On Friday, December 25, 1863, Henry Longfellow—as a 57-year-old widowed father of six children, the oldest of which had been nearly paralyzed as his country fought a war against itself—wrote a poem seeking to capture the dissonance in his own heart and the world he observes around him that Christmas Day. Henry’s most widely read piece “I heard the bells on Christmas Day”.

“I heard the bells on Christmas day” and thought how, as the day had come, the belfries of all Christendom… had rolled along the unbroken song of peace on earth, good-will to men! Still, ringing, singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day. A voice, a chime, a chant sublime of peace on earth, good-will to men! Then from each black accursed mouth the cannon thundered in the South — their sound the carols drowned of peace on earth, good-will to men! It was as if an earthquake rent the hearth-stones of a continent, and made forlorn the households born of peace on earth, good-will to men! In despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said; “For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men!” Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead; nor doth He sleep! The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to men!”

His first wife, Mary Potter, died in 1835 after a miscarriage. His second wife, Frances Appleton, died in 1861 after sustaining burns when her dress caught fire. After the death of Frances, Longfellow had difficulty writing poetry for a time and focused on translating works from foreign languages. Henry was born on Feb 27, 1807 and died on March 24, 1882 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was the most popular American poet in the 19th century. Soldiers in bloody battle were inspired by his famous “The Paul Revere’s Ride.” Three years after his wife was consumed by fire, and his son survived the wound of a war conspired, on Christmas morning Henry picked up his pen again and was inspired to write…

Henry’s father Peleg Wadsworth was a Revolutionary War general. Their home was built in 1785-86. The childhood home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a national treasure and can be visited in Maine. It is filled with collections of Henry’s poetry.

“Paul Revere’s Ride” is an 1860 poem by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that commemorates the actions of American patriot Paul Revere on April 18, 1775. It was first published in the January 1861 issue of The Atlantic Monthly.