Henry Wadsworth LongfellowThe Long Value of a FellowHow do you describe a poet when he has already described himself in his own words? Although Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is not popular, he is a true poet. As Arnold Bennett describes it, Longfellow is "the principal minor poet of the English language." However, among a series of harsh critics, they claimed that it was far from literary. It's quite the opposite. Longfellow attended Bowdoin College near Portland, Maine, where he was born and raised. The college offered him the newly created position of chair of modern languages. “Two things are striking about this event: the informality of the academic approach to language studies and the obvious natural gift that Longfellow possessed” (Fuller 3). Traveling throughout Europe before settling into his new job (as well as on numerous trips afterward), Longfellow practically learned languages ​​by osmosis. He spoke French, Spanish, Italian, German and a little Scandinavian very well. After leaving Bowdoin, he went on to teach at Harvard University. At this time, his pen began to constantly scratch prose and poetry. After nearly twenty years as a teacher, Longfellow retired and devoted himself to his craft of poetry. After sampling the random stanzas and meters of Longfellow's work, it is easy to identify his tone: uplifting, positive and somewhat radiant. In addition to his shorter pieces that evoke positive feelings, Longfellow also tells stories with his longer poetry. He used lyrical verse to describe, weave and introduce new characters or feelings. From the poem "The Skeleton in Armor" to "The Ride of Paul Revere," Longfellow opened worlds with his words, whether they were as real as the Revolutionary War, or as mystical as my...... middle of paper... ...Overall, the passion was under his skin. As he wrote in "Michael Angelo: A Fragment," "The fever of accomplishing a great work that does not let us sleep. I must continue until I die." It is unfair that Longfellow is not more praised as an American poet. , especially with a backpack loaded with achievements. Her journey through the literary world was difficult, but her perseverance left readers with a kind, unpretentious rhythm and words. Works Cited Fuller, Edmund. Introduction. Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1967. 1-13. Untermeyer, Louis. Introduction. American Poets: Longfellow. By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. New York: The Heritage Press, 1943. ix-xv. Wagenknecht, Edward. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: his poetry and prose. New York: The Ungar Publishing Company, 1986.