DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Birthday - February 27th, 1807
Check out the References Page for the resources we use to research the holidays and special days.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a very popular American poet in the 19th century and is known as one of the five "Fireside Poets". He was born on February 27th, 1807 in Portland, Maine. His father was a lawyer and congressman, his maternal grandfather was a Revolutionary war hero, and he had seven siblings. He attended Bowdoin College, which was a private liberal arts college in Maine, and heavily participated in the school's literary societies. He also spent some of his time writing for publicatins and public speaking.
His father urged Longfellow to become a lawyer but a modern languages position opened up at Bowdoin College and Longfellow was accepted under the condition that he visit Europe to study romance language first. He also decided to take the time to learn French, Spanish, Italian, and German. When he returned, he became a professor and also began courting his future wife, Mary Potter. Once they were married, they embarked on another journey to Europe. Sadly, Mary passed away after complications during pregnancy. The loss of his wife, was heartbreaking for Henry and he remained in Europe—mainly Heidelberg, Germany—for awhile longer coping with the loss and emersing hiself in German literature.
When he returned to the United States, Longfellow took up a post at Harvard University. Although most of his time was spent teaching and preparing lectures, he did have time to publish his first collection of poems. He also found love again and married a young woman named Frances Appleton (they were very happy together and had six children).
Eventually, he resigned his post at Harvard to write poetry full time. He was a very accomplished poet who wrote countless poems and poetry books and his work was published by dozens of publishing companies in North America and Europe. His poems covered many topics such as the Civil War, his experiences as a teacher, and his journeys to Europe. He also had many admirers—from Abraham Lincoln to Charles Dickens. He passed away in 1882 at the age of 75 after leading a long, succesful life and inspiring many. He is one of the few American poets who have been commemorated in the Westminster Abbey Poet's Corner.
Below are several of Longfellow's poems along with crafts to suit those poems. Which poem is your favourite? He is best know for his lyric poems that lend themselves well to music. Can you imagine singing any of his poems?
 |
|
An April Day Poem: |
|
 |
Printable Poem: An April Day |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
The Rainy Day Poem: |
|
 |
Printable Poem: The Rainy Day |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
The Reaper and the Flowers Poem: |
|
 |
Printable Poem: The Reaper and the Flowers |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Snowflakes Poem: |
|
 |
Printable Poem: Snowflakes |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Other Holidays You May Be Interested In:
- World Poetry Day – March 21st
- Poetry Reading Day – April 28th