How Henry became Longfellow; Photo Courtesy Maine Historical Society

How Henry Became Longfellow: The Creation of a Literary Legend

Join us for our literary tour of the Longfellow House where you will hear his timeless poems in the very rooms that inspired them and experience what Abraham Lincoln called his “gift to stir souls.”

Events > How Henry Became Longfellow: The Creation of a Literary Legend
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Maine Historical Society
489 Congress Street
Portland, Maine 04101 United States
About the Event
Presented by
Maine Historical Society
(207) 774-1822
September 19, 2024 through September 21, 2024

You will also hear the origin stories behind his poetry that have never been told before, as well as recently discovered secrets, unknown to a century of biographers, that we can now tell.

You will learn about the family who raised him and his young first wife from Portland who, according to Longfellow’s literary biographer, was the major influence behind his poetry.

Join us as we celebrate the Portland inspiration behind the poet who used the power of the pen to influence two presidents, a prime minister and an Act of Parliament. You don’t want to miss it!

About the presenter: Gemma Cannon, a graduate from Holy Cross College and Columbia University School of Social Work, received the Nautilus Book Award in the category of Death & Dying/ Grief & Loss for Voices of the Night. In her award-winning book, she combines wisdom from Longfellow with lessons from her social work clients. They taught her that, whether homeless in Times Square or a world-class poet and writer, we’re not always fortunate, and we all need inner strength and hope to survive a crisis. She lives with her family near Longfellow’s boyhood home in Portland, Maine, “the beautiful city by the sea.”

*Registration is required