The Story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

by Catherine Owens Peare

“I want to be a writer. My whole soul burns most ardently for it.”

No one loved rambling through the woods and watching ships come and go from the port near his home as much as young Henry Longfellow. As he observed the world around him, words danced in his mind, and his very first poem, written at the age of thirteen, was a published success! Henry’s father, however, had other plans for his son. He wanted him to practice law. While respecting his father and persevering in his studies, young Henry found the way to follow his heart and become a great poet. His life was a grand though sometimes heartbreaking adventure, and the lessons he learned contributed to the greatness of his writing.

Genres: History, School

87 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

Reviews

[chloe adell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it for school, but it was quick and easy. I enjoyed it more than I expected to!

[Ruth Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a meaty biography, this isn't it, but if you're looking for a sweet, heartwarming biography that will deepen your love for Mr. Longfellow and his poetry, this is the book for you. This is a great book for someone who would like to be introduced to Mr. Longfellow, as well as old friends.
The poetry scattered throughout this short biography was both familiar and new. I've never read his epic poems, like "Hiawatha" or "Evangeline" but now I really want to!

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

School read & Audiobook 🎧

Liked this more than I expected, short and cool story.

[Darren Schilling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what to say. It's a brief biography of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of America's most prominent writers. It doesn't do a terrible job summarizing his life, but it glosses over large portions of his life to achieve its brevity. Also, it dedicates entire chapters to what I can only assume are excerpts of Longfellow's poems, which shrinks even further the amount of time spent on Longfellow's actual life.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened to get a collection of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poems from the library recently, and then remembered that we had this book on hand as part of our homeschool curriculum, so I'm reading both concurrently. It added to my appreciation of his poems. A very short, simple book, obviously written for a younger audience, but well done, and a quick little overview of his life.

[Julia Elkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every poet must read this! Longfellow’s story is so inspiring! And this author did a great job of writing it. I have heard the poet’s story before, but never have I enjoyed it so much!

I read this book for school, but I would gladly read it again just for fun. It was truly delightful!

[Krista Babel]

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