Pegasus in Pound by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A poet's winged steed strays into a village, where he is confined in the pound and advertised for sale, but given no food or shelter. At midnight he breaks his chain and flies toward the stars. The villagers discover a fountain flowing from his hoof-marks, whose waters strengthen those who drink and whose sound soothes them.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Fantasy Poetry · 518 words
First lines
Once into a quiet village, / Without haste and without heed, / In the golden prime of morning, / Strayed the poet's winged steed.
It was Autumn, and incessant / Piped the quails from shocks and sheaves, / And, like living coals, the apples / Burned among the withering leaves.
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Four-line stanzas recount the steed's arrival, confinement, midnight escape, and the villagers' discovery the next morning.
- Fantasy Poetry — A winged horse flies toward the stars, and an unfailing fountain flows from his hoof-marks.
Tags
winged horse · captivity · escape · fountains · village life
What this Textopian page supports
Pegasus in Pound 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, Fantasy Poetry
- Length: 518 words
- Structure: 1 section, 14 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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