articlesforchristians

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in 1807 in Portland, Maine. His ancestors included pilgrims who sailed from England to America on the Mayflower, and his grandfather was both a general in the American Revolutionary War and a congressman.

Longfellow was a kind-hearted boy who always tried to do the right thing. After shooting a robin, he was so upset that he never hunted again. He loved reading Washington Irving’s tales like Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. At thirteen, he wrote a poem about Lovewell’s fight with the Indians and sent it to a newspaper, which published it. When a judge criticized the poem as “stiff” and borrowed from other poets, Longfellow felt hurt, but he didn’t quit. He kept writing and eventually became a celebrated poet.

Longfellow was an avid student who loved learning and reading. He went to Bowdoin College and later became a professor there. After studying in Europe, he taught at Harvard College.

Longfellow was one of the five New England poets known as the “Fireside Poets.” He wrote many song-like poems celebrated for their musical quality, often weaving in tales from myths and legends. He became the most popular American poet of his time, with his work admired both at home and abroad. Some critics felt he borrowed too much from European styles or that his poetry was overly sentimental.

In his life, Longfellow married, had six children, toured Europe worked as a college professor, and became a well-known poet. Longfellow faced sadness in his life. His first wife, Mary Potter, passed away in 1835. His second wife, Frances Appleton, died in 1861 after her dress accidentally caught fire. After this tragedy, it was hard for Longfellow to write poetry for a while. He spent time translating books from other languages instead. Longfellow passed away in 1882 of peritonitis in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the age of 75.