All tagged poetry

Longfellow’s Christmas poem finds hope in despair

Tucked among the Christmas songs of many hymnals is a little-sung carol by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The song is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Longfellow wrote the poem that provides the lyrics on Christmas Day in 1863. If his words seem almost despairing, a little background will help us understand Longfellow’s somber tone.