HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW - AUTOGRAPH DOCUMENT SIGNED 05/01/1868 - HFSID 250720

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow signs an autograph document authorizing a payment.
Autograph Document Signed: "Henry W. Longfellow/Guardian," 1p, 7¼x4¼. Cambridge, 1863 May 1. In full: "To the Treasurer of the Boston & Providence R.R. Please pay to Wm. M. Snow any Dividends now due to me, or which may hereafter be due, till further ordered." 25-cent U.S. Internal Revenue tax stamp picturing Washington affixed at upper left. Longfellow's Tales of a Wayside Inn was published the year he wrote this document. American poet and linguist Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) graduated at 18 from Bowdoin College so adept at languages that he studied European languages overseas for four years following his graduation in 1825. In 1829, he became the librarian and the Professor of Modern Languages at Bowdoin until 1835. He joined Harvard's language staff following a second European tour (1835-1836), during which he was particularly influenced by German Romanticism. While at Harvard (1836-1854), Longfellow published his first works, including the poetic volume, Voices in the Night (1839). He attained fame eight years later with his narrative poem, Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie (1847). After 1854, Longfellow devoted his time to writing, producing such works as the poetic masterpiece, The Song of Hiawatha (1855), and Tales of a Wayside Inn (1863), which contained his famous poem, "Paul Revere's Ride". Wide acclamation enabled Longfellow to be self- supporting, a rarity for a 19th century poet and writer. Folds, one underlines signature, the other touches the "L". Lightly soiled at blank margins, overall fine condition.