The Blind Girl of Castel-Cuille
Blind Margaret learns that Baptiste, whom she still loves, is to marry Angela. Led to the chapel by her brother Paul, she emerges from the confessional during the wedding and raises a knife, but dies of anguish before striking. That evening, the villagers carry her flower-decked hearse to the churchyard.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Tragic Romance · 4,284 words
First lines
By Jacques Jasmin
Only the Lowland tongue of Scotland might / Rehearse this little tragedy aright; / Let me attempt it with an English quill; / And take, O Reader, for the deed the will.
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Rhymed verse follows a bridal procession, Margaret's discovery of Baptiste's impending marriage, her confrontation in the chapel, and her funeral.
- Tragic Romance — Margaret remains devoted to Baptiste after their separation, and his wedding to Angela culminates in Margaret's death before she can deliver the threatened knife stroke.
Tags
blindness · betrayed love · wedding · grief · funeral · narrative poetry
What this Textopian page supports
The Blind Girl of Castel-Cuille 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, Tragic Romance
- Length: 4,284 words
- Structure: 1 section, 46 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Blind Girl of Castel-Cuille 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