In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
But he grew old-
This knight so bold-
And o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.
And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow-
"Shadow," said he,
"Where can it be-
This land of Eldorado?"
"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied-
"If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Allan Poe
Эльдорадо
Между гор и долин
Едет рыцарь один,
Никого ему в мире не надо.
Он все едет вперед,
Он все песню поет,
Он замыслил найти Эльдорадо.
Но в скитаньях – один
Дожил он до седин,
И погасла былая отрада.
Ездил рыцарь везде,
Но не встретил нигде,
Не нашел он нигде Эльдорадо.
И когда он устал,
Пред скитальцем предстал
Странный призрак – и шепчет: «Что надо?»
Тотчас рыцарь ему:
«Расскажи, не пойму,
Укажи, где страна Эльдорадо?»
И ответила Тень:
«Где рождается день,
Лунных Гор где чуть зрима громада.
Через ад, через рай,
Все вперед поезжай,
Если хочешь найти Эльдорадо!»
Перевод К. Бальмонта
H enry wadsworth longfellow
(1807 - 1882)
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is an outstanding American poet of the 19th century. He was born in Portland on February 27, 1807, the second son of seven siblings (three brothers and four sisters) in the family of a rich lawyer. The poet’s ancestors came to America in 1620 on the ship Mayflower and built the first village in New England. His grandfather took part in the War of Independence. The family traditions helped the poet to understand the history of his country. Later he often used historical facts in his poems.
At college the boy loved literature and decided to be a writer, but his father wanted him to be a teacher. When Longfellow was 19, his father sent him to Europe. He lived in France, Italy, Spain and Germany. While overseas, he learned French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German, mostly without formal instruction. In Madrid, he spent time with Washington Irving and was particularly impressed by the author's work ethic. Irving encouraged the young Longfellow to pursue writing.
Longfellow published several nonfiction and fiction prose pieces inspired by Irving, including "The Indian Summer" and "The Bald Eagle" in 1833. When he returned from Europe he became a teacher. He tried to make his lessons as interesting as possible. He translated the works of European poets into English. In 1836 he was invited to read lectures at Harvard. In 1838 his first book of poems was published. Next book of poems “Voices of the Night” published in 1839, made him famous.
Longfellow lived at the time of Negro slavery in the United States and sympathized with the anti-slavery movement. In some of his poems Longfellow described the unhappy life of the Negro slaves. These poems were published in 1842 under the title “Poems on Slavery”. Readers and literature critics liked his poems and he became one of the most popular poets in his country.
He made friends with Charles Dickens. In 1854 he left Harvard and devoted all his time to literature. His poems spoke against war.
The poet was greatly interested in old American legends and Indian folk lore. His best work is a long poem “The Song of Hiawatha” (1855) in with he used all Indian legends. It was translated into many languages. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a great poet and a humanist, who defended the unity of all nations.
Speak about Henry Longfellow
Why was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow so popular with his original audience? Which of these reasons remain valid today?
Say a few words about Longfellow’s family.
What made Longfellow write poems on slavery?
Read and translate
T
HE
SONG OF HIAWATHA is
a long narrative poem that, in its twenty-two sections, recounts the
adventures of an American Indian hero. The setting is on the southern
shore of Lake Superior, where Hiawatha is reared among the Ojibwas.
The poem presents a series of encounters and contests that enable
Hiawatha to bring progress and blessings to his tribe and to help
create peace among the other tribes. During the course of the
narrative, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow weaves together many aspects of
American Indian mythology concerning life, nature, and ritual.
The narrative begins when Gitche Manito, the Great Spirit, calls the warring and vengeful tribes together, rebuking them for their childish behavior and informing them of a prophet who will come to guide and teach them. Hiawatha, the prophet mentioned by Gitche Manito, is born after Mudjekeewis, the West-Wind, seduces Wenonah, the daughter of Nokomis, and then leaves her to die deserted and heart-broken after giving birth to Hiawatha. Reared by Nokomis, Hiawatha grows to manhood and obtains magic gifts and powers that will enable him to perform his great deeds.
Through supernatural adventure tales of his building a canoe, fishing for sturgeon, and using a picture language, readers are told how American Indians learned these arts and are blessed by them. In one account, Hiawatha's concern for his people is shown as he fasts and prays on their behalf. As a result of his experience, he begins to wonder why life depends on the killing of animals for survival. Hiawatha then meets an angelic young man dressed in green and yellow named Mondamin, who challenges him to wrestle, and, although he is exhausted from his fasting, Hiawatha miraculously receives renewed strength through the ordeal. After the hero defeats Mondamin and buries him according to instruction, corn grows from the grave, providing the sought-after supplement to animal flesh.
Soon, Hiawatha becomes a peacemaker when he woos and weds Minnihaha, the beautiful maid of the Dacotah tribe. Their marriage cements peace between these traditionally hostile tribes and ushers in a time of peace and harmony. Their wedding party is celebrated in a manner that establishes a pattern to follow, with beautiful songs and tales. In time, fever and sickness kill many, including Hiawatha's bride, and the poem ends with the dramatic departure of Hiawatha into the sunset and with his farewell teachings about the impending arrival of the white race and its new religious teachings.