Happy 200th birthday, Longfellow

“Evangeline,” another of Longfellow’s epic poems, tells the story of the forcible uprooting of the Acadian population from Nova Scotia by the British during the French and Indian War (1764-1788). The tale is told as the story of two lovers who are separated by soldiers just before their wedding; they search for each other all along the eastern coast of the British colonies and as far south as Louisiana.

St. Martinville, La., welcomes thousands of visitors each year who come to see the “Evangeline Oak,” a spreading oak beneath which, reputedly, the lovers who inspired Longfellow’s story found each other, alongside the placid bayou that the town still preserves in their honor.

All was ended now, the hope, and the fear, and the sorrow,
All the aching of the heart, the restless, unsatisfied longing,
All the dull, deep Pain, and constant anguish of patience.

St. Martinville, which is considered to be a center of Cajun culture, erected a statue dedicated to Evangeline and created a monument to the expulsion of the Acadians, the French-related settlers who brought Cajun culture to the bayous. In Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia, there is another statue of Evangeline, marking the place where the Acadian expulsion began.

Only along the shore of the mournful and misty Atlantic
Linger a few Acadian peasants, whose fathers from exile
Wandered back to their native land to die in its bosom, ...
Maidens still wear their Norman caps and their kirtles of homespun,
And by the evening fire repeat Evangeline’s story.

Longfellow’s flowing rhymes and poetic discipline irritated later critics but delighted readers of his day, who made him the most popular American poet of the 19th century. And no wonder. Beneath the melodic language and behind the dramatic descriptions lies a profound exploration of human existence, strength against adversity, changing mores, and the ultimate triumph of right. These themes and sensuous descriptions of place are woven through the poetry, making any trip to a Longfellow tourist site a journey of body and soul.

If you want to visit or learn more, check out these Web sites or call the site superintendent.

Longfellow Bicentennial 2007

Longfellow National Historic Site,
Cambridge, Mass., 617-876-4491

Longfellow’s Wayside Inn,
Sudbury, Mass., 978-443-1776

Plimoth Plantation,
Plymouth, Mass., 508-746-1622

The Old North Church,
Boston, Mass., 617-523-6676

The Paul Revere House,
Boston, Mass., 617-523-2338

Grand Rounds Scenic Byway,
612-230-6400

Minnehaha Park,
Minneapolis, Minn., 612-230-6400

The Song of Hiawatha Pageant,
Pipestone, Minn., 800-430-4126

Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site,
St. Martinville, La.

Longfellow in Maine

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