Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, circa 1878

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was the most beloved American poet of the 19th century. Longfellow's poems appealed to mid-19th-century Americans from all classes. Many of his poems centered around American themes and topics--though he often took poetic license to depart from the facts to create an effect. Years after Longfellow's death, his poetry--recited at civic celebrations and studied in school rooms--continued to inspire.