Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life
In his lifetime, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-82) was the most popular English-language poet. Well into the twentieth century, his lyrics were popular recitation pieces, and his long narrativesTheCourtship of Miles Standish andEvangelineremained junior-high staples beyond mid-century. But now he needs the recent revival of interest of which Calhoun's wonderfully readable, sympathetic biography is one expression. As Calhoun grants, rehabilitating Longfellow's former literary reputation is almost certainly a lost cause. Yet much else about him merits greater attention. Having repaired to Europe in 1826 to prepare to teach modern languages at fitfully innovative Bowdoin College, his alma mater, Longfellow pioneered comparative literary studies there and later at Harvard. He favored female protagonists of great intelligence and strength of character in his narrative poems, and his biggest success,The Song of Hiawatha, was a milestone in developing interest in Native American culture. Unitarian, antislavery, genuinely interested in and friendly toward other cultures, he lacked bad habits and was a good family man--in short, the very best kind of Victorian liberal.Ray OlsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved