Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a famed poet and educator. His poetry collections include Voices of the Night and Ballads and Other Poems. They contained some of his most famous poems, including ‘The Song of Hiawatha.’ Most of his poetry is lyrical but readers shouldn’t be surprised to find a wide variety of forms in his work.
‘The Wreck of the Hesperus’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a narrative poem about a shipwreck and human vanity.
It was the schooner Hesperus,
That sailed the wintry sea;
And the skipper had taken his little daughtèr,
To bear him company.
‘Hiawatha’s Childhood’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes how the protagonist of ‘The Song of Hiawatha’ grew up and learned about his surroundings. It also focuses on the life of his grandmother.
By the shores of Gitche Gumee,
By yhr shining Big-Sea-Water,
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.
‘The Song of Hiawatha’ Introduction by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the first in a series of sections, or cantos, from the long epic poem, ‘The Song of Hiawatha.’
Should you ask me, whence these stories?
Whence these legends and traditions,
With the odors of the forest
With the dew and damp of meadows,
Longfellow’s ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’ (1861) recounts the historic 1775 ride, blending American patriotism with a subtle anti-slavery message.
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:
Hardly a man is now alive
‘The Building of the Ship’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow encapsulates the nation’s resilience and unity amid adversity, sailing onward with courage.
"Build me straight, O worthy Master!
Stanch and strong, a goodly vessel,
That shall laugh at all disaster,
And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!"
‘The Song of Hiawatha: Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the fourth part of ‘The Song of Hiawatha.’ The poem details exciting moments in Hiawatha’s physical and spiritual journey.
Out of childhood into manhood
Now had grown my Hiawatha,
Skilled in all the craft of hunters,
Learned in all the lore of old men,
‘The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a moving poem that depicts life and death through the image of the seashore.
The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveller hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
‘A Psalm of Life’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes life’s purpose and struggles and the best way to confront them daily.
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
‘The Arrow and the Song’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is an interesting poem that utilizes quatrains. Throughout the piece, the speaker alludes to the unknown impact of his poetry before finding it in the heart of his friend in the last stanza.
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
‘The Peace Pipe’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the second part of the epic poem ‘The Song of Hiawatha.’
On the Mountains of the Prairie,
On the great Red Pipe-stone Quarry,
Gitche Manito, the mighty,
He the Master of Life, descending,
‘Santa Filomena’ explores the transformative power of noble deeds and thoughts, bringing light and solace amidst suffering.
Whene’er a noble deed is wrought
Whene’er is spoken a noble thought
Our hearts, in glad surprise,
To higher levels rise.
Longfellow’s contemplative journey reveals the weariness of the human experience and the limitations of language.
Once upon Iceland's solitary strand
A poet wandered with his book and pen,
Seeking some final word, some sweet Amen,
Wherewith to close the volume in his hand.
In ‘A Day of Sunshine’ by Henry Wadsworth, Longfellow uses imagery to celebrate nature. It reminds the reader to take advantage of these special moments when they come.
O gift of God! O perfect day:
Whereon shall no man work, but play;
Whereon it is enough for me,
Not to be doing, but to be!
‘A Gleam of Sunshine’ melds memory and loss, reflecting on past joy and present sorrow in a place where time intertwines.
This is the place. Stand still, my steed,
Let me review the scene,
And summon from the shadowy Past
The forms that once have been.
Longfellow’s ‘A Nameless Grave’ mourns a soldier’s ultimate sacrifice, lamenting the anonymity of war heroes.
"A soldier of the Union mustered out,"
Is the inscription on an unknown grave
At Newport News, beside the salt-sea wave,
Nameless and dateless; sentinel or scout
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