美国文学ChapterEightlongfellow.pptVIP

Chapter Seven Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Ⅰ.The Fireside Poets William Cullen Bryant, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and John Greenleaf Whittier constituted a group sometimes called the Fireside Poets. They earned this nickname because they frequently used the hearth as an image of comfort and unity, a place where families gathered to learn and tell stories. These poets also were widely read around the hearthsides of 19th-century American families. They were also called the New England poets. These poets were also called Schoolroom Poets because during 19th century and the first half of the 20th century they were the most popular poets for teachers to talk about in class. Their pictures were often placed on the walls in classrooms of the schools. Characteristics: These poets represented the elite educated society in New England. They were conventional, wealthy, and had strong sense of morality. they were conservative, and imitative, and traditional in form and style. H. W. Longfellow (1807-1882) Longfellow was the best known of the Fireside Poets and the most beloved American poet of his time. He made poetry worth reading and worth writing. His poems are noted for their gentleness, musicality and sweetness. He treated traditional themes with traditional techniques. He became the first and only American poet to be honored with a bust in the Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey in London. A Psalm of Life Tell me| not, in| mournful | numbers,| Life is| but an| empty| dream!| For the| soul is| dead that| slumbers,| And things| are not| what they| seem.| * * *