POETICAL WORKS OF LONGFELLOW

About the Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. He was also the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy and was one of the five Fireside Poets. Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine, which was then a part of Massachusetts. He studied at Bowdoin College. After spending time in Europe he became a professor at Bowdoin and, later, at Harvard College. His first major poetry collections were Voices of the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841). Longfellow retired from teaching in 1854 to focus on his writing, living the remainder of his life in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in a former headquarters of George Washington. His first wife Mary Potter died in 1835 after a miscarriage. His second wife Frances Appleton died in 1861 after sustaining burns when her dress caught fire. After her death, Longfellow had difficulty writing poetry for a time and focused on his translation. He died in 1882. Longfellow wrote predominantly lyric poems, known for their musicality and often presenting stories of mythology and legend. He became the most popular American poet of his day and also had success overseas. He has been criticized, however, for imitating European styles and writing specifically for the masses. Description: Book is a Octavo bound in black leather, and has a silver plated front cover. Engraved on the cover is a self-portrait of Longfellow, and has the dates of his birth and death. It has 1104 pages. Gilt engraving on the spine and along the top, front and bottom edges. The head and heel are slightly rubbed and bumped, with rubbing along the left side of the spine. There are large closed end tears towards the bottom, and a small tear on the top of the spine. The silver plated cover has slight dents and scratches. Marks on the front cover and back board. The binding is tight and in good condition. There is a bit of rubbing along the top, front and bottom edges. Offsetting to the front and rear pastedown, and also to the rear free end page. Title and first few pages are slightly bent. Overall the book is in a fair condition.