The Poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: A Big Read Documentary
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: The Big Read
Length: 20:57
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was not only a major American poet, he was also one of the most influential figures in our national cultural history. In unforgettable poetic language that appealed to millions of readers across all classes, he helped create many of the songs, stories, characters, and images by which the young United States knew itself.
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was not only a major American poet, he was also one of the most influential figures in our national cultural history. In unforgettable poetic language that appealed to millions of readers across all classes, he helped create many of the songs, stories, characters, and images by which the young United States knew itself.
Transcript
Literary Landmarks: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Dvorak MUSIC
Goldsmith: “Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, ‘If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,—
One, if by land, and two, if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.’
Host: That was the beginning of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s classic poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” as read by author and radio host Martin Goldsmith.
Welcome to The Big Read, a program created by the National Endowment for the Ar...
Read the full transcript
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World | The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop (Dvorak) | Antonin Dvorak, Symphony No. 9. | Naxos of America | 2008 | 00:00 |
| American Rhapsody | The Royal Scottish National Orchestra with David Lloyd-Jones (Delius) | Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring . | Naxos of America | 2004 | 00:00 |
| Hiawatha Overture Op. 30 | RTE Concert Orchestra, Dublin, with Adrian Leaper conducting | Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Hiawatha Overture/Petite Suite. | Naxos of America | 1995 | 00:00 |
Additional Credits
Written and narrated by Dana Gioia.
Produced by Pepper Smith at the National Endowment for the Arts, 2009.
Original sound effects by Brent Findley at Sonic Magic Studios, Culver City, CA.
Executive Producer: Josephine Reed
Assistant Producers: Adam Kampe and Liz Mehaffey
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