Why Henry Was Good

             Sparking a trend in any art form is no simple task for any single person to do; sparking a trend in literature is an almost impossible task for a lone sole to undertake. The history of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is full of his relentless determination to create an American style of.
             literature while rooting his work in the vast expanses of European literature. He also bestowed.
             his vast knowledge of the world's languages on students through his teaching at one of the.
             earliest institutions of its kind. It is undoubtedly difficult to imagine in what direction the.
             authors of today would be traveling had Longfellow not forged such a strong basis of form and.
             clarity into the history of American writing. For years Longfellow's ease of rhyme, his ease of.
             reaching readers, and his ease of creating a flowing plot were seen as remarkable. Praise for his.
             work abounded from all directions-- the media, royalty from European nations, and the common.
             American reader--and he was seen as the greatest writer of his time. However, this type of.
             loyalty to his work would not last through the final days of his writing career. Though his.
             expertise of poetic form and linguistic matters was hailed at one time, Longfellow's death marks.
             the beginning of a scornful, satirical criticism of his life's work. Such criticism is aimed at the.
             very heart and soul of Longfellow's poetry: the American spirit at its purest. Many may attempt.
             to stab at Longfellow's writing, but it is unthinkable that one would deny the importance of his.
             writing in America's past. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poetry and books filled the evident.
             void in American writing, and, even though he is criticized to this day, his teaching and stories.
             helped lay the foundation of American writing for ages to come.
             Henry Longfellow came into the world on the day of February 27, 1807 in Portland,.
             Maine. Born to Stephen and Zilpah Wadsworth Longfellow, he began school at the age of three.