About
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was a major 19th-century American poet. Born in Portland, Maine, he studied at Bowdoin College, where he befriended Nathaniel Hawthorne. A professor of modern languages at Harvard from 1836 to 1854, he achieved his first success with Voices of the Night (1839), including 'A Psalm of Life.' His narrative poems, such as Evangeline (1847), The Song of Hiawatha (1855), and The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858), gained wide popularity. He also produced the first American blank-verse translation of Dante's Divine Comedy (1867). Longfellow is the only American poet honored with a bust in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.
* 1807-02-27 — † 1882-03-24
Major works
- Voices of the Night (1839)poetry collection
- Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie (1847)narrative poem
- The Song of Hiawatha (1855)narrative poem
- The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858)narrative poem
- Tales of a Wayside Inn (1863)poetry collection
Key milestones
- 1836Appointed Smith Professor of Modern Languages at Harvard University, serving until 1854.
- 1867Publishes his blank-verse translation of Dante's Divine Comedy, the first by an American.
- 1884A bust in his likeness is unveiled in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey, a unique honor for an American poet.
Themes
Nature and American landscapesAmerican history and legendsLove and lossFaith and spiritualityEveryday life and home
Sources: loc.gov · poetryfoundation.org · britannica.com