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The Story Behind I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

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The Story Behind “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s life around the time of the Civil War was less than easy. Death and injuries in the family weighed upon him. But the poem he wrote on Christmas Day in 1863 shows the hope he found that right would prevail. Henry loved his wife, Fannie, and it was hard on him when she died. Her death was the result of getting her clothes caught on fire while, with hot wax, she was sealing an envelope. Hot wax had fallen onto her dress. Before Fannie noticed what had happened, it had been fanned into a flame by some wind coming from an open window of their house. Henry tried to put the fire out. First he attempted to do that with a rug, then he tried to put out the hot flames with his own …show more content…

Death and injuries in the family weighed upon him. But the poem he wrote on Christmas Day in 1863 shows the hope he found that right would prevail. Henry loved his wife, Fannie, and it was hard on him when she died. Her death was the result of getting her clothes caught on fire while, with hot wax, she was sealing an envelope. Hot wax had fallen onto her dress. Before Fannie noticed what had happened, it had been fanned into a flame by some wind coming from an open window of their house. Henry tried to put the fire out. First he attempted to do that with a rug, then he tried to put out the hot flames with his own body. But Fannie passed away the next day, and because of his own burn injuries and also his grief over his loss, Henry was not able to attend her funeral. Because of facial burns, Henry grew a beard to help hide the marks. Then two years later, Henry’s son Charley left home to fight in the Civil War but didn’t ask for permission to do so from his father. When Henry was questioned by Captain W. H. McCartney when Charley was trying to apply as to whether he could be a soldier, Henry gave permission for him to do

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