The Complete Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge.
Original Publisher: J. R. Osgood

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Fiction, Literature, American

294 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1848

About the author

An extremely popular American poet in his own lifetime, Longfellow's best-known works include The Song of Hiawatha (1855), a translation of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, done in 1864-67, Paul Revere's Ride and Evangeline. He's one of the New England poets now typically referred to as the Fireside Poets.

Longfellow graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825, and after studying in Europe for several years subsequently became Bowdoin's professor of modern languages and librarian. After further study in Europe, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts to become professor of modern languages at Harvard in 1836. Meanwhile, Mary Potter Longfellow, his first wife, had died in 1835, following a miscarriage.

His first published collections of poetry were Voices of the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841). In 1854, he retired from teaching to focus on his writing. His second wife, Frances Appleton Longfellow, died in 1861 of burns sustained when her dress caught fire. After her death, for some time Longfellow had difficulty writing original poetry, and focused on translations from foreign languages.

Longfellow wrote lyric poetry noted for its musicality, and often presented stories of mythology and legend. He frequently imitated European poetic styles (and his work was popular in Europe in his day, as well as in the U.S.). As a Romantic poet, he seeks primarily to express and to evoke emotion in his poetry.

Reviews

[Velvetink · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've got my grandfather's edition of 1918 the cover is padded and falling apart. I love it so much

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh well, they can't all be gems. But of course many of them are. If I were to re-read, I would definitely skip a lot of the long-form plays and moralizing.

[Halfdime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread, I remember enjoying more when I was younger.

[Susan Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother read this book to me when I was a young child. I often fell asleep memorizing Longfellow's poems. They still hold the same magic as then. "The Village Blacksmith" and "The Wreck of the Hesperus" remain my two favorites. Both are written in iambic tetrameter. Longfellow writes of life's everyday events revealing the majesty found in the simplest of acts. Every poetry lover should have a copy of this amazing volume.

[Archana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does Not have the Black/Night mode to read

This is a great collection by Delphi !!! However the fact that you cannot read it in the Black/Night mode makes the whole effort of putting this compilation together Redundant !!!! This is true for all other Delphi Classics collections ( Dickinson, Wordsworth, Shakespeare , Bronte's , Austen etc.) Please do something about it for all those who have already purchased them.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a 1st edition of the complete works. The beauty of the tone of literature of this time is unforgettable. Hiawatha, The Quadroon Maiden, Paul Revere, are stunning works- read in the context of the times and the political statements of the period, and this is a volume that should be read more often.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to an audio version of this and, while it was good poetry, I found myself getting bored with it. I think maybe it might have been better to study one poem per day, in an effort to gert more out of it. I enjoyed it, but it could've been better.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a first edition of this book that was well loved by a true fan of Longfellow. it is filled with original newspaper clippings about Longfellow and anything to do with his family.
it makes the book an even more enjoyable experience.

[Chalan Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only poetry I've read that was refreshingly optimistic. But after a while, I longed for some dark Frost or Blake.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This edition was given to my Grandfather; Carl Campbell Price in 1920 in Dillon, MT by his mother: Elizabeth Sadler Price.

[Ming · Rating 3 out of 5]

great american poet... modern poets could use a healthy dose of his optimism

[London · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shelf: Accepted.

[Janise Evangeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a lot of meaning in my life, as my middle name is Evangeline, I have always been proud of my middle name, because of this book, and what it symbolizes in my life.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

More towards 3 and half stars. A mixed bag, some I really liked and other I skipped completely over. I could happily pick this up again and flick through it.

[Jennifer Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love his poetry. I chose it all the time for high school speech competitions.