Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is one of the best known poets of all time. He wrote nearly 280 poems and several books of poetry. He was looked up to by many famous people during his lifetime. Even presidents and rulers of other countries liked the work that he did.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland in 1807. He was the son of a lawyer and his mother was the daughter of a revolutionary war hero. He was the second of eight children and was brought up in a beautiful brick house in Portland. The house still stands today and is visited by many people each year.

Henry was a writer from an early age. His first published poem was written when he was only 13. He later went to college at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. He continued to write poetry. He decided that he wanted to be a writer for his life's work. This was not what his father would have liked. Henry was very smart and his father would have liked to have him become a lawyer or a doctor.

He was offered a job as a teacher at Bowdoin College. He went to Europe for three years and then came back to teach. He met a young woman and married her. He and his family moved to Brunswick and he continued to write.

In 1834, Henry was offered a job teaching at Harvard University. Before he was to start there, he asked to go to Europe again. Harvard agreed and Henry and his wife went to Europe. While they were there his wife died in 1835. Henry stayed in Europe and then returned to the United States to teach at Harvard. He published his first book of poetry and people saw that he was a master writer.

In 1843, he remarried. He continued to teach and to write and became famous for his writing. In 1861 tragedy again struck Longfellow. He wife's dress caught fire and she died. Henry was badly burned trying to save her and from then on wore a beard. Most of the pictures that you see of Longfellow show him in a beard. After his wife's death, he spent a lot of time with his grandchildren.

One of his most famous poems was called "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." He continued to write even after he retired from teaching. Longfellow died in 1882.

Adams, Herb and Verde, Tom. Maine's Claim to Fame. Augusta: Maine Department of Education, date on publication not available.