Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Born into a prominent family on February 27, 1807, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow grew up in the bustling town of Portland, Maine. His parents Stephen and Zilpah Longfellow provided a strong, but refined, Puritan background, while encouraging Henry to excel in academics (Wagenknecht 2). Longfellow's education began early, when he was enrolled in an "old-fashioned 'dame' school" at the age of three (Wagenknecht 4). His schooling continued in 1815 with his entrance into the Portland Academy. At the age of fourteen, Longfellow entered Bowdoin College where his academic brilliance earned him a position of fourth in a graduating class of thirty-eight (Williams, Preface). Stephen Longfellow encouraged his son to pursue a stable career in law, but Longfellow's love of words led him to accept the "newly established professorship of modern languages at Bowdoin College" (Wagenknecht 3). He traveled extensively in France, Spain, Italy, and Germany to refine his language skills in preparation for his six-year long professorship. Harvard University offered Longfellow the "Smith Professorship of French and Spanish" in 1834 and he, again, traveled to Europe. His wife of four years, Mary Storer Potter, accompanied him on
A popular poet, Longfellow deals "with important subjects clearly and forthrightly while adopting a frankly didactic and inspirational tone" (Allabeck 118). He uses simple language. He once stated that if a poet "wishes the world to listen and be edified, he will do well to choose a language that is generally understood" (Allabeck 119). Although only a "second class poet," his ability to capture his readers' interest and appeal to their emotions has made Longfellow a staple figure in the hearts of his followers (Allabeck 118). He writes to inspire and improve society using "metrical regularity" and "careful rhyme" to emphasize his idea that life is meaningful (Allabeck 118). The rhythmic cadence in "A Psalm of Life," "The Village Blacksmith," and "The Rainy Day" suggests that the lives of men are characterized by distinct cycles. In stanzas two and three Longfellow praises the blacksmith's honesty and virtue while describing the rhythmical nature of his life. His life is a cycle. He toils "week in, week out, from morn till night" to satisfy his customers and support his family (line 13). The "heavy sledge"(line 15) swung with "measured beat and slow" (line 16) is a symbol of his infallibility and strength, no matter what is happening in the world around him, he is in his smithy working. His presence is a constant reminder to those around him that life is meaningful. "The Village Blacksmith," written in 1839, is one of Longfellow's best-known ballads. The poem was described by Longfellow as " 'a new Psalm of Life,' " written only one year later (Montiero 14). Its six-line stanzas are a variation of the form, but it has the "swing and movement" characteristic of ballads (Williams 139). Edward Wagenknecht comments that there are "irregularities in the rhyme scheme and some imperfect rhymes, all of which is managed well, with a rather daring variation in the iambic meter and the beginning of the penultimate stanza". Inspired by a blacksmith ancestor and the smithy Longfellow passed each day in Cambridge, the eight stanza poem is a "sympathetic portrait of the humble but virtuous . . . workman" and his daily struggles and triumphs in life (Williams 139). the trip. While they were in the Neth
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Approximate Word count = 1493
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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