Tag Archives: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The near loss of a son inspires a song of hope

Grieving a loss is always painful, but grieving during the holiday season when most other people seem so cheerful is especially hard. This was the position of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in December, 1863. Two years earlier, his beloved wife, Fanny, … Continue reading

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“Christmas Bells” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The poem that inspired "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" carries an important message

  You’ve probably heard the Christmas carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” at some point (maybe even this Christmas season), but did you know that it was inspired by a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow? The poet penned … Continue reading

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“There is no grief like the grief that does not speak.”

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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“Nature” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow puts an interesting spin on the personification of death

You’ve no doubt caught on to the pun of my column’s title, “The Next Chapter”; how my posts are about literature, thus “chapters,” and also how death is a kind of “next stage” in life. This idea of death as … Continue reading

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