Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Quotes

A collection of quotes by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was an American poet and educator widely regarded as one of the most celebrated writers in American literary history. Born in Portland, Maine, Longfellow embarked on a career in academia, teaching modern languages at prestigious institutions such as Bowdoin College and Harvard University.

Longfellow's poems were immensely popular during his lifetime and continue to captivate readers with their musicality, storytelling, and accessibility. His works encompass a range of themes, often drawing inspiration from history, mythology, and his New England surroundings. Some of his most famous poems include "Paul Revere's Ride," which recounts the midnight ride of American patriot Paul Revere during the American Revolution, and "The Song of Hiawatha," an epic poem based on Native American legends.

Longfellow's writing style blended romanticism with moral purpose, weaving together vivid descriptive imagery and a strong sense of morality. He aimed to inspire his readers and foster a sense of national pride by celebrating the rich history and cultural diversity of the United States.

Beyond his literary achievements, Longfellow's personal life was marked by tragedy. The death of his second wife, Fanny, induced profound grief that influenced his later works. Despite this, Longfellow's poetry continued to resonate with readers, making him one of the most beloved and influential poets of his era and leaving a lasting legacy in American literature.

The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.

The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Love keeps the cold out better than a cloak.

Love keeps the cold out better than a cloak.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Into each life some rain must fall.

Into each life some rain must fall.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Intelligence and courtesy not always are combined Often in a

Intelligence and courtesy not always are combined Often in a wooden house a golden room we find.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained

The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained in sudden flight but, they while their companions slept, they were toiling upwards in the night.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Men of genius are often dull and inert in society as the bla

Men of genius are often dull and inert in society as the blazing meteor, when it descends to earth, is only a stone.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passin

Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in drea

The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives subl

Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in

For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress, And as the evening twilight fades away The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to expl

It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to explain why you did it wrong.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Each morning sees some task begun, each evening sees it clos

Each morning sees some task begun, each evening sees it close Something attempted, something done, has earned a night's repose.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


The heights by great men reached and kept Were not obtained

The heights by great men reached and kept Were not obtained by sudden flight,But they, while their companions slept,Were toiling upward in the night

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not;

Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Morality without religion is only a kind of dead reckoning -

Morality without religion is only a kind of dead reckoning - an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy sea by measuring the distance we have run, but without any observation of the heavenly bodies.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;Behind the clouds is

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;Thy fate is the common fate of all,Into each life some rain must fall

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Life Heart Sorrow

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,Is our destined end or way;But

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,Is our destined end or way;But to act, that each tomorrowFind us farther than today.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Life Inspirational

Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream

Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream! For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Life Dreams Numbers

There is nothing holier in this life of ours than the first

There is nothing holier in this life of ours than the first consciousness of love, the first fluttering of its silken wings.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Life Love

Stronger than steel is the sword of the Spirit; Swifter than

Stronger than steel is the sword of the Spirit; Swifter than arrows, the light of the truth; Greater than anger is love that subdueth.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Truth Love Anger Light Steel