Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was an American poet best known for works such as Paul Revere's Ride, The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. He was also the first American to translate Dante's Divine Comedy. The poem describes a blacksmith standing under a chestnut tree in a village, using muscular and strong terms to portray him. It depicts the blacksmith's daily work from morning until night and suggests he is self-sufficient through his work.

5. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
was an American poet and educator whose works
include Paul Revere’s Ride, The Song of Hiawatha,
and Evangeline. He was also the first American to
translate Dante’s The Divine Comedy. His first
major poetry collections were Voices of the Night
(1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841). He
died in 1882. Longfellow wrote predominantly
lyric poems, known for their musical quality.

6. THE VILLAGE
BLACKSMITH
- HENRY WADSWORTH
LONGFELLOW

7. Under a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

8. His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate’er he can,
And looks the whole world in the
face,
For he owes not any man.

9. Week in, week out, from more till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured bat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

10. Smithy – a blacksmith’s workshop

11. Sinewy – a person having a thin
body and strong muscles.

12. Brawny – having
strong muscles.
eg : He was a
great brawny
man.

13. Crisp - curly and
wiry

14. Bellows – an equipment that blows
a strong current of air to make fire
burn more fiercely.
Eg : The blacksmith worked with
the bellows to make the piece of
iron hot.

15. Sexton – an employee or officer of
a church who is responsible for the
care and upkeep of church
property and sometimes for
ringing bells and digging graves.

16. • What is the title of the poem?
• Who wrote this poem?
• Where is the blacksmith seen?
• What words does the poet use
to show the strength of the
blacksmith?
• Why could the blacksmith ‘look
the whole world in the face’?
• What does this suggest about
the blacksmith?

17. ACTIVITY
Prepare a short profile of Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow using the hints
given below.
Born : February 27, 1807, Portland
Education : Bowdoin College
Notable Works : The Village Blacksmith,
A Psalm of Life, The Wreck of Hesperus,
The Divine Tragedy, Voices of the Night
Died : March 24, 1882

18. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born on
February 27, 1807, in Portland. He was
educated at Bowdoin College. The Village
Blacksmith, A Psalm of Life, The Wreck of
Hesperus, The Divine Tragedy, Voices of the
Night etc are his notable works. He passed
away on March 24 in 1882.

19. ASSIGNMENT
Prepare a short
description of a
Blacksmith you
have met in your
life.