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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Poems and Other Writings
No American writer of the 19th century was more universally enjoyed and admired than Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. His works were extraordinary bestsellers for their era, achieving fame both here and abroad. Now, for the first time in over 25 years. Poems and Other Writings offers a full-scale literary portrait of America's greatest popular poet. Here are the poems that created an American mythology: Evangeline in the forest primeval, Hiawatha by the shores of Gitchee Gumee, the midnight ride of Paul Revere, the wreck of the Hesperus, the village blacksmith under the spreading chestnut tree, the strange courtship of Miles Standish, the maiden Priscilla and the hesitant John Alden; verses, like "A Psalm of Life" and the "The Children's Hour", whose phrases and characters have become part of the culture. Erudite and fluent in many languages, Longfellow was endlessly fascinated with the byways of history and the curiosities of legend. His many poems on literary themes, such as his moving homages to Dante and Chaucer, his verse translations from Lope de Vega, Heinrich Heine, and Michelangelo, and his ambitious verse dramas, notably The New England Tragedies (also complete), are remarkable in their range and ambition. As a special feature, this volume restores to print Longfellow's novel Kavanagh, a study of small-town life and literary ambition that was praised by Emerson as an important contribution to the development of American fiction. A selection of essays rounds out of the volume and provides testimony to Longfellow's concern with creating an American national literature.
825 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2000
34 people are currently reading
1231 people want to read
About the author
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
2,875 books731 followersExtremely 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 21, 2021
Although he is allegedly little-read today, Longfellow was the most popular American writer of the 19th century.
His poetry is frequently lovely and moving, and some of it -- for example, that which is the basis for the legend of Paul Revere -- is interesting, too!
I confess that I have never been a fan of long poems, such as his "The Song of Hiawatha" (probably the reason why I never got "into" Milton, too!), but the abundance of his shorter, more accessible works are lovely.
The poems in his "Tales of a Wayside Inn" made for interesting and fun reading, but they were also a reminder of a time -- long ago experientially but not so much so in actual years -- when "wayside inns" were a feature of the huge American landscape. (In Iowa there are still a few places left where still-standing buildings -- many of them in use as restaurants or taverns today -- were once a combination of stage-coach stops and resting places.)
I have long found poetry a welcome refuge from some of the worst features of the present, and it is indeed wonderful to encounter words and language being used to convey images of beauty and heart rather than the much sharper-edged, hurtful stuff being tossed around so freely these days.
If you like poetry, then I recommend at least "dipping into" Longfellow. You might stay for a while!
His poetry is frequently lovely and moving, and some of it -- for example, that which is the basis for the legend of Paul Revere -- is interesting, too!
I confess that I have never been a fan of long poems, such as his "The Song of Hiawatha" (probably the reason why I never got "into" Milton, too!), but the abundance of his shorter, more accessible works are lovely.
The poems in his "Tales of a Wayside Inn" made for interesting and fun reading, but they were also a reminder of a time -- long ago experientially but not so much so in actual years -- when "wayside inns" were a feature of the huge American landscape. (In Iowa there are still a few places left where still-standing buildings -- many of them in use as restaurants or taverns today -- were once a combination of stage-coach stops and resting places.)
I have long found poetry a welcome refuge from some of the worst features of the present, and it is indeed wonderful to encounter words and language being used to convey images of beauty and heart rather than the much sharper-edged, hurtful stuff being tossed around so freely these days.
If you like poetry, then I recommend at least "dipping into" Longfellow. You might stay for a while!
August 14, 2013
Longfellow is one of my favorite poets, though he is no longer held in the same high esteem that he once was. During his lifetime, he was widely regarded as the greatest American poet, and his works were very popular. In the twentieth century, "scholars" began to criticize Longfellow harshly, causing him to fall from popularity.
I happen to believe that poetry should speak to a broad audience and be understandable to anyone, not just a few self-appointed elites. I also happen to believe that "free verse" is not automatically preferable to more structured poetry. A good rhyme and meter scheme takes talent and real work, something that more modern "poets" lack.
Longfellow has both the technical skill and the inspired heart necessary to write good poetry, poetry that moves the soul. His poetry addresses not only the deeply spiritual matters of life, but also many of the burning issues of his day. For example, one poem that moves me every time I read it is "Warning," in which he personifies the entire institution of slavery as a modern Samson, and then, in the final verse, predicts the destruction that ultimately was wrought by the Civil War.
I am also very fond of The Song of Hiawatha and Tales of a Wayside Inn.
Others may read their cherished twentieth century and twenty-first century American "poets" (i.e., so-called poets). As for me, I will continue reading the real American poets, those of the nineteenth century and earlier. Longfellow is among those who wrote real poetry.
I happen to believe that poetry should speak to a broad audience and be understandable to anyone, not just a few self-appointed elites. I also happen to believe that "free verse" is not automatically preferable to more structured poetry. A good rhyme and meter scheme takes talent and real work, something that more modern "poets" lack.
Longfellow has both the technical skill and the inspired heart necessary to write good poetry, poetry that moves the soul. His poetry addresses not only the deeply spiritual matters of life, but also many of the burning issues of his day. For example, one poem that moves me every time I read it is "Warning," in which he personifies the entire institution of slavery as a modern Samson, and then, in the final verse, predicts the destruction that ultimately was wrought by the Civil War.
I am also very fond of The Song of Hiawatha and Tales of a Wayside Inn.
Others may read their cherished twentieth century and twenty-first century American "poets" (i.e., so-called poets). As for me, I will continue reading the real American poets, those of the nineteenth century and earlier. Longfellow is among those who wrote real poetry.
August 28, 2009
I have this in my poetry collection—so no one else will have too. Don’t worry. I’ve read all of the really good stuff for you. The rest I’ve ripped out.
“Her rattling shrouds, all sheathed in ice,
With the masts went by the board;
Like a vessel of glass, she stove and sank,
Ho! ho! the breakers roared!
At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach,
A fisherman stood aghast,
To see the form of a maiden fair,
Lashed close to a drifting mast.
The salt sea was frozen on her breast,
The salt tears in her eyes;
And he saw her hair, like the brown sea-weed,
On the billows fall and rise.”
“Her rattling shrouds, all sheathed in ice,
With the masts went by the board;
Like a vessel of glass, she stove and sank,
Ho! ho! the breakers roared!
At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach,
A fisherman stood aghast,
To see the form of a maiden fair,
Lashed close to a drifting mast.
The salt sea was frozen on her breast,
The salt tears in her eyes;
And he saw her hair, like the brown sea-weed,
On the billows fall and rise.”
May 14, 2020
گُل ها و دروگر / شعری از هنری ودزورث لانگ فلو/ فارسیِ رُزا جمالی
لانگ فلو از نسل شاعران اشراق گرای آمریکاست. در شعر های این شاعران مضامین مذهبی و عرفانی بسیاری دیده می شود و پرسش هستی و مرگ در شعر زیر قابل ملاحظه است؛ آن ها شاعرانی بودند که از فلسفه ی افلاطونی نو تاثیر پذیرفته بودند.
گل ها و دروگر
دروگری ست که نامِ دیگرِآن مرگ است
و با داسِ تیزش
دانه های به بار آمده را
به یک نفس
قلع و قمع می کند
با گل هایی که در میانه ی آن ها روئیده اند
با خودش می گوید: “این چه عدالتی ست؟
که این دانه های بارور را قلع و قمع کنم
و چقدر عطرِ این گل ها شیرین بود بر من
بر می گردانمشان!”
و بر گل ها با چشمانی پر از گریه و اشک می نگرد
و برگ های رو به مرگ را می بوسد
و این فقط به خاطر خداوندِ آسمان ها بود
زمانیکه آن ها را غلاف می کرد.
خداوند به شادی این خوشه ها محتاج است
دروگر این را گفت و لبخند بر لب آورد
که نشانه های عزیز زمینند این ها
زمانی که غنچه ای بودند
و آن ها دوباره در سرزمینِ نور خواهند روئید
و عزیزشان داشته ام که برویند
قدیسانی در جامه ای سپید
که بر تن آن هاست
و مادر آن ها را در اشک و درد به فرشته ی مرگ بخشید
آن گل ها که روزی دوستش می داشت
می دانست که دوباره می یابد آن ها را
در سرزمین نور که در آسمان ها است
نه در خشم و نه در ستم
دروگر آن روز آمده بود
و مرگ فرشته ای بود که به دیدارِ زمین می آمد
و گل ها را با خود می برد.
برچسبها: شعر, ترجمه شعر, رزا جمالی, هنری ودزورث لانگ فلو, شعر آمریکا
http://rosajamali.blogfa.com/post/100
لانگ فلو از نسل شاعران اشراق گرای آمریکاست. در شعر های این شاعران مضامین مذهبی و عرفانی بسیاری دیده می شود و پرسش هستی و مرگ در شعر زیر قابل ملاحظه است؛ آن ها شاعرانی بودند که از فلسفه ی افلاطونی نو تاثیر پذیرفته بودند.
گل ها و دروگر
دروگری ست که نامِ دیگرِآن مرگ است
و با داسِ تیزش
دانه های به بار آمده را
به یک نفس
قلع و قمع می کند
با گل هایی که در میانه ی آن ها روئیده اند
با خودش می گوید: “این چه عدالتی ست؟
که این دانه های بارور را قلع و قمع کنم
و چقدر عطرِ این گل ها شیرین بود بر من
بر می گردانمشان!”
و بر گل ها با چشمانی پر از گریه و اشک می نگرد
و برگ های رو به مرگ را می بوسد
و این فقط به خاطر خداوندِ آسمان ها بود
زمانیکه آن ها را غلاف می کرد.
خداوند به شادی این خوشه ها محتاج است
دروگر این را گفت و لبخند بر لب آورد
که نشانه های عزیز زمینند این ها
زمانی که غنچه ای بودند
و آن ها دوباره در سرزمینِ نور خواهند روئید
و عزیزشان داشته ام که برویند
قدیسانی در جامه ای سپید
که بر تن آن هاست
و مادر آن ها را در اشک و درد به فرشته ی مرگ بخشید
آن گل ها که روزی دوستش می داشت
می دانست که دوباره می یابد آن ها را
در سرزمین نور که در آسمان ها است
نه در خشم و نه در ستم
دروگر آن روز آمده بود
و مرگ فرشته ای بود که به دیدارِ زمین می آمد
و گل ها را با خود می برد.
برچسبها: شعر, ترجمه شعر, رزا جمالی, هنری ودزورث لانگ فلو, شعر آمریکا
http://rosajamali.blogfa.com/post/100
August 26, 2020
[Disclaimer: I've read only about half of this book, though that amounts to some hundreds of pages. But I am going to slow my reading to a few pages a night (or a single poem), so I figured I'd take this off of my "active reading" list. Plus, I feel like I have the Longfellowian "feel" at this point.]
Anyone that writes poetry inevitably falls into some camp of spiritual ancestor-authors who paved the way to the poet's present. When I look at my own writings, nascent as they are, and though I only recently discovered him, I can't help but feel some of Longfellow's fingerprints lingering there, among those of many others. Yet there are distinct contrasts. The subject matter is sometimes radically different. Many of my influences are decidedly (and obviously) more modern. Nor are our worldviews of a kind. (Faith plays a part in Longfellow's writing that simply doesn't exist for me; and while I can tap into it, having been raised in that larger tradition, it is not something that comes immediately to me.) But, those differences aside, there is the happy feeling of reading Longfellow that is similar to revisiting one's own memories. And that is a beautiful thing. You know a poet has done well when the individual approaches the universal.
Anyone that writes poetry inevitably falls into some camp of spiritual ancestor-authors who paved the way to the poet's present. When I look at my own writings, nascent as they are, and though I only recently discovered him, I can't help but feel some of Longfellow's fingerprints lingering there, among those of many others. Yet there are distinct contrasts. The subject matter is sometimes radically different. Many of my influences are decidedly (and obviously) more modern. Nor are our worldviews of a kind. (Faith plays a part in Longfellow's writing that simply doesn't exist for me; and while I can tap into it, having been raised in that larger tradition, it is not something that comes immediately to me.) But, those differences aside, there is the happy feeling of reading Longfellow that is similar to revisiting one's own memories. And that is a beautiful thing. You know a poet has done well when the individual approaches the universal.
February 23, 2020
Henry Longfellow’s poems and writings are nothing short of iconic. Keep Wikipedia open and ready for any names or mythology Longfellow alludes to in his writings to get the most out of his works. A poem that stuck out to me is “The Day is Done” which was absolutely lovely and cured any anxiety I had the day that I read it.
April 3, 2019
interesting
July 29, 2021
This isn't a review of Longfellow's poems. He is one of my favorite poets of all time, and, from this information, one can easily see what I think of them: they're wonderful. This review is for the Library of America edition specifically, which I found slightly disappointing. Like all Library of America volumes, it is well-bound and easy-to-read, but looking at the content itself we see that much of Longfellow's catalogue has been abridged ("selected") so that this volume does not contain his complete poetry. I know that the Library of America can publish some thick books--comparing this one to others, indeed, will show that this is one on the thinner side--such to the point that I know this was not a necessary culling of his work. I found the selection of prose to be lacking, as well: it doesn't contain his travelogues and most are quite short. Understandably, however, the addition of both his complete poems and travelogues (plus, perhaps, other writings) would have made need for more than a single volume. If you are a big fan of Longfellow, I wouldn't purchase this edition--if, however, you are just getting into him, or wish to read the material by him which have been deemed most important, then I would heartily recommend this edition.
October 24, 2013
I hesitate to rate this book, but give it four stars because many (so many) of the poems are so wonderful. And I flagged a good number for further reading and reflection. His insights are keen, his language rhythmical.
Some of the poems, to be sure, fall flat, with language that is trite and expressions which are tired.
My biggest problem with the book (which seems par for the course for many anthologies of poetry today) is the absence of introduction. The editor chooses not to tell us what inspired the poem and when Longfellow wrote it. And the notes seem severely lacking. The editor explains that away on p. 824 when he explains that he provided no notes for "material included in standard desk-referencce books".
We await someone to craft a book of Longfellow's "essential" poetry, offering a slimmer selection than this, with each poem introduced with a bit of background.
That said, this book did remind me of the importance of reading poetry on a regular basis and inspired me next to "tackle" Tennyson. And the Norton Critical Edition does appear to provide more notes of his works than does the LIbrary of America edition of Longfellow's.
Some of the poems, to be sure, fall flat, with language that is trite and expressions which are tired.
My biggest problem with the book (which seems par for the course for many anthologies of poetry today) is the absence of introduction. The editor chooses not to tell us what inspired the poem and when Longfellow wrote it. And the notes seem severely lacking. The editor explains that away on p. 824 when he explains that he provided no notes for "material included in standard desk-referencce books".
We await someone to craft a book of Longfellow's "essential" poetry, offering a slimmer selection than this, with each poem introduced with a bit of background.
That said, this book did remind me of the importance of reading poetry on a regular basis and inspired me next to "tackle" Tennyson. And the Norton Critical Edition does appear to provide more notes of his works than does the LIbrary of America edition of Longfellow's.
Read
January 30, 2022Silently, one by one,
in the infinite meadows of heaven,
Blossomed the lovely stars,
the forget-me-nots of the angels.
When poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie in 1847, he gave voice to a people who had been essentially forgotten and memorialized an event of historic significance, Le Grand Dérangement—the forced expulsion of Acadians from Nova Scotia. The poem brought recognition for a unique ethnic group and gave the world an enigmatic icon, Evangeline. History, fiction, pride, and poetry have since blended together with each generation. But the universal tenets embodied by Evangeline—love, perseverance, and hope, continue to resonate with people from all walks of life.
I explore the intriguing story behind Longfellow's Acadian icon in my upcoming book, Evangeline Reconsidered.
in the infinite meadows of heaven,
Blossomed the lovely stars,
the forget-me-nots of the angels.
When poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie in 1847, he gave voice to a people who had been essentially forgotten and memorialized an event of historic significance, Le Grand Dérangement—the forced expulsion of Acadians from Nova Scotia. The poem brought recognition for a unique ethnic group and gave the world an enigmatic icon, Evangeline. History, fiction, pride, and poetry have since blended together with each generation. But the universal tenets embodied by Evangeline—love, perseverance, and hope, continue to resonate with people from all walks of life.
I explore the intriguing story behind Longfellow's Acadian icon in my upcoming book, Evangeline Reconsidered.
March 18, 2016
Longfellow is among the great writers of human history, so this book is useful as a reference for his work. The endnotes, however, are sparse. A scholar needs more than this volume to get deep into his opus.
March 31, 2008
The Children's Hour is one of my all time favorite poems. It moves me every time I read it.
April 20, 2008
Very worthwhile.
December 19, 2008
While "Psalm of Life" stands as one of my favorite poems in existence, no one can surpass Eliot in my eyes.
July 29, 2011
This book is like an old friend to me.
August 29, 2014
This book is a great read!
March 27, 2015
LOVE! So talented and mesmerizing. My favorites are Hiawatha, The Courtship of Miles Standish, Evangeline, The Wreck of the Hesperus, The Village Blacksmith, and The Children's Hour.
February 22, 2017
"No carácter, na conduta, no estilo, em todas as coisas, a simplicidade é a suprema virtude."
February 12, 2021
It was a pleasure to read works by an American poet of the Romantic period who had travelled through Europe and incorportated the culture he had experienced into his writing. The legend and mythology that was infused in Henery Wadsworth Longellow's lyrical writing style was enthralling to immerse in.
August 18, 2024
More varied than I expected. Short poems, epic poems, a decent prose novella (Kavanagh). The latter reminded me a bit of Sarah Orne Jewett. So much of his work is really good, and he was a great wordsmith. To me, however, there are few instances of the sublime that make the reader pause and read again and again. No problem, these are still well worth the time.
January 21, 2025
It would have been nice if the notes on the back were attached to footnotes within the works themselves; that would’ve have made it much easier to read the notes while reading the poems they went with. However, Longfellow’s vocabulary and knowledge of other cultures was impressive throughout the book.
Read
June 20, 2019Means a lot to me. My Mother read it to us when we were children. We read from it almost every night.
January 16, 2020
him and whitman - like crack for lit junkie. I love it
January 16, 2023
A comprehensive compendium of Longfellow's writings. You can get lost for hours in this book if you are a fan of his work.
February 26, 2025
It was interesting to read a selection of his work, I skimmed through a lot of it. I guess I’m just not into poetry.
December 30, 2020
The Building of the Ship really struck a cord, but I found the rest of the poems to be convoluted.
January 2, 2024
Until goodreads fixes its app, this is all the review I can muster.
June 18, 2023
Well, okay, three stars for the poetry itself; Longfellow didn't often rise above the didactic and/or trivial (and I don't mean "trivial" as an indication of length!). But one of the family heirlooms I treasured most from my childhood was a volume of "The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow," published sometime around 1880, with gorgeous Romantic-Victorian etchings, pressed roses from forgotten ancestors, and so forth. My superbly unsentimental mother threw it out on one of her cleaning jags. Oh, to have been raised by a Prussian drill sergeant -- and Dad too.
The only serious fault with this volume, as far as I'm concerned, is that it didn't contain more of the poems, and, partly as a result, betrays somewhat odd selection criteria. Of course you have to include such clumsily formulated lessons in homey piety as "The Village Blacksmith" and "A Psalm of Life" (adorably semaphored by a cat in an Edward Gorey drawing, by the way), and I suppose editor McClatchy figured he had to offer a representative selection from all of the volumes of poetry Longfellow published. But seriously, a pointless triviality like "Vox Populi" and not "Delia"? -- a personal fave:
"Sweet as the tender fragrance that survives,
When martyred flowers breathe out their little lives,
Sweet as a song that once consoled our pain,
But never will be sung to us again,
Is thy remembrance. Now the hour of rest
Hath come to thee. Sleep, darling; it is best."
Yes, it's corny, but the brevity is admirable, and the ambiguity of the last line and a half really is exquisite.
Four stars for the edition.
The only serious fault with this volume, as far as I'm concerned, is that it didn't contain more of the poems, and, partly as a result, betrays somewhat odd selection criteria. Of course you have to include such clumsily formulated lessons in homey piety as "The Village Blacksmith" and "A Psalm of Life" (adorably semaphored by a cat in an Edward Gorey drawing, by the way), and I suppose editor McClatchy figured he had to offer a representative selection from all of the volumes of poetry Longfellow published. But seriously, a pointless triviality like "Vox Populi" and not "Delia"? -- a personal fave:
"Sweet as the tender fragrance that survives,
When martyred flowers breathe out their little lives,
Sweet as a song that once consoled our pain,
But never will be sung to us again,
Is thy remembrance. Now the hour of rest
Hath come to thee. Sleep, darling; it is best."
Yes, it's corny, but the brevity is admirable, and the ambiguity of the last line and a half really is exquisite.
Four stars for the edition.
April 10, 2025
Grandma's Book (Not sure if this is the same one it is very old)-In my library
May 29, 2013
Longfellow's poems were all exciting and intriguing. A lot of his poems seemed to being telling a story, which to me is practically always exciting and intriguing!!
A little note of my own:
Wisdom in poetry
I hath found.
Intellect and symmetry,
Beautifully bound.
“Art is long, and Time is fleeting”*
As he saith indeed.
Here I stand in awe repeating
The wise words I read.
So bear with me ‘til
The end of my rhyme
Inspired by his skill,
Greatest of all time.
*A Psalm of Life
Although My Lost Youth was not my favorite of his poems, I couldn’t help but write about the message easily found inside it. Normally I would say that the message was hidden in a poem as such that I would have to analyze it deeply to find its “hidden meaning,” yet the majority of his work seemed quite understandable and simple to follow. Anyways, I liked this poem because it can relate to basically everybody these days. Young kids can’t wait to be grown-ups and grown-ups wish they could be little kids again! It’s like what I used to say to my little brother a lot, “Enjoy life’s simplicity while it lasts…‘cause it doesn’t last long,” which I still sometimes believe is true.
However, I’ve also found, with the help of Longfellow, that there’s more to it than just the “enjoying life’s simplicity while it lasts” idea. After each section in the poem, he wrote, “A boy’s will is the wind’s will, and the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.” he wrote that numerous times in the poem, so he obviously thougth the point was important. Kids are always changing their minds just like how you just cannot control the wind’s “will.” When you’re younger, you can change your mind all the time and it won’t really hurt you. You can’t do that very much the older you get. Changing your mind on what you want changes how you get it. You can’t just make decisions like a leaf just flying with the wind.
I will leave with just one last line from his poem: “There are dreams that cannot die.” Totally! My favorite line in the entire poem.
A little note of my own:
Wisdom in poetry
I hath found.
Intellect and symmetry,
Beautifully bound.
“Art is long, and Time is fleeting”*
As he saith indeed.
Here I stand in awe repeating
The wise words I read.
So bear with me ‘til
The end of my rhyme
Inspired by his skill,
Greatest of all time.
*A Psalm of Life
Although My Lost Youth was not my favorite of his poems, I couldn’t help but write about the message easily found inside it. Normally I would say that the message was hidden in a poem as such that I would have to analyze it deeply to find its “hidden meaning,” yet the majority of his work seemed quite understandable and simple to follow. Anyways, I liked this poem because it can relate to basically everybody these days. Young kids can’t wait to be grown-ups and grown-ups wish they could be little kids again! It’s like what I used to say to my little brother a lot, “Enjoy life’s simplicity while it lasts…‘cause it doesn’t last long,” which I still sometimes believe is true.
However, I’ve also found, with the help of Longfellow, that there’s more to it than just the “enjoying life’s simplicity while it lasts” idea. After each section in the poem, he wrote, “A boy’s will is the wind’s will, and the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts.” he wrote that numerous times in the poem, so he obviously thougth the point was important. Kids are always changing their minds just like how you just cannot control the wind’s “will.” When you’re younger, you can change your mind all the time and it won’t really hurt you. You can’t do that very much the older you get. Changing your mind on what you want changes how you get it. You can’t just make decisions like a leaf just flying with the wind.
I will leave with just one last line from his poem: “There are dreams that cannot die.” Totally! My favorite line in the entire poem.
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