Henry Longfellow, Wadsworth : The Fireside Poet

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

(187-1882)

American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born into a well-to-do family in Portland, Maine on 27^th Feb 1807. He received his early education at Harvard University. He traveled (in 1826-1829) widely in Europe when he was young. Then he became a professor of modern languages at Harvard until 1854. HE was a man of broad culture and was one of the groups of New England writers for whom the term Brahmin was coined.

Longfellow published a book of travel reminiscences and in 1839 he published a semi-autobiographical novel, HYPERION which reflected his mood after the death of his first wife. In the same year, he brought out his first collection of poems; Voices in the Night. Some of his most memorable poems, including “The Wreck of the Hesperus” came out in his Ballads and other poems in 1842. Among later ballads was the famous ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’ in 1863.

His reputation was already high when he published the first of his long narrative poems, “Evangeline” in 1847, about the plight of exiles from Nova Scotia in Louisiana. “The Song of Hiawatha” (1835) his Red Indian tale, was written in a disastrously monotonous rhythm. The work on which e himself set most stores was the “Trilogy Christus” (1872) consisting of “The Divine Tragedy”, “The Golden Legend” and “New England Tragedies”. His last works, “Ultima Thule” of 1880 and ‘In the Honor of 1882, showed no failing of his powers.

Despite his vast contemporary reputation, his powers were never very great. He had skills, good well, and good taste. He had wide learning, but little intensity.

In March 1882, Longfellow suffered from stomach pain. He lived through the pain for several days with the help of opium before he died, surrounded by family on Friday, 24^th March 1882. He had been suffering from peritonitis. At the time of his death, his estate was worth an estimated $356,320. He is buried with his both wives at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

visit my website:

Comments

Meerthi, Ismail : Khan Sahib

Ismail Meerthi: (1844–1917) Maulvi Ismail Meerthi born on 12 November 1844 in Meerut, was an Urdu poet, Schoolteacher, and Educationist. He was home-schooled by his father Sheikh Piir Bakhsh., later he received his higher education in the Persian language from Mirza Rahim Baig, who replied Ghalib's Qati-e-Burhan by writing Sati-e-Burhan. At first Ismail was not interested in poetry but his contemporaries, especially Qalaq's companionship, attracted him to poetry. Initially, he wrote some ghazals which were published under pseudonyms. After that he turned to Nazms. Later, he had a long and strong acquaintance with Munshi Zakaullah and Muhammad Hussain Azad. And thus, his poems became popular in Urdu. Due to his ability and literary services, the government of the time gave him the title of " Khan Sahib ". Ismail Meerthi had a important place among those who introduced Urdu literature to modern Nazm-composition. The books written before the failed war of Independenc...

HOOD, THOMAS: British Romantic Poet

HOOD, THOMAS: (1799-1845) Thomas Hood English poet and writer was the son of a publisher and bookseller whose death in 1811 led to his education being curtailed. Thomas Hood worked as an engraver. In 1821 he got a job in London Magazine as an editorial assistant, the owners of which were old friends of his father's. He thus found himself at the heart of the literary scene. His first volume, written in collaboration with his friend Joshua Reynolds was ' Odes ' and ' Addresses to Great People ' published in 1825. From that book, he gained fame as a satirical poet. Two more collections of magazines and articles followed it entitled ' Whims ' and ' Oddities ' in 1826 and 1827. He edited and published his work in a number of periodicals including ' The Gem ', ' Comic Annuals ', ' New Monthly Magazine, and finally Hood's Own '. Despite the fact that Hood was favorite family reading for years, he was always short of money. He ...

Ahmed, Deputy Nazir: The first Urdu Novelist or Shams-ul-Ulema

Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi: (1836-1910) Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi also known as Deputy Nazir Ahmad is a pioneer in many fields: he is the first Urdu novelist and also the first visionary who created a respectable storehouse of literature for women. He is also the person who visualized a manifesto for feminism, apart from translating the Indian Penal Code into Urdu called ' Taazeerat-e-Hind ' for the first time. This book was too well received both by the British administration and judiciary. Nazir Ahmad was born on December 06, 1936, in Bijnaur district of Uttar Pradesh, India. He received his early education from his father, 'Maulvi Saadat Ali', who was a teacher himself. After this, he joined Delhi’s Aurangabadi Madrasa where he was taught by Maulvi Abdul Khaliq. During his stay in Delhi, he used to live in a mosque located in Punjabi Katra. During those days, students had to collect their daily meals from different families in the locality. Nazir Ahmad also followed this exercise a...

Historical Trivia

Search This Blog