Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)
Portland, Maine, United States

"And all the great traditions of the Past
They saw reflected in the coming time.

And thus forever with reverted look
The mystic volume of the world they read,
Spelling it backward, like a Hebrew book,
Till life became a Legend of the Dead."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow grew up next to the seaport, which kept him away from the New England Puritanical train of thought. The life of the port opened Longfellow's eyes as he met new people. At a young age, Longfellow was drawn to sounds, writing, and words. Irving's The Sketch Book heavily influenced his own thoughts. In 1826, he set out on a tour of Europe. He traveled in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and England, and returned to America in 1829. Besides writing, his teaching also heavily influenced people. However, Longfellow is a well-known American poet, for since the rhymes of Mother Goose, many have carried his work throughout life. Longfellow has the amazing skill of rhyming that gives his poems distinct character. His poems were also optimistic and hopeful, tying together fundamental motifs that every person could relate to. Longfellow was also unique for his choice of subjects as he included the rawness of America along with its original inhabitants, the American Natives, in his works. This was something bold for the time and very few poets included them.

Works
Hyperion (1839)
Evangeline (1847)
The Song of Hiawatha (1855)
The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858)
Tales of a Wayside Inn (1863)
Divine Comedy (1867)

Additional Information
Works of Longfellow: http://encyclopediaindex.com/b/cphwl10.htm

Sources:

Rabe, Roberto "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Biography." Homepage. 2001. http://EclecticEsoterica.com/longfellow_bio.html

"Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth" The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. New York: Columbia University Press, July 2001.