Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an acclaimed poet in the 1800s and the first non-British writer to have a honorary bust placed in Poet’s corner, Westminster Abbey, in 1884 (Belanger 1). He was very popular during his time and still is today. Many events in Longfellow’s life influenced what he wrote about and his style. Longfellow’s travels, schooling, and obstacles in life wholly created Longfellow’s simple and sentimental style of writing that was so admired. To begin, Longfellow was a fortunate man who was able to to travel and experience the world. One of these travels was a walking tour through Europe, visiting France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. While there for his studies to prepare him for his professorship in modern language at Bowdoin,
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Longfellow married Mary Storer Potter on September 14, 1831 (Belanger 1). Sadly, on his second voyage to study abroad in Europe around April 1835, his wife had a miscarriage and later on died in Rotterdam, Holland (American National Biography; Oxford University Press 1). She was one of Longfellow’s inspiration in “Footsteps of Angels” where he writes, “the Being Beauteous, / Who unto my youth was given, / More than all things else to love me, / And is now a saint in heaven” (Footsteps of Angels lines 21-24). Mary’s death also caused Longfellow to settle at Heidelberg, where he learned about German Romanticism (Encyclopaedia Britannica 1). Then in the summer of 1836, whilst traveling in Switzerland, Longfellow met Fanny Appelton, the daughter of a wealthy Boston Merchant named Nathan Appleton. At first their courtship was hairy. But Franny had a change of heart and they were wed in the summer of 1843. “The Bridge” is a record of Longfellow’s sufferings in this period of trying to win her over (American National Biography; Oxford University Press 2). But on July 8, 1861, Frances set herself aflame while trying to do her childrens hair up in locks (Belanger 2). After her death Longfellow fell into desolation and in need of spiritual relief, began to translate Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri from Italian to English. He
Longfellow married Mary Storer Potter on September 14, 1831 (Belanger 1). Sadly, on his second voyage to study abroad in Europe around April 1835, his wife had a miscarriage and later on died in Rotterdam, Holland (American National Biography; Oxford University Press 1). She was one of Longfellow’s inspiration in “Footsteps of Angels” where he writes, “the Being Beauteous, / Who unto my youth was given, / More than all things else to love me, / And is now a saint in heaven” (Footsteps of Angels lines 21-24). Mary’s death also caused Longfellow to settle at Heidelberg, where he learned about German Romanticism (Encyclopaedia Britannica 1). Then in the summer of 1836, whilst traveling in Switzerland, Longfellow met Fanny Appelton, the daughter of a wealthy Boston Merchant named Nathan Appleton. At first their courtship was hairy. But Franny had a change of heart and they were wed in the summer of 1843. “The Bridge” is a record of Longfellow’s sufferings in this period of trying to win her over (American National Biography; Oxford University Press 2). But on July 8, 1861, Frances set herself aflame while trying to do her childrens hair up in locks (Belanger 2). After her death Longfellow fell into desolation and in need of spiritual relief, began to translate Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri from Italian to English. He