St. Landry democrat., 1882-04-22
Death OF the Poet Longfellow.

A great loss has fallen upon American lit-
eratura One of our greatest, most admired
and best loved poets. Henry W. LOngfelloW,
has passed away at the ripe age of seventy
five, and i'll his death, which cannot be called
uutinely, for he had finished his work and his
fame was established, this country will sin
ccrely mourn the loss of an accomplished and
loyahe gentleman, Il ri e and versatile schoi-
ar, and graceful and refined poet, whose
poems will un4uestonably become classic
and stand as models of pure and elegant En-
glish.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born at
Portland, Me-, February 81, 1907, and was
graduated at Bowdoin College in 1925. 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 Professorshp 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 upon 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 Bclles-Lettres at Harvard
University, and held the position until 1854,
enriching 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 universe
ties of Cambridge and Oxford, which have
rarely recognized American literary triumphs.
He resigned his ProfeSsorship at Harvard i'll
1854, but continued to reside in Cambridge in
the quaint but beautiful old house Familiarity
known as Washngton'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 friends 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 Manri4ue," a trans
laton QS33); "Outer Mer' (le35); ely
perion" 0S39); "Voices of the Night -
QS39); "Ballads and Other Poems - QS4D;
Poems on Slavery" QS42); THE Spanish
Student QS43); . Poets and Poetry Of Eu-
ropen QS45); The Belfry of Bruges' QS46);
"Evangeline 0S4O; Kavanagh," tale
(ls49); Seaside and Fires de" QS5GS;;s
s'The Golden Legend J" QS5D; THE Song
Of Hiawatha =" Gs55); ,os 1.-The Tourtship
Luce $ 9''( ds60; The New England
Tragedies ) Qs6s); 1.-THE Divine Trag-
edy' QS72); aftermath y Qs74); AMI
The Hanging of the Crane QS74). Among
his great TRANSACTIONS is that Of Dante's
''Divina Commedia y into verse, which Is
everywhere recognized SIS a model translation.
As poet Mr.. Longfelow was peculiarly re-
markable for the absolute purity, sweetness,
refinement and melody of his verse. He was
in quick sympathy with all that belongs tn
humanity, and, though rarely sounding tue
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 mot
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 among poets, 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 welcome and honored
guest. 1t is impossible at this time and i'll
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 honored and revered 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.-Chicogo Irib-