Footsteps of Angels
At evening, the speaker describes the forms of departed loved ones returning to visit, including a beloved woman who sits beside him and silently offers rebuke and blessing. Remembering those who have lived and died eases his loneliness and dispels his fears.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Elegiac Poetry, Lyric Poetry · 369 words
First lines
When the hours of Day are numbered, / And the voices of the Night / Wake the better soul, that slumbered, / To a holy, calm delight;
Ere the evening lamps are lighted, / And, like phantoms grim and tall, / Shadows from the fitful firelight / Dance upon the parlor wall;
What this Textopian page supports
Footsteps of Angels is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Elegiac Poetry, Lyric Poetry
- Length: 369 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Footsteps of Angels by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Genres
- Elegiac Poetry — The speaker remembers loved ones who have died and finds comfort in their imagined presence.
- Lyric Poetry — Rhymed four-line stanzas convey the speaker's private evening experience of loneliness, remembrance, and relief.
Tags
grief · remembrance · departed loved ones · evening · spiritual consolation