The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-04-01
Death Of the Poet Longfellow.

A great loss has fallen upon American H.
erature. One OF our greatest, most admired.
and best loved poets, Henry w. Longiellow.
has passed away at the ripe age Of seventy.
five, and in his death, which cannot be called
untimely, for he had finished his work and his
fame was established, this country will sim
cerely mourn the loss of an accomplished and
loyable gentleman, rire and versatile schol.
ar, and graceful aud refined poet, Whose
poems will unquest.onably become classic
and stand as models of pFe and elegant En-
glish.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born al
Portland, Me, February %, 1907, and was
graduated at Bowdon College in 1895 Dur
ing his collegiate career he showed unmis-
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, and up his return filled his.
Professors chair five years. During this time.
he wrote several brief fugitive poems and
also published his "Outre Mer" 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
his 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 uniyersi-
ties of Cambridge and Oxford, which have
rarely recognized American literary triumphs,
He resigned his Professorship at Harvard in
1854, but continued to reside in Cambridge in
the quaint but beautiful old house famarly
known as Wsshington'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 fir ends who focked 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 a 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 Manrilue," a trans
lation QS33); "Outer Mer'' Qss5); "Hy.
perion" Qs39); "Voices of the Night -
QS39) "Ballads and Other Poems - OS41);
Poems on Slavery " Qs42); 1.-THE Spanish
Student " (1S43); poets and Poetry Of Eu-
rope " (1S45); The Belfry of Bruges " QSi6y;
"Evangeline OS4O; Kavanagh,n tale
! Q49); seaside and Fires de " CS5Ol;
of Hiawatha QS55J; THE CourtshiP
of Miles Standish " 1889; "Tales of
| Wayside Inn QS63; Flower de
Luce " (1S60; "The New England
Tragedies - uS69; The Divine Trag-
edy5 Qs7?); aftermath " QS7D; ami
THE Hanging OF the Crane " lS74). Among
his great TRANSACTIONS is that Of Dante's
"Divina Commedia " into verse, which is
everywhere recognized IS model translation.
As a poet Mr.. Longiellow 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, pathos and tenderness, and was
| pre-eminently 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
| of the heart, and for this reason he appealed to
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 chrOniccr to
announce the tdings OF his death, which will
bring sorrow into many homes, and to mourn
| the loss of SO honOred and reycred 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 poet.-ChicGyo T'rtJ-
! UJte.