The Song of Hiawatha (Magill Book Reviews)
At a glance:
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- First Published: 1855
- Type of Work: Epic Poetry
- Genres: Poetry
- Subjects: United States or Americans
- Locales: Lake Superior
The poem opens with a great Indian parley held on the shore of Lake Superior. Gitche Manito, the Indian divinity, has summoned the tribes to unite under a prophet whom he promises to send.
That prophet is Hiawatha, son of the West-Wind and Wenonah. Hiawatha brings corn to the Indians, destroys Pearl-Feather (who brought disease), and teaches the Indians how to keep pictographic records and cure illnesses.
He cannot, however, save his wife, Minnehaha, from death in a famine, nor can he prevent the coming of the white man, who will soon scatter the Indian tribes. Realizing...
[The entire page is 576 words long]
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