Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and "Evangeline". He was also the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy and was one of the five members of the group known as the Fireside Poets.

Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine and studied at Bowdoin College. After spending time in Europe he became a professor at Bowdoin and, later, at Harvard College. His first major poetry collections were Voices of the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1842). Longfellow retired from teaching in 1854 to focus on his writing, though he lived the remainder of his life in Cambridge, Massachusetts in a former headquarters of George Washington.

Longfellow predominantly wrote lyric poetry, known for its musicality, which often presented stories of mythology and legend. He became the most popular American poet of his day and also had success overseas. He has been criticized, however, for imitating European styles and writing specifically for the masses.

Lineage Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, son of Zilpah Wadsworth 1778, Brig. General Peleg Wadsworth 1748, Peleg Wadsworth 1715, John Wadsworth 1672, John Wadsworth 1638, William Wadsworth 1555. Hannah Wadsworth 1750 married John Bigelow 1739. Hannah Wadsworth was the daughter of Samuel 1716, Jonathan 1687, Joseph 1650, William 1594, William 1555.