longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator who was among the most influential figures in 19th-century American literature. A member of the Fireside Poets, his work was widely read at home and used in schoolroom recitation. His poetry combined romanticism with accessible rhyme and moral themes, helping to shape a national literary voice.

Born in Portland, Maine, Longfellow studied at Bowdoin College, graduating in 1825. He spent time in Europe, absorbing continental literature and language study, and later became a professor of modern languages at Harvard University, a post he held for many years. He wrote extensively for a broad audience, drawing on American history, folklore, and classical tradition.

Notable works include Evangeline (1847), The Song of Hiawatha (1855), and The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858). He also produced popular shorter poems such as A Psalm of Life and The Village Blacksmith, and gained fame for Paul Revere's Ride. In addition, he prepared a widely read English translation of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, published in the late 1860s.

Longfellow's success helped establish American poetry as a national literature during a period of expansion and conflict leading up to and following the Civil War. His work was widely admired in his lifetime, though later critics have debated its sentimentality and idealism. He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1882, leaving a legacy as one of America's most celebrated poets.