- Title: Longfellow’s Poems
- Year Published: 1900/This Edition: 1901 (A.L. Burt Company, Publishers)
- Year Purchased: Unknown
- Source: My Step-grandmother
- About: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the great American poet of the 19th century, is remembered for Evangeline, Paul Revere’s Ride, and The Song of Hiawatha.
- Motivation: This is another book that I ended up with after my Step-grandmother’s death nearly 20 years ago; it was given to her by her mother, who had been a school teacher during The Great War. This beautifully preserved volume was, I thought then, something of a reward for having been frightened by my stepfather’s severe (yet kindly enough) Grandmother Doris. During the few years that I knew her, when she was in her nineties, she was every inch the prim, dour school marm. Each encounter with her was like an inspection, where I was assessed head to foot then grilled about my school work. In her presence, I instinctively knew not to speak until spoken to; fortunately, simply being in the same room with her cowed me (and my natural chattiness) to the point of panicky muteness.
- Times Read: 1
- Random Excerpt/Page vii: “The reader observes also the absence of the wit and humor which is almost universal in poets. While Longfellow was always cheerful, he was never droll.”
- Happiness Scale: 7 1/2
English: Engraving of American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, presumably after a portrait by Samuel Lawrence. From the book The Song of Hiawatha, Moscow, 1931. Published by OGIZ. Sepia. Русский: Генри Лонгфелло. Портрет. “Песнь о Гайавате”. ОГИЗ – Молодая гвардия – 1931. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea.
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A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 
I’ve always been kinda lukewarm on Longfellow. So I share your 7/10 for enthusiasm, although mine might be closer to a 5! LOL
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Me, too. I recognize his skill but am rarely moved. My happiness scale involves more than just straight-up quality or reading experience, or the book would have earned a lower rate. The book itself makes me happy; it is 111 years old, in pristine condition, it is a beautiful volume and it has personal meaning. Thus, the higher score. 🙂
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Oh definitely. Old books, especially, are works of art in themselves. They don’t make them like that anymore! Well, occasionally they do, but it’s rare.
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I love old books; they are so hard for me to resist. Plus, people like to give me old books (and old things in general) because they know that I will appreciate them!
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