The Song of Hiawatha (1855) is an epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A master of poetic tradition and form, Longfellow wrote The Song of Hiawatha in trochaic tetrameter, the meter of such classical epics as the Finnish Kalevala. Inspired by stories from Ojibwe oral tradition, for which he consulted Ojibwe chief Kahge-ga-gah-bowh and other indigenous sources, Longfellow composed his American epic, a story of romance and perseverance steeped in legend and beloved by generations to come.

Along the shores of Lake Superior, an Ojibwe leader prophesies the arrival of Hiawatha, a great and noble hero. Before he can be born, however, Mudjekeewis must father the Four Winds by killing the Great Bear. His sons grow to be wild, fearless warriors, defending their land and feuding endlessly with one another. Although Nokomis, a woman who fell from the moon, warns her daughter not to fall for the West Wind, Wenonah is seduced by him, bringing about the birth of Hiawatha. Powerful and adventurous from a young age, Hiawatha grows into a legendary figure responsible for the discovery of corn and the invention of a written language for his people. When he meets the beautiful Minnehaha, a young Dakota woman, he struggles to balance his responsibilities as a leader and protector with a love that overwhelms him. The Song of Hiawatha is a romance of epic proportions that pays tribute to the stories of America’s first peoples.

This edition of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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