Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Summary: Evangeline takes place in a town called Grand-Pre in the land of Acadia. This village is described as a mirror of paradise as are its inhabitants. The characters are Benedict Bellefontaine, the wealthiest farmer of Grand-Pre and Evangeline's father, Basil the blacksmith and his son Gabriel. Evangeline is a young girl around seventeen years old, beautiful and virtuous. Evangeline and Gabriel are to be married, but English ships come with an announcement. The King has declared all land forfeit and the Acadians are to be relocated immediately. The soldiers throw people onto boats and in the confusion Gabriel and Basil are separate, while Evangeline is left on shore. From that day on, Evangeline spends her life searching for Gabriel, her lost love. When she grows old, she becomes a Sister of Mercy. A plague afflicts the people and she becomes a nurse. One day, she finds Gabriel lying on a cot, dying. After he dies, Evangeline soon dies as well.
Historical background:The English had acquired the peninsula of Acadia prior to the French and Indian wars; however, they were wary of the colonists' loyalty and feared losing this strategic piece of land. As a military measure, the English army, in 1755, dispersed the Acadian settlers all along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. The story of Evangeline is based on an incident that occured during this period.
"Still stands the forest primeval; but far away from its shadow,
Side by side, their nameless graves, the lovers are sleeping."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Born at Portland, Maine, on February 27, 1807, Longfellow grew up in a family of eight children. His parents gave him much encouragement and support, and he was surrounded with love. In 1821, he was admitted to Bowdoin College. Upon graduation, Longfellow was offered a just-established professorship for modern languages, with the stipulation of period of European study as preperation for the position. His three years in France, Spain, Italy, and Germany fostered his study in Romantic languages and idealsim. Longfellow's greatest legacy was his inspiration to create a new national literature by transmitting to America a rich European heritage for incorporation into its own culture. In 1829, he married Mary Potter who later died during a miscarriage. Longfellow went on to marry a second time to Fanny Appleton who later died of burn injuries after a spark set her dress on fire while sealing the locks of her daughter's hair. In 1868-69, he made a final trip to Europe where he was greatly honored, and on March 24, 1882, Longfellow died after a very brief illness at the age of seventy-five. His mourning was international.
Other Works by Longfellow
Longfellow, H.W. The Courtship of Miles Standish Indianapolis: Bopps-Merrill, 1903.
Longfellow, H.W. Hyperion, a Romance New York: Houghton Mifflin, & Co.,1905.
Longfellow, H.W. The Song of HiawathaBoston: Houghton Mifflin, 1901.
Biographical Works
Arvin, Newton. Longfellow: His Life and Work. Boston:Little, Brown, 1962.
Longfellow, Samuel. Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Boston: Ticknor, 1886.
Critical Works
Matthews, Chesley. Longfellow Reconsidered:a Symposium. Hartford: Transcendental Books, 1973.
Seelye, John. "Attic Shape:Dusting off Evangeline." Virginia Quarterly Review, 1984.
Researched and written by Shannon Scott (ENG 233 Fall 1996)