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Research Paper On Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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A turned tragedy Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born February 27, 1807 in Portland, Maine to Zilpah and Steven Longfellow. He was one of eight children, being the second oldest. He attended private school at the age of six. During his school years, he was well known for being scholarly and took education seriously. At age thirteen he published his first poem named, “The Battle of Lovell’s Pond.” At age fifteen Longfellow and his brother both enrolled at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. He mixed with the academically ambitious students including Nathaniel Hawthorne who later became a great friend of his. Longfellow’s father expected him to follow his footsteps in law, but Longfellow disagreed. After Longfellow was given contributions for education …show more content…

Longfellow includes, “Has lifted up for all, that he shall go / To his long resting-place without a tear” (lines 37-38). This quote signifies leaving earth in peace. Throughout the poem Longfellow describes autumn as a beautiful thing, yet people may see it as cold and sometimes gloomy. Life is also seen as sometimes gloomy, but when one appreciates things and seizes the moments, it is beautiful. From this the reader can view life differently and see the positive side of things. The issue that shape this work is that Longfellow was an independent person; he rarely expressed his feelings to others. Connecting himself to nature possibly made it easier to share emotion and relate to …show more content…

When a person is feeling lost and refuses to express emotion they can lose themselves in nature and release emotion. Many people find peace in nature and find it easier to release stress due to nature’s relaxing and calming qualities. This poem creates a short yet sweet getaway for a reader who is unresolved or feeling unpleasant emotions. For “The Evening Star,” the main concern of the poem is love. Longfellow includes, “Doust thou retire unto thy rest at night, / And from thy darkened window fades the light” (lines 13-14). He describes this woman as a heavenly glow, and when she goes away so does the light in his life. The issue that help shape this work is the love Longfellow had for his second wife, Fanny Appleton. The fact that she inspired him to write about her shows the amount of love and dedication he had for her. From this readers can get a deeper connection to Longfellow and understand him more. Students can gain from this work a deep understanding of love and how it can influence a writer. If Longfellow had not found this love, his works may have been gloomier and darker. Even though Longfellow was an introvert, if the reader is able to understand his writing on a deep level they may be able to have a connection with

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