In 1867, Charles Dickens joined the Longfellow family for Thanksgiving dinner at their home in Cambridge MA. In his journal, Longfellow noted only, “Thanksgiving Day. Dickens came out to a quiet family dinner at 2.30.” Fourteen-year-old Edith Longfellow, somewhat more excited, told her cousin, “Thanksgiving day we had a rare treat, & Mr. Dickens came.” He also wrote the poem, Thanksgiving. [1]
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of the most beloved American poets, lived a long and fruitful life, passing away on 24 March 1882.
Longfellow’s literary career began in the 1830s with his first collection of poems, Voices of the Night, and works include ‘Paul Revere’s Ride‘, The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. He was the first American to completely translate Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.
In 1831, when he was 28 years old, Longfellow married Mary Potter, but she died of a miscarriage just four years later. His second marriage was to Francis Appleton in 1843. The couple had six children together, but tragedy struck in 1861 when Fanny died suddenly after her dress caught fire. Longfellow was devastated by her death, and it took him a long time to recover.
During this time, Longfellow’s career as a poet was taking off. In 1854, he published his most famous work, The Song of Hiawatha, which helped to establish him as one of the most popular poets of his time.
As he aged, Longfellow’s health began to decline. He suffered from rheumatism, neuralgia, and other ailments that left him weak and in pain but remained active and continued to write. His final years were spent at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he enjoyed the company of his family and friends. In March 1882, Longfellow went to bed with severe stomach pain that he endured for several days before his death on the 24th. He is buried with both of his wives at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Massachusetts, USA.