Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1807–1882
Born the second of eight children into a prominent Maine family, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow grew to become one of the most popular American authors. His beloved family, and the devastating losses of two wives and one little daughter, served as inspiration for many of his poems about children and idyllic family life. His poetry is some of the most easy to understand and appreciate, to modern ears (in my opinion!). I hope you and your children enjoy getting to know him and his work.
How to use this resource
As you can see, this page is chock-full of excellent resources to help you learn more about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his work. Some folks have specific things they are looking for. Others are just along for the ride of random exploration. Many of our members have told us that they would prefer a more guided tour that’s already figured out for them, so we now offer that option as well.
You can sign up to receive our 5-Day Tour Guide, which will bring a simple email to your inbox, one per day for five days. In it you’ll be able to dive in and learn along with your children, with little or no prep time required. There will be videos to watch (just click and you’ll be taken straight to youtube to view!) and additional suggestions for those of you that want to dig deeper.
Want to learn more about how the 5-Day Tour Guide works? click here.
Want to see specifically what we’ll cover in the Longfellow Tour? click here.
Biographical Information
Biography
A good biography, best suited for middle and high schoolers.
Click to see the timeline
Here is a timeline of Longfellow’s life.
Fun Stuff
Print or color online!
Coloring page that goes along with the poem “A Rainy Day”
Coloring page for the poem “Paul Revere’s Ride”
Put together a jigsaw puzzle right on your computer!
Educational Helps
Click for free notebooking pages
You can get free biography notebooking pages here, when you sign up for a free account. Once you get your account set up (very quick) you’ll see the Biography Template Notebooking pages, which are useful for any person you are studying.
There are many Henry Wadsworth Longfellow quotes here. You can turn any of these into a penmanship or copywork page here.
We have several lessons plans to choose from
- Resources for teaching about “Paul Revere’s Ride”
- Watch this very well-done video of the poem “Hiawatha” and then use lesson plans here. recommended for grades 5-7
- “The Village Blacksmith” resources explore the role of blacksmiths in the late 18th/early 19th centuries. Be sure to click “Historical Source Items to Accompany This Project.”
We have several lessons plans to choose from
- This blog post is from a tongue-in-cheek site, and has a playful tone, yet has some valuable insights on “The Village Blacksmith.” You might enjoy reading this and seeing if your students would enjoy trying to write something in a similar style.
- Lesson for “The Wreck of the Hesperus.” Focus is on mood, characterization, conflict, and the role of allusions.
- Here is the text for “The Wreck of the Hesperus” as well as an audio version.
Get this 90+ page printable copywork pack, featuring Longfellow’s poem Rain in Summer. Includes print, cursive, and D’Nealian formats.
This is a free printable timeline worksheet and notebooking page.
Free Ebooks and audios
We do not preview most of the ebooks or audios so please rely on any reviews and your best judgment. We do our best to pass along books that have gotten good reviews. All of these books were free at the time we posted. Prices are always subject to change, but we do our best to choose items that appear to always be free. Affiliate links may be used.
Kindle version
Kindle version
Kindle version
Kindle version
Kindle version
Kindle version
Kindle version
Kindle version
Kindle, EPUB, and other formats
Kindle version
Kindle version
Kindle version
Selected poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
There are many different Longfellow audios available here.
Videos
We have selected a variety of videos for you to enjoy that we believe are valuable and offer a good range of styles and information about this person and their work. Occasionally the videos we choose malfunction or become unavailable. If you see a video that is not working, please click here to contact us (a new window will open) and let us know what page you are on and what wasn’t working. Thank you.
This video features many different quotes from Longfellow. He had so many profound things to say!
Do Not Miss This! Incredible! Absolutely captivating!
The epic poem, The Song of Hiawatha, has many different sections. This one focuses on his childhood.
Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride
I’m absolutely in love with this beautiful poem. Please do not pass this by. Henry’s deep adoration and love for his children comes through so beautifully here. His little daughter Fanny died when she was just 16 months old, making this even more touching. The portrait is of his three remaining daughters Alice, Edith, and Anne Allegra, who he mentions in the poem.
You can print the words to this poem here. I’m planning to copy it down during our copywork time. The words are so precious, and remind me of the love I have for my own children.
One of the things I love about this poem is how well it conveys the mood of dark and dreariness. In just one minute it can almost make me cry.
A Day of Sunshine
This children’s chorus does a beautiful job singing How Beautiful is the Rain, which is based on Longfellow’s poem Rain in Summer.
Print or read this poem here.
Get a copywork packet for this poem here.
The Arrow and the Song
A beautiful rendition of The Wreck of the Hesperus.
The Ladder of St. Augustine
Another evocative poem. Read or print the words here.
The Day is Done
Listen to Longfellow’s entire book, Evangeline, here. (2 hours long)