The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-04-13
Henry Wordsworth LongreIIow.

Whatever may be said of the prefer
ence of scholarly people, there can be
no question that Longfellow was the
most popular of the American poets not
only at home, but in the United King
dom and the British Colonies as we'll.
man of books, Mr.. Longfellow lived, new
ertheless, outside of the rigid barrier of
exclusiveness within which many liter
airy folks enclose themselves. His poetry
made him known to everybody, not as
member of cultured class, but as
gentle, sympathetic, refined and gener-
GUS thinking man. The man and the
poet are one in the popular estimation,
and they loved both him and his verses,
these because they are revelation OF
such sweet, gentle, wise and loving man
hood as every body enjoys to find. Mr.
Longfellow's life was widespread bless
ing. He moved the great heart of ma
lions to sympathy with the wronged to
gentle and refined delight, and seldom to
indignation at the oppressor, indigna-
ton being more than outweighed in feel
ing for the victim. The subject of our
sketch was born at Portland, Me-, on the
9th of February, 1907. His father was an
attorney -at-law. In 1921 he entered
Bowdoin College, and was graduated
therein four years later. He then
read law few months in his fathers Of
fee, pursuit which, happily, he did
not continue, friends who knew
his genius by acquaintance
with his college life, providing him the
opportunity of an occupation more con-
genial. They offered him the position
Of professor of modern languages at
Bowdoin, one entirely proper to his bent.
qualify himself the better for its duties,
to Mr.. Longfellow spent the three years
and half Immediately succee ling his
acceptance of the offer, in Europe, visit
ing France, Spain, Italy, Germany,
Holland and England for that purpose.
He came home in 1929, and began his
professorship at Bowdoin, which con-
George Tlcknor, who held the cores
ponding position in Harvard University,
resulted in his acceptance of the vacant
professorship in that eminent seat Of
learning. Before actually entering upon
its duties, he again went to Europe, this
time visiting the Scandinavian countries,
Germany and Switzerland, mainly with
the view of promoting his acquaintance
With the literature of Northern Europe.
In the autumn of 1886, he began to
teach in Harvard, and continued there
eighteen years, when he was succeeded
in his position by James Russell Lowell.
Mr.. Longfellow's career as an author
dates from his undergraduate days, dur
ing which he contributed poetry to the
columns of The United States Liter
airy Gazette. While at Bowdoin
some able pieces of literary criticism,
the products of his fertile pen, were
printed in the North American Review.
His first volume of poems saw the light
in 1888, since which, at notinfrequent in
tervals, new volume has appeared, al
ways welcomed with pleasure by large
constituency Of admiring, loving read
ers. There is no occasion whatever to
detail the numerous productions of his
pen. Perhaps "Evangeline" and "Miles
Standish" are the best of his longer
pieces. In the writer's opinion, his
most effective works is seen insome of his
lyrics, which are perfect in their con-
struction and pervaded with sweetness,
pensive tenderness and humanity. They
are carried in the memory of thousands
ON both sides of the Atlantic, and
are gems which permanently enrich
the literature of nations. Hyperion"
a romance, is not SO we'll known as Mr..
Longfellow's poetry. His translation Of
Dante, published in 1868. cannot be said
to have superseded that of Cary. As was
before suggested, Mr.. Longfellow's
poetry is not characterized by strength
or greatness, but by gentleness, sweet
ness and refinement. the product Of vast
labor, but free from pedsntry and affecta-
ton. He has given eloquent and simple
voice to the convictions and emotions of
good, everyday kind of people.
Since 1885, Mr.. Longfellow made two
trips to Europe, one in 1912, and the
second in 1868 and 1869. On the last
occasion, he was made doctor of laws
by the University OF Cambridge, Eng
land, and doctor of civil law by that Of
Oxford in the same country. In 1873, he
was elected member OF the Russian
Academy Of Science, and in 1877 OF the
Spanish Academy. His works have been
translated into the Continental languages ,
n Europe. Mr.. Longfellow was an
American whose illustrious fame digni-
fes his native land, and whose produc-
tions adorn and invariably benefit human
nature.
To-day the civilized world is in mourn
ing over the sad intelligence flashed over
the wires this morning that Henry Wads-
worth Longfellow, the most eminent of
American poets, died yesterday, in the
city Of Boston, at the advanced age of
seventy-6ve years and twenty five days.
II From Portland Evanin0 TaloUram