PoetrySlamJM09


 * __The American Romantics__**

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: //Tales of a Wayside Inn// []

An era of emotion, An era of beauty, An era of individualism and democracy, of spirit, simplicity, and nature, The American Romantics.
 * //__Intro:__//**

The American Romantics period gave new meaning to writing styles. Writers began to find the beauty in the world, rather than the contrasting negatives. They grasped the readers attention and emotions. They wrote with detail and unique phrasing to make the reader think and get something out of the topic.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a perfect example of an American Romantics writer. He believed that literature should depend upon the environment and distinct history. He cared about humanity and tried to remind people of America's beauty, and their "roots" if you will. Wadsworth infuenced everyone around him, just by a simple sentence to a long, sweeping poem. He influenced artists. He influenced culture. He influenced composers and musicians, writers and poets. He used American life as well as its interesting history to shape his imagination. The imagination that described what he saw, not what he thinks he should see. He was able to bring objects to life with just a simple line or two. He changed how Americans thought, and chang

lays his instrument and "...caught confessions of its secret thought..." To me this shows that there is a message behind his music. "...The joy, the triumph, the lament, the exultation and the pain..." This shows what the music brings to him; joy, triumph, sorrow, success, and pain. "...Then, by the magic of his art, He soothed the throbbings of its heart, And lulled it into peace again." Longfellow describes the way the musician plays his violin; the music is first loud and "throbbing" and then he brings it back into a soft and peaceful state.

"And, though of different lands and speech, Each had his tale to tell, and each Was anxious to be pleased and please. And while the sweet musician plays, Let me in outline sketch them all, Perchance uncouthly as the blaze With its uncertain touch portrays Their shadowy semblance on the wall." (Longfellow 7)
 * //__Quote:__//**

Here, Longfellow is talking about the different people in the Inn. "And, though of different lands and speech, Each had his tale to tell and each was anxious to be pleased and please..." This shows that they might have been from different lands, spoke different languages, and each have different life stories, yet they all wanted to be pleased and please eachother.