Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-03-29


own life wa. an illustration that
The heights by great men reached and key;
Were not attained by sudden flight
We're toilins upward in the night"
Mr. Longfellow was born in Portland,
Maine, February q. 1907. His father was
leading lawyer Of the state and repre-.
sentative in Congress from 1928 to 1926.
His uncle, for whom he was named, fell
while bravely fighting in the harbor of
Tripoli. Henry was educated in the
schools Of Portland and at Bowdoin COL
lege. Among bis college classmates were
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Pres. Franklin
Pierce. While in college he wrote several
poems, some of which were published and
met with 4 catering reception. When
only nineteen he was elected to the new
professership Of modern languages in his
alma mater. The election was said 10
have been secured through the great
beauty ola translation from Horace which
be had read at one examination. After
spending three years in Europe in prepar-
atory study he entered upon the duties of
his professorship and occupied the chair
FIVE years. At the end of that time be was
elected to the same position in Harvard
University. After spending two years
more in study in Europe he entered upon
the duties Of bis Harvard professorship,
which, with an interval of travel, he con
tinued until he was succeeded, in 1851, by
James Russell Lowell, the presen. minis.
ter to England. Harvard University and
the University Of Cambridge, England
both conferred upon him the degree OF
Ill d., Oxford gave him d. c. L., he was
elected member of the Brazil historical
and geographical society, Of the scientific
academy of St. Petersburg, and of the
royal academy Of Spain, besides receiving
large number of similar honor5. His
fame was worldwide, bis works having
been translated into various languages.
Longfellow was prodigious worker
aud prolific writer both Of prose and poe
try. He contributed for the newspapers,
the magazines, the reviews, wrote books
and made extensive translation from va
rious foreign tongues. Among his prose
works Is " Kavaraugh," novel, which,
though written in prose form, has much Of
the poetic fire, Besides large numbers Of
translations of shorter poems he published
a careful version of Dante.
OF his poems it is hard to mention any
without giving the whole list, but perhaps
the following are among the best: Voices
of the Night; Spanish Student; Belfry OF
Bruges; Evangeline; Hiawatha; Tales of
a Wayside Inn; Birds of Passage; The
Skeleton in Armor; Masque of Pandora
Hanging Of the Crane, and Courtship oi
Miles Standish. The works have had an
immense circulation, as long ago rs 1857
more than 325,S00 copies having been sold
in this country alone. His name is Q
household word and the book containing
his poems is 4 household book. 1t is
almost daily read, when
" The day is done, and the darkurs.
Falls from the wing of u ight
| AS feather is waited downward
From an eagle in his flight"
Then ii is that we love to take his works
and
Read from the treasured volume
The poem OF thy choice,
Aud lend to the rhyme OF the poet
The beauty Of thy voice.
And the night shall be hlleI with muse.
And the cares that intest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs.
! Aud az silently steal away"