Gaspar Becerra by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
An artist, discouraged by his failure to carve an image of the Virgin from precious imported wood, falls asleep beside his fire. A voice wakes him and urges him to use a burning oak brand; he quenches it and carves an image he finds good. The closing stanza urges artists to work with what lies nearest.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Didactic Poetry · 256 words
First lines
By his evening fire the artist / Pondered o'er his secret shame; / Baffled, weary, and disheartened, / Still he mused, and dreamed of fame.
'T was an image of the Virgin / That had tasked his utmost skill; / But, alas! his fair ideal / Vanished and escaped him still.
From a distant Eastern island / Had the precious wood been brought / Day and night the anxious master / At his toil untiring wrought;
Till, discouraged and desponding, / Sat he now in shadows deep, / And the day's humiliation / Found oblivion in sleep.
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Rhymed stanzas follow an artist from unsuccessful carving through sleep and awakening to a successful image.
- Didactic Poetry — The final stanza directly instructs sculptors, painters, and poets to make art from what lies nearest.
Tags
sculpture · Virgin Mary · artistic frustration · woodcarving · artistic materials
What this Textopian page supports
Gaspar Becerra 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: Narrative Poetry, Didactic Poetry
- Length: 256 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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