Notes on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Longfellow was a teacher and a poet. He was born in Portland in what is now Maine in 1807. (Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820.) He was probably the most popular poet of his day, writing such works as Hiawatha and Paul Revere’s Ride. He also translated works from other languages into English.

Longfellow was an abolitionist, which is reflected in his work from the 1840’s on.

Some of his work, such as Paul Revere’s Ride, were attempts to create American national epics, like an American version of The Iliad or The Odyssey.

Longfellow died in 1882.

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