Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Research Paper

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"All things must change to something new, to something strange"- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Henry Longfellow was an esoteric author whose popularity started to aggrandize after writing works like Hyperion, Evangeline, and The Song of Hiawatha. With these works, Henry's popularity skyrocketed, and he soon became a prominent figure in 18th century literature. Henry's life journey from birth, to world renowned author, and finally, to his final resting place in Mount Auburn's Cemetery, is fascinating and easy to get engrossed in. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine on February 27, 1807. His parents, Stephen and Zilpah (Wadsworth) Longfellow, named him after his uncle, Henry Wadsworth, who served in the navy aboard the ship …show more content…

In 1810, three year old Henry attended his first school, a private school, alongside his older brother, Stephen Longfellow. At this school, Henry and his older brother meet the stern, autocratic teacher, Ma'am Fellows. Some time passes and Henry and his brother transfer to a public school. They continued to move from school to school before settling down at Portland Academy, where they remained before enrolling in college. At thirteen, Henry passed the Bowdoin College entrance exam, but he didn't attend the college till he was fourteen because, his parents decided it would be best for him to complete his education at Portland Academy. After graduating from Portland Academy, Henry, as planned, attended Bowdoin College skipping high school altogether. ("Stewart, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow") While at Bowdoin College, Henry met Nathaniel Hawthorne, a fellow novelist; Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth U.S. President; and Horatio Bridge, officer of the U.S. Navy; he was also elected into the Peucinian Society and placed fourth in a class of thirty-eight students. The Peucinian Society's book gatherings, debates, and discussions about contemporary writing made Henry consider pursuing a career in writing, much to his father's chagrin. Originally, Henry's father wanted him to be a lawyer, but Henry was dissatisfied with studying law and decided