The Norman Baron by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
On a stormy Christmas night, a dying Norman baron hears carols and repents. He frees his serfs and vassals and records their release in a missal; after his death, his deed endures in historical accounts.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Narrative Poetry, Abolitionist Literature, Religious Poetry · 655 words
First lines
Dans les moments de la vie ou la reflexion devient plus calme et plus profonde, ou l'interet et l'avarice parlent moins haut que la raison, dans les instants de chagrin domestique, de maladie, et de peril de mort, les nobles se repentirent de posseder des serfs, comme d'une chose peu agreable a Dieu, qui avait cree tous les hommes a son image. -- THIERRY, Conquete de l'Angleterre.
In his chamber, weak and dying, / Was the Norman baron lying; / Loud, without, the tempest thundered / And the castle-turret shook,
Genres
- Narrative Poetry — Rhymed stanzas follow the baron's deathbed repentance, release of his dependents, and remembrance after death.
- Abolitionist Literature — The poem calls the serfs wronged and wretched and presents their liberation as the deed that outlasts the baron's power.
- Religious Poetry — Nativity carols, a monk's prayers, and an appeal for divine mercy accompany the baron's repentance and emancipation of his dependents.
Tags
serfdom · emancipation · Christmas · deathbed repentance · Christian prayer
What this Textopian page supports
The Norman Baron is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Narrative Poetry, Abolitionist Literature, Religious Poetry
- Length: 655 words
- Structure: 1 section, 17 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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