Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator born in 1807 in Portland, Maine. He showed an early aptitude for writing and graduated from Bowdoin College before traveling to Europe for three years. Longfellow had a successful career as a professor of languages at Harvard University from 1836-1854. Some of his most famous works include Evangeline, The Song of Hiawatha, and Paul Revere's Ride. Longfellow was one of the most popular and acclaimed poets of his time, with over a million copies of his poetry sold. He received many honors for his work, including recognition in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey. Longfellow died in 1882 at the age of 74