To an Old Danish Song-Book
As autumn gales shake the windows, the speaker welcomes a worn Danish song-book as an old friend. Its songs recall youthful travels by the Baltic, singing in taverns and homes, and generations of singers; the speaker offers the neglected book a warm refuge and cherishes the memories it carries.
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Nostalgic Poetry · 491 words
First lines
Welcome, my old friend, / Welcome to a foreign fireside, / While the sullen gales of autumn / Shake the windows.
The ungrateful world / Has, it seems, dealt harshly with thee, / Since, beneath the skies of Denmark, / First I met thee.
Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The speaker addresses the song-book directly in short stanzas, expressing affection through memories and an offer of shelter.
- Nostalgic Poetry — The book recalls half-forgotten youth, wandering by the Baltic, and songs heard in taverns.
Tags
song-books · Danish songs · memory · youth · travel · fireside
What this Textopian page supports
To an Old Danish Song-Book 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: Lyric Poetry, Nostalgic Poetry
- Length: 491 words
- Structure: 1 section, 16 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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