Samuel Longfellow (1819–1892) was an American

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the t ...

man and

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...

writer.

Biography

Samuel Longfellow was born June 18, 1819, in

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metro ...

, the last of eight children of

Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

and Zilpah (Wadsworth) Longfellow. His older brother was the poet

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely tra ...

. He studied at

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint e ...

in 1833. He attended

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher ...

and graduated in 1839 ranked eighth in a class of 61. He went on to study at

Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, go ...

, where his classmates included

Thomas Wentworth Higginson Thomas Wentworth Higginson (December 22, 1823May 9, 1911) was an American Unitarian minister, author, abolitionist, politician, and soldier. He was active in the American Abolitionism movement during the 1840s and 1850s, identifying himself with ...

and

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford D ...

, with whom he would later collaborate in his hymn writing. He is considered part of the second-generation of

transcendentalists Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in New England. "Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Wal ...

; after becoming a

Unitarian Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present ...

pastor, he adapted the transcendental philosophy he had encountered in divinity school into his hymns and sermons. Longfellow served as a gym leader in

Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount ...

(1848), Brooklyn's

Second Unitarian Church The Second Unitarian Church is a historic church and synagogue building at 11 Charles Street in Brookline, Massachusetts. Built in 1916 for a Unitarian congregation, it was acquired by the innovative Reform Jewish Temple Sinai congregation in 1 ...

(1853), and Germantown, Pennsylvania (1878-1882). After his older brother's death, Longfellow published a two-volume biography of him in 1886. He wrote the book while living at his brother's former home,

Craigie House The Craigie House was a historic home located at 1204 Piedmont Avenue NE in Atlanta, Georgia, across from Piedmont Park. Built in 1911, it originally served as the home of the local chapter (the first in Georgia) of the Daughters of the American ...

in Cambridge, Massachusetts.McKim, LindaJo H. ''The Presbyterian Hymnal Companion''. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993: 228. In 1878, Longfellow was elected as a member to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communi ...

. His other publications include ''Final Memories of H. W. Longfellow'' (1887), ''Vespers'' (1859), ''A Book of Hymns and Tunes'' (1860, revised 1876) and, with Samuel Johnson, he edited ''A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion'' (1846) and ''Hymns of the Spirit'' (1864). Longfellow died in 1892 and is buried in Western Cemetery in Portland's

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

Personal life

Throughout his life Longfellow had romantic friendships with men, and struggled with his sexuality, writing in 1837 of one such companion, William Winter: "I don’t think I have made a greater sacrifice of inclination to a sense of duty - but not a hearty one - I was reluctant then; I have been sorry at times ever since. It was a strange infatuation. And yet after all my fears might we not have been happy together? I loved him, and think he liked me." In 1842 he met fellow Divinity student Samuel Johnson: of their long association, a friend wrote: "There existed for forty years an intimacy which could hardly have been understood by David and Jonathan.” Longfellow later served a friend and mentor to young men such as Morton Fullerton.

Selected bibliography

*''A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion,'' 1846, edited with

. The collection was enlarged and revised in 1860. *''Thalatta: a Book for the Seaside,'' with Thomas W. Higginson, 1853 *''Vespers,'' 1859 *''The Poem of Niagata,'' 1861 *''Hymns of the Spirit,'' 1864 (jointly edited with Samuel Johnson) *''The Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,'' 1886 *''Memoir and Letters,'' 1894

References

External links

* * * http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/l/o/n/longfellow_s.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20080724033609/http://www.alcott.net/alcott/home/champions/Longfellow.html * http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-E-LongfellS.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Longfellow, Samuel American Unitarian clergy Harvard Divinity School alumni 1819 births 1892 deaths Christian hymnwriters 19th-century Christian clergy Writers from Portland, Maine People from Cape Elizabeth, Maine Burials at Western Cemetery (Portland, Maine) Harvard College alumni 19th-century American clergy