The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-04-06
Hcnry W. LOngreIIo1r.


A great loss has fallen upon American Iit
erature. One of our greatest, most admired
and best loved poets, Henry W. Longfellow,
has passed away at the ripe age of seventy
five, and in his de ath, which cannot be called
untimely, for he had finished his work and his
fame was established, this country will sim
eerely mourn the loss of an accomplished and
lovahle gentleman a ripe and versatile sghol-
az and graceful and refined poet, whose
poems will unquest.onably become classic
and stand as models of pure and elegant En=
glish.
Henry Wadsworth LohgfeIlow vas t6rn at
Portland, Me-, February q, fs07, and was
graduated at Bowdo.n College in 1896. DIR
ing his collegiate career he showed uilmis-
taxable signs of poetic talent. He at first en-
tered his fathers Office to study law, but soon
abandoned it to take the Professorship Of
Modern Languages and Literature in Bowdoin,
with the privilege of going abroad for pur-
poses Of study. He was absent in Europe
three years, aud up, his return filed his
Professors chair five years During this time
he wrote several brief fugitive POEMS and
also published his "Outre Nor" In 1885 he
succeeded Mr. Ticknor as Professor of Modern
Languages and Belles-Lettres at Harvard
University, and held the position until 1854,
enr,ching these years with splendid proofs of
scholarship and poetical genius, and great
ly increasing the dignity OF American letters
at home and abroad, so that he ultimately re-
ceived distinguished honors, not only from
Harvard, but from the great English universi-
ties of Cambridge and Oxford, which have
rarely re ,ognized American literary triumphs.
He resigned his Professorship at Harvard in
1854, but continued to reside in Cambridge in
the quaint but beautiful old house familiarly
known as Washington's headquarters, which
has been the literary Mecca of this country.
In that quiet and charming home, looking
out upon graceful lawns and gardens and
shaded by giant elms, he has passed his days,
interrupted by occasional visits to Europe,
where he was always received with special
honor. In the old rooms, where his genial
presence will now be sadly missed, he received
his fr ends who nocked to see him, dis
pensed his graceful hospitality, and wrote
those volumes of poems which from time to
time have so charmed his cOuntrymen and
the world. And what list they make,
and how beautiful all of them are-so
beautiful that each new one will call up
many advocates claiming its excellence over
the Others. The list of the more important is
as follows: "Coplas de Manrique," d trans
lation (1S33); "Outer Mer'' Qs35); "Hy-
perion :" QS39); Voices of the Night -
(1839); "Ballads and Other Poems " QS41);
Poems on Slavery I" Q842); "The Spanish
Student " (1s43); g Poets and Poetry of Eu-
rope " (1S45); The Belfry of Bruges " QS46);
"Evangeline" =" QS4O; Kavanagh,'' s tale
C849); "selside and Fires'de " (S5O)
1.-The Golden Legend y Q85D; ''The Song
of Hiawatha y QS55); 1.-THE Courtship
of Miles Standish y (1S5S); "Tales of
a Wayside Inn y Qs63); "Flower de
Luce y (1S67); "The New England
Tragedies /" QS6S); "The Divine Trae-
edy" Q872); aftermath y (1S74l; AMI
'The Hanging o. the Crane " QS74) Among
his great translations Is that of Dante's
"Divina Commedia :" into verse, which is
everywhere recognized as model translation.
AS poet Mr.. Longfellow was peculiarly re-
markable for the absolute purity, sweetness,
refinement and melody Of his verse. He was
in quick sympathy with all that belongs to
humanity, and, though rarely sounding the
great depths of passion, he swept every string
of beauty, path0s and tenderness, and was
pre-emfnently the poet of the home. In the
whole range of his poetry there is nothing
coarse, nothing bitter, nothing that does not
attract the reader to him and make him better
for the reading. He has not left line which
he could wish unwritten. He was a master of
beauty The Titan amongpoets, and especially
the master Of the finer and tenderer emotions
" On0 Hcalb, anu 4oI GnAS FesSSoH nc appealeu ID
the hearts of all and entered the circle of every
American home as a welcome and honored
guest. 1t is impossible at this time and in
this place to do full justice to the memory
and the works of the great poet 1t is only
the sad duty Of the newspaper chronicler to
announce the tidings of his death, which will
bring sorrow into many homes, and to mourn
the loss of so honorcd and revered a name in
the world of American literature leaving to
Others not engaged in the press and whirl of
daily news the grateful duty of paying the
need of honor due to the poct.-CAieagO T'ri6-