Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
American poet and educator, fireside poet from New England.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. He was one of the fireside poets from New England and became the most popular American poet of his day, with success overseas. His original works include the poems 'Paul Revere's Ride', *The Song of Hiawatha*, and *Evangeline*, and he was the first American to completely translate Dante Alighieri's *Divine Comedy*.
Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine, then part of Massachusetts, to a lawyer father and a mother descended from Mayflower passengers. He was a studious child, attending a dame school at age three and later the Portland Academy, where he became fluent in Latin and published his first poem at thirteen. He enrolled at Bowdoin College at fifteen alongside his brother, befriending Nathaniel Hawthorne there. After graduating fourth in his class, he was offered a professorship of modern languages at Bowdoin on the condition he travel to Europe to study. His three-year tour took him through France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and England, where he learned several languages and met Washington Irving, who encouraged his writing. He initially declined the professorship due to a low salary, but the trustees raised it, and he accepted, also serving as the college’s librarian. He later taught at Harvard College after further European study. His first major poetry collections, *Voices of the Night* (1839) and *Ballads and Other Poems* (1841), established his reputation. He retired from teaching in 1854 to focus on writing, living the rest of his life in George Washington’s former Revolutionary War headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His first wife died after a miscarriage in 1835; his second wife died in 1861 from burns after her dress caught fire, after which he struggled to write poetry and turned to translation. Longfellow’s lyric poems are known for their musicality and often draw on mythology and legend, though he has been criticized for imitating European styles and excessive sentimentality.
- born
- February 27, 1807, Portland, District of Maine, Massachusetts (now Portland, Mai
- died
- March 24, 1882
- field
- Poetry, education
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Poems 'Paul Revere's Ride', The Song of Hiawatha, Evangeline; first American to
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Longfellow was born on February 27, 1807, to Stephen Longfellow and Zilpah (Wadsworth) Longfellow in Portland, Maine, then a district of Massachusetts. He grew up in what is now known as the Wadsworth-Longfellow House on Congress Street. His father was a lawyer, and his maternal grandfather was Peleg Wadsworth, a general in the American Revolutionary War and a Member of Congress. He attended a dame school at age three and was enrolled by age six at the private Portland Academy, where he became fluent in Latin. He published his first poem at age 13 in the Portland Gazette on November 17, 1820, a four-stanza poem called 'The Battle of Lovell's Pond'. He graduated from Bowdoin College, where he met Nathaniel Hawthorne, and later became a professor there and at Harvard College after studying in Europe. His first major poetry collections were Voices of the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841). He retired from teaching in 1854 to focus on his writing, and lived the remainder of his life in the Revolutionary War headquarters of George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Longfellow's first wife, Mary Potter, died in 1835 after a miscarriage. His second wife, Frances Appleton, died in 1861 after sustaining burns when her dress caught fire. After her death, he had difficulty writing poetry for a time and focused on translating works from foreign languages. Longfellow died in 1882.
Reader's Guide
Longfellow's significance lies in his role as a leading American poet of the 19th century, known for lyric poems with musicality that often presented stories of mythology and legend. He was the first American to completely translate Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. His works, including 'Paul Revere's Ride', The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline, achieved widespread popularity in the United States and overseas. He has been criticized for imitating European styles and writing poetry that was too sentimental. After the death of his second wife, Frances Appleton, in 1861, he had difficulty writing poetry for a time and focused on translating works from foreign languages. His legacy includes his influence on American literature and his preservation of historical and legendary themes.
Did You Know?
- Longfellow published his first poem at age 13 in the Portland Gazette on November 17, 1820, a four-stanza poem called 'The Battle of Lovell's Pond'.
- He was the first American to completely translate Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.
- His first wife, Mary Potter, died in 1835 after a miscarriage at age 22.
- His second wife, Frances Appleton, died in 1861 after her dress caught fire.
- Longfellow lived the remainder of his life in the Revolutionary War headquarters of George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow?
Longfellow was a nineteenth-century American poet and university educator based in New England, whose work made him the most widely read poet in the United States during his lifetime. His popularity also carried him to a large readership across Europe.
What are Longfellow's most famous poems?
His best-known original works are the narrative poems 'Paul Revere's Ride,' 'The Song of Hiawatha,' and 'Evangeline.' These pieces became household staples, frequently recited in American parlors and classrooms.
What is Longfellow's connection to Dante?
Longfellow holds the distinction of being the first American to render Dante Alighieri's entire Divine Comedy into English verse. That ambitious translation helped establish his reputation as a serious literary figure beyond his popular ballads.
What does it mean to be called a 'fireside poet'?
The label describes a circle of New England writers whose accessible, warmly domestic verse was intended for reading aloud in the family parlor. Longfellow is the most prominent example of this tradition, prized for his musical, approachable style.
When and where was Longfellow born, and when did he die?
He was born on February 27, 1807, in Portland, Maine, and passed away on March 24, 1882. His seventy-five-year life spanned much of the nineteenth century, during which he held teaching posts at American universities.
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