The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Fiction, Literature, Collections

689 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1888

About the author

Extremely popular works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, in the United States in his lifetime, include The Song of Hiawatha in 1855 and a translation from 1865 to 1867 of Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow educated. His originally wrote the "Paul Revere's Ride" and "Evangeline." From New England, he first completed work of the fireside.

Bowdoin College graduated Longefellow, who served as a professor, afterward studied in Europe, and later moved at Harvard. After a miscarriage, Mary Potter Longfellow, his first wife, died in 1835. He first collected Voices of the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841).

From teaching, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow retired in 1854 to focus on his writing in the headquarters of of George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the Revolutionary War for the remainder.

Dress of Frances Appleton Longfellow, his second wife, caught fire; she then sustained burns and afterward died in 1861. After her death, Longfellow had difficulty writing and focused on from foreign languages.

Longfellow wrote musicality of many known lyrics and often presented stories of mythology and legend. He succeeded most overseas of his day. He imitated European styles and wrote too sentimentally for critics.

Reviews

[Richard Bracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the worst decisions of 2023 was enduring the first 20 minutes of I Heard The Bells, a Christmas movie about Henry Longfellow. The actor playing Longfellow was so bombastic I had to intentionally recalibrate my mind with a picture of the real Longfellow every time I picked up the actual stanzas.

”Stephen Atherholt is not Longfellow, Longfellow is NOT Atherholt”!

[massaging temples]

A few poems inspired me. Some made me cry, none made me laugh. In Footsteps of an Angel he imagines being visited by the spirit of a beloved deceased spouse while sitting before his evening fire. (he had lost one wife at the time of this writing, and would later lose another).

With a slow and noiseless footstep
  Comes that messenger divine,
Takes the vacant chair beside me,
  Lays her gentle hand in mine. 

And she sits and gazes at me
  With those deep and tender eyes,
Like the stars, so still and saint-like,
  Looking downward from the skies. 
(Footsteps of an Angel)

I highlighted quite a few stanzas from his immense work and determined by the end that I indeed had a favorite. A poem about a genuinely contented man who would otherwise appear to have the worst of almost everything. The poem seems to contain the secret of enduring well.

The Village Blacksmith

Under a spreading chestnut-tree
     ⁠The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
     With large and sinewy hands,
And the muscles of his brawny arms
     Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long;
     His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
     He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
     For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
     You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
     With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
     When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school
     Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
     And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
     Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,
     And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,
     He hears his daughter's voice
Singing in the village choir,
     And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice
     Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
     How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
     A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling,—rejoicing,—sorrowing,
     Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
     Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,
     Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
     For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
     Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
     Each burning deed and thought.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realize that Longfellow was such a well travelled American poet. This addition of his poems and works is quite complete, including works that he translated while studying abroad that contributed to his understanding of poetry and influenced his works.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why didn’t I read more than the cursory, obligatory Longfellow before? Big mistake. Happy to have picked this one up. A man after my own dispositions.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long read, difficult read, enjoyable read

Took me 4 months to read but it was excellent. Not a poetry reader but these were very enthralling. Definitely recommend.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading the poetry with my daughter's for her high school American Literature class. I visited Portland, Maine this summer, the birthplace of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Visited the Longfellow Monument at Longfellow Square. Also there is a bookstore in the center of Portland named for him. I also visited Brunswick, home of Bowdoin College, where he was professor. There are many places dedicated to the memory of this great poet.

This is book on my Kindle, but my daughter is using her American Literature book to read several of his poems. It is too early to tell you what she thinks, but I appreciate Longfellow very much indeed after walking the streets where he once walked.

[Hank Drews · Rating 3 out of 5]

The flavor of poetry in the Victorian Era was sweet and rythmic but long and somber. I thoroughly enjoyed again favoites such as the Children's Hour and the Village Blacksmith. I was surprrised by the epic length of Song of Hiawatha and Evangeline; amused and intriged by The Skeleton in Armor and The Wreck of the Hesperus. Shorter works served to give me an appreciation of a seasoned, kinder, gentler time.

[Ashwani Lall]

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