Date of Birth: February 27, 1807
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Date of Death: March 24, 1882
Biography
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works are considered a cornerstone of 19th-century American literature. Born in Portland, Maine, which was then part of Massachusetts, Longfellow became one of the most popular poets of his time and is still celebrated today for his lyrical and narrative poetry. He attended Bowdoin College, where he became lifelong friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne. After graduation, he traveled to Europe, absorbing the literary cultures of several countries, which heavily influenced his writing style. Longfellow’s career took off with the publication of “Voices of the Night” in 1839, which included the well-known poem “A Psalm of Life.” His subsequent works, like “Evangeline,” “The Song of Hiawatha,” and “The Courtship of Miles Standish,” solidified his reputation as a masterful storyteller and poet. In addition to his poetry, Longfellow was a professor at Harvard University, where he taught modern languages and translated works from several European languages.
5 Interesting Facts about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1. Longfellow was the first American to translate Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy.”
2. He was a polyglot, fluent in multiple languages including French, Italian, Spanish, and German.
3. In 1861, Longfellow’s second wife, Frances Appleton, died in a tragic fire, deeply affecting him and his poetry.
4. His home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, now known as the Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, served as George Washington’s headquarters during the Siege of Boston.
5. Longfellow was honored by the British with a bust in Westminster Abbey’s Poets’ Corner, the first American to receive such an honor.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1. “Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time.”
2. “Into each life, some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.”
3. “Music is the universal language of mankind.”
4. “A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books.”
5. “Art is the child of Nature; yes, her darling child, in whom we trace the features of the mother’s face.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s highest net worth achieved was estimated to be around $300,000 at the time of his death, which would be equivalent to several million dollars today when adjusted for inflation.
Children
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had six children with his second wife, Frances Appleton: 1. Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844–1893) 2. Ernest Wadsworth Longfellow (1845–1921) 3. Fanny Longfellow (1847–1848) 4. Alice Mary Longfellow (1850–1928) 5. Edith Longfellow (1853–1915) 6. Anne Allegra Longfellow (1855–1934)
Relevant Links
