawatha, show Longfellow’s talent for using history as a background for poems of action and romance.
Having studied languages in Europe, Longfellow was well suited as a translator. He translated works of literature and taught Spanish, French, Italian, and German at Harvard University. After eighteen years at Harvard, Longfellow retired to lead a quiet life, devoting himself fully to writing poetry for his admiring public. When Longfellow's wife died as a result of a fire in their home, the poet nearly gave up writing. It took great courage and patience to overcome his grief and begin writing again.
