Historical Profile: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Portland, ME. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was one of the most popular American poets of his day.  He was born in Portland, Maine.  Longfellow attended Bowdoin College and later became a professor of literature at Bowdoin and Harvard College. 

In May 1826, Longfellow traveled to Europe and during his trip he learned French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.  With his knowledge of foreign languages, Longfellow began translating textbooks from different languages into English.  In 1833, he published his first book which was a translation of poetry by the medieval Spanish poet Jorge Manrique.  In 1839, Longfellow published his first book of poetry called Voices of the Night.  Longfellow spent several years translating Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.  He was the first American to translate the Divine Comedy into English.

Longfellow was an abolitionist.  In 1878, he wrote in his journal: “I have only one desire; and that is for harmony, and a frank and honest understanding between North and South.”

There is a monument dedicated to Longfellow located in Portland, Maine.  The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Monument is located in Longfellow Square.  The monument depicts a bronze statue of Longfellow seated on a chair mounted on a granite pedestal.  Frank Simmons designed and constructed the statue of Longfellow and Francis H. Fassett designed the pedestal where the statue rests.  The monument was unveiled on September 29, 1888 and in April 1990 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Monument in Portland, Maine.