Drawing a parallel between life and a bleak day works out well where the ‘vine’ symbolises ‘thoughts’ and ‘dead leaves’ are helpless as is the lost youth. How often has one come across a Longfellow poem that speaks of hope and optimism after taking us through gloomy lanes and cloudy circumstances? Relatively young at the time of this publication, the poet prefers the lines to be conveyed from the viewpoint of an old, ageing person pondering over his past and youth. My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,īut the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,īehind the clouds is the sun still shining The vine still clings to the mouldering wall, Keeping in mind his inclination to romantic and sentimental works, he is aware of what he is best at. The poet is quite brave in pulling this off. A vivid imagery towards the end where ‘the moonlight is perceived to be a bridge’ turns out to be the icing on the cake. Quite strange it appears, yet the mention of ‘unseen planet’ and ‘ undiscovered planet’ further stress that uncanny forces may have had some role in the choices we make in this real world. The salient feature of this discussion is the gradual shift from after-world powers to how they govern the ambitions and aspirations of mortals. But then subtlety takes over and the reader is introduced to how psychic phenomena and worldly desires may go hand in hand. Written at a time when he was already renowned, Longfellow showcases his brilliance and versatility in what seems a ghostly poem at first. _Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss. O’er whose unsteady floor, that sways and bends, _A bridge of light, connecting it with this, So from the world of spirits there descends _Throws o’er the sea a floating bridge of light,Īcross whose trembling planks our fancies crowd _And the more noble instinct that aspires.Ĭome from the influence of an unseen star,Īnd as the moon from some dark gate of cloud The struggle of the instinct that enjoys, Wafts through these earthly mists and vapors dense _Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere The spirit-world around this world of sense _And hold in mortmain still their old estates. We have no title-deeds to house or lands įrom graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands, _The forms I see, nor hear the sounds I hear Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts, There are more guests at table, than the hosts We meet them at the doorway, on the stair, _With feet that make no sound upon the floors. The harmless phantoms on their errands glide, (Read an excellent essay on The Wreck of the Hesperus here)Īll houses wherein men have lived and died For simplicity and convenience, I have stuck to his English poems that run not more than 60 lines. It is an uphill task to compile his best ten, since many of his celebrated pieces like Paul Revere’s Ride, The Song of Hiawatha, Evangeline – A Tale of Acadie, The Wreck of the Hesperus, The Building of the Ship and My Lost Youth are long. With numerous translations from various languages, such as Spanish, German, and Italian, his popularity was perhaps something that any poet could only dream of. From being a cornerstone of American poetry and culture to being the most widely read poet in his lifetime, he dared to establish this very fact that Romanticism wasn’t confined to Europe (or British poets to be precise). Picking just 10 is a tricky equation when it concerns the works of a poet as prolific as Longfellow. Before television, radio, and film, he rose to become not just the leading poet and literary figure of 19th-century America, but also an American icon and household name.ġ0 Greatest Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow He served as a professor at Harvard University and was an adept linguist, traveling throughout Europe and immersing himself in European culture and poetry, which he emulated in his poetry. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (born Febru– died March 24, 1882) was an American poet of the Romantic period.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |