Article #19-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Thus departed Hiawatha,
Hiawatha the Beloved,
In the glory of the sunset,
In the purple mists of evening,
To the regions of the home-wind,
Of the Northwest-Wind, Keewaydin,
To the Islands of the Blessed,
To the Kingdom of Ponemah,
To the Land of the Hereafter!

VOCABULARY

Adjidau’mo, the red squirrel
Ahdeek’, the reindeer
Ahmeek’, the beaver
Annemee’kee, the thunder
Apuk’wa, a bulrush
Baim-wa’wa, the sound of the thunder
Bemah’gut, the grape-vine
Chemaun’, a birch canoe
Chetowaik’, the plover
Chibia’bos, a musician; friend of Hiawatha;
ruler of the Land of Spirits
Dahin’da, the bull frog
Dush-kwo-ne’-she or Kwo-ne’-she,
the dragon fly
Esa, shame upon you
Ewa-yea’, lullaby
Gitche Gu’mee, The Big-Sea-Water,
Lake Superior
Gitche Man’ito, the Great Spirit,
the Master of Life
Gushkewau’, the darkness
Hiawa’tha, the Prophet, the Teacher,
son of Mudjekeewis, the West-Wind and Wenonah,
daughter of Nokomis
Ia’goo, a great boaster and story-teller
Inin’ewug, men, or pawns in the Game of the Bowl
Ishkoodah’, fire, a comet
Jee’bi, a ghost, a spirit
Joss’akeed, a prophet
Kabibonok’ka, the North-Wind
Ka’go, do not
Kahgahgee’, the raven
Kaw, no
Kaween’, no indeed
Kayoshk’, the sea-gull
Kee’go, a fish
Keeway’din, the Northwest wind, the Home-wind
Kena’beek, a serpent
Keneu’, the great war-eagle
Keno’zha, the pickerel
Ko’ko-ko’ho, the owl
Kuntasoo’, the Game of Plumstones
Kwa’sind, the Strong Man
Kwo-ne’-she, or Dush-kwo-ne’-she, the dragon-fly
Mahnahbe’zee, the swan
Mahng, the loon
Mahnomo’nee, wild rice
Ma’ma, the woodpecker
Me’da, a medicine-man
Meenah’ga, the blueberry
Megissog’won, the great Pearl-Feather,
a magician, and the Manito of Wealth
Meshinau’wa, a pipe-bearer
Minjekah’wun, Hiawatha’s mittens
Minneha’ha, Laughing Water; wife of Hiawatha;
a water-fall in a stream running into the
Mississippi between Fort Snelling and the
Falls of St. Anthony
Minne-wa’wa, a pleasant sound, as of the wind
in the trees
Mishe-Mo’kwa, the Great Bear
Mishe-Nah’ma, the Great Sturgeon
Miskodeed’, the Spring-Beauty, the Claytonia Virginica
Monda’min, Indian corn
Moon of Bright Nights, April
Moon of Leaves, May
Moon of Strawberries, June
Moon of the Falling Leaves, September
Moon of Snow-shoes, November
Mudjekee’wis, the West-Wind; father of Hiawatha
Mudway-aush’ka, sound of waves on a shore
Mushkoda’sa, the grouse
Nah’ma, the sturgeon
Nah’ma-wusk, spearmint
Na’gow Wudj’oo, the Sand Dunes of Lake Superior
Nee-ba-naw’-baigs, water-spirits
Nenemoo’sha, sweetheart
Nepah’win, sleep
Noko’mis, a grandmother, mother of Wenonah
No’sa, my father
Nush’ka, look! look!
Odah’min, the strawberry
Okahha’wis, the fresh-water herring
Ome’mee, the pigeon
Ona’gon, a bowl
Opechee’, the robin
Osse’o, Son of the Evening Star
Owais’sa, the blue-bird
Oweenee’, wife of Osseo
Ozawa’beek, a round piece of brass or copper in the Game of the Bowl
Pah-puk-kee’na, the grasshopper
Pau’guk, death
Pau-Puk-Kee’wis, the handsome Yenadizze,
the son of Storm Fool
Pe’boan, Winter
Pem’ican, meat of the deer or buffalo dried and pounded
Pezhekee’, the bison
Pishnekuh’, the brant
Pone’mah, hereafter
Puggawau’gun, a war-club
Puk-Wudj’ies, little wild men of the woods; pygmies
Sah-sah-je’wun, rapids
Segwun’, Spring
Sha’da, the pelican
Shahbo’min, the gooseberry
Shah-shah, long ago
Shaugoda’ya, a coward
Shawgashee’, the craw-fish
Shawonda’see, the South-Wind
Shaw-shaw, the swallow
Shesh’ebwug, ducks; pieces in the Game
of the Bowl
Shin’gebis, the diver, or grebe
Showain’neme’shin, pity me
Shuh-shuh-gah’, the blue heron
Soan-ge-ta’ha, strong-hearted
Subbeka’she, the spider
Sugge’me, the mosquito
To’tem, family coat-of-arms
Ugh, yes
Ugudwash’, the sun-fish
Unktahee’, the God of Water
Wabas’so, the rabbit, the North
Wabe’no, a magician, a juggler
Wabe’no-wusk, yarrow
Wa’bun, the East-Wind
Wa’bun An’nung, the Star of the East, the Morning Star
Wahono’win, a cry of lamentation
Wah-wah-tay’see, the fire-fly
Waubewy’on, a white skin wrapper
Wa’wa, the wild goose
Waw-be-wa’wa, the white goose
Wawonais’sa, the whippoorwill
Way-muk-kwa’na, the caterpillar
Weno’nah, the eldest daughter; Hiawatha’s mother, daughter of Nokomis
Yenadiz’ze, an idler and gambler; an Indian dandy

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow**

Context of the Work

The Song of Hiawatha (1855) is an epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, inspired by the legends and oral traditions of the Ojibwe (Chippewa) and other Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region. Though Longfellow was not Native American and took creative liberties, he drew heavily from the works of ethnographer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, particularly his Algic Researches (1839), which documented Ojibwe stories, vocabulary, and cultural practices.

The poem follows the life of Hiawatha, a legendary figure who serves as a prophet, teacher, and cultural hero. The excerpt provided describes his departure from the mortal world into the afterlife, a moment of transcendence and spiritual fulfillment. This passage is from the final section of the poem, where Hiawatha, having fulfilled his mission among his people, ascends to the Islands of the Blessed—a paradise ruled by the Great Spirit (Gitche Manito).

Analysis of the Excerpt

1. The Departure of Hiawatha

"Thus departed Hiawatha,Hiawatha the Beloved,"

Significance of "Beloved": The epithet "the Beloved" emphasizes Hiawatha’s revered status among his people. He is not just a leader but a cherished figure, suggesting his role as a unifier and teacher. His departure is not a loss but a sacred transition, celebrated rather than mourned.
Tone & Mood: The opening lines set a solemn yet serene tone. The word "departed" carries a sense of finality, but the lack of sorrow in the phrasing suggests a peaceful, natural passage—akin to the setting sun (which is later mentioned).

2. The Imagery of Sunset and Twilight

"In the glory of the sunset,In the purple mists of evening,"

Symbolism of Sunset: The sunset is a powerful metaphor for death as a transition rather than an end. In many cultures, including Native American traditions, the west (where the sun sets) is associated with the land of the dead or the spiritual realm. Hiawatha’s journey aligns with this symbolism—he is moving toward the West-Wind (Mudjekeewis), his father, and the afterlife.
"Purple mists of evening": The color purple often signifies royalty, spirituality, and mystery. The "mists" suggest a veil between worlds, reinforcing the idea that Hiawatha is crossing into a sacred, otherworldly domain.

3. The Home-Wind and the Northwest

"To the regions of the home-wind,Of the Northwest-Wind, Keewaydin,"

Keewaydin (the Northwest-Wind): In Ojibwe tradition, the Northwest Wind is a spirit of transition, carrying souls to the afterlife. The term "home-wind" implies that Hiawatha is returning to his spiritual origins—not just traveling away, but coming home.
Directional Symbolism: The four winds (East, South, West, North) hold deep significance in Native American cosmology. The Northwest is often associated with wisdom, endings, and the spirit world. Hiawatha’s journey in this direction reinforces his role as a bridge between the mortal and divine.

4. The Islands of the Blessed & the Land of the Hereafter

"To the Islands of the Blessed,To the Kingdom of Ponemah,To the Land of the Hereafter!"

"Islands of the Blessed": This is a paradise-like realm where heroic and virtuous souls reside after death. It echoes Greek mythology’s Elysian Fields but is rooted in Algonquian beliefs about an afterlife of peace and abundance.
"Ponemah" (Hereafter): The word "Ponemah" (from Pone’mah, meaning "hereafter") suggests a timeless, eternal realm. Unlike Christian heaven or Greek Hades, this afterlife is natural and cyclical, reflecting Native American views of death as part of life’s continuous journey.
Significance of the Exclamation: The exclamatory tone ("To the Land of the Hereafter!") gives the passage a mythic, incantatory quality, as if the poet is invoking Hiawatha’s journey rather than merely describing it.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

Repetition & Parallelism
- The anaphoric repetition of "To the..." creates a rhythmic, chant-like quality, mimicking oral storytelling traditions. This gives the passage a musical, ceremonial feel, as if it were part of a sacred song or ritual.
Imagery & Sensory Language
- "Glory of the sunset" (visual)
- "Purple mists" (visual & tactile)
- "Home-wind" (auditory & kinetic)
- These images immerse the reader in a dreamlike, spiritual landscape, blending the natural and supernatural.
Personification & Mythic Tone
- The winds (Keewaydin, Mudjekeewis) are treated as living, guiding forces, not just natural phenomena. This reflects animistic beliefs, where nature is alive with spirits.
Epic & Heroic Diction
- Words like "Beloved," "glory," "Kingdom," "Blessed" elevate Hiawatha to a mythic hero, akin to figures like Odysseus or Gilgamesh. Yet, unlike Western epics, his journey is spiritual rather than martial.
Cultural & Linguistic Authenticity
- Longfellow’s use of Ojibwe terms (Keewaydin, Ponemah, Gitche Manito) lends authenticity and respect to the source material, even if his interpretation is romanticized. The vocabulary list provided further grounds the poem in specific cultural references.

Themes in the Excerpt

The Cycle of Life & Death
- Hiawatha’s departure is not an end but a return to the spirit world, reflecting Native American beliefs in cyclical existence (birth, death, rebirth).
Harmony with Nature
- The sunset, winds, and mists are not just backdrops but active participants in Hiawatha’s journey, reinforcing the interconnectedness of all things.
The Hero’s Spiritual Ascension
- Unlike Western heroes who seek glory in battle, Hiawatha’s greatness lies in his wisdom, teaching, and spiritual leadership. His final journey is peaceful and purposeful.
The Afterlife as a Place of Belonging
- The "Islands of the Blessed" and "Kingdom of Ponemah" are described as welcoming, familiar realms, not fearful or unknown. Death is a homecoming.

Significance of the Passage

Cultural Preservation & Romanticization
- Longfellow’s poem was one of the first major American works to center Native American mythology, though it was written by a white poet in the 19th century. While it popularized Indigenous stories, it also romanticized and simplified them, blending multiple tribal traditions into a single narrative.
Influence on American Literature
- The Song of Hiawatha became a cultural touchstone, inspiring later writers, composers (like Dvořák’s New World Symphony), and even environmental movements with its reverence for nature.
Spiritual & Philosophical Depth
- The excerpt encapsulates a universal human question: What lies beyond death? Hiawatha’s journey offers a hopeful, serene answer—one rooted in nature, ancestry, and spiritual fulfillment.
Contrast with Western Views of Death
- Unlike the Christian Heaven/Hell binary or the Greek underworld, the Ojibwe afterlife (as presented here) is earthly, beautiful, and accessible—a place where the natural and divine coexist.

Conclusion: The Passage’s Enduring Power

This excerpt is more than a description of death—it is a celebration of a life well-lived and a soul’s return to the sacred. Through vivid imagery, rhythmic language, and deep cultural resonance, Longfellow crafts a moment of transcendence that feels both ancient and timeless.

While modern readers may critique the poem’s cultural appropriation or idealization, the passage remains a powerful meditation on mortality, spirituality, and the enduring connection between humans and the natural world. Hiawatha’s departure is not a farewell but an invitation—to see death not as an ending, but as a journey home.

Final Thought: If we read this passage aloud, as it was meant to be heard, we can almost feel the wind carrying Hiawatha away, the sunset painting the sky in sacred colors, and the whisper of the spirits welcoming him home. That is the magic of Longfellow’s verse—it transports us, just as the Northwest-Wind carries Hiawatha, into a realm where myth and reality blur.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s depiction of Hiawatha’s departure most fundamentally serves to:

A. subvert traditional Western conceptions of heroism by portraying a leader whose greatness lies in passivity rather than action.
B. critique the romanticization of Indigenous spirituality by juxtaposing lofty imagery with the mundane vocabulary list.
C. affirm a cyclical, rather than linear, understanding of existence by framing death as a return to spiritual origins.
D. emphasize the inevitability of cultural erasure by positioning Hiawatha’s afterlife as an inaccessible, mythologized realm.
E. undermine the authority of oral tradition by codifying a fluid, living narrative into fixed poetic form.

Question 2

The "purple mists of evening" (line 4) function primarily as:

A. a synesthetic bridge between the tangible and the numinous, merging visual and tactile sensations to evoke liminality.
B. an ironic contrast to the "glory of the sunset," underscoring the ambiguity of Hiawatha’s moral legacy.
C. a literal description of atmospheric conditions, grounding the spiritual journey in observable phenomena.
D. a metaphor for the obscurity of Indigenous beliefs, suggesting that the afterlife is ultimately unknowable.
E. an allusion to Christian iconography, recasting Hiawatha’s departure in terms of martyrdom and divine favor.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the passage’s rhythmic structure and its thematic content?

A. The irregular meter mirrors the unpredictability of the afterlife, reinforcing the idea that spiritual journeys defy human expectation.
B. The anaphoric repetition of "To the..." mimics the oral tradition’s incantatory quality, aligning form with the poem’s role as a sacred invocation.
C. The abrupt shift from trochaic to iambic feet in the final line enacts the disruption of death, jarring the reader into awareness of mortality.
D. The lack of end-rhyme reflects the cultural erasure of Indigenous languages, where meaning is lost in translation.
E. The dactylic hexameter evokes classical epics, positioning Hiawatha as a universal hero whose story transcends cultural specificity.

Question 4

The phrase "the regions of the home-wind" (line 5) is most thematically resonant with which of the following ideas?

A. The afterlife as a place of exile, where souls are forever separated from their mortal lives.
B. The spiritual realm as an extension of earthly belonging, where the divine is familiar rather than alien.
C. The inevitability of nostalgia, as Hiawatha longs for a past that can never be reclaimed.
D. The arbitrariness of cosmic justice, since the winds are indifferent to human virtue.
E. The fragility of cultural identity, as the "home-wind" is a metaphor for a disappearing way of life.

Question 5

A reader unfamiliar with Ojibwe traditions might most plausibly misinterpret the passage’s tone as:

A. elegiac, mistaking the serene imagery for sorrow rather than transcendence.
B. satirical, assuming the lofty diction is a parody of Indigenous spiritual claims.
C. didactic, reducing the poem to a moral lesson about the virtues of humility.
D. nihilistic, misreading the "Land of the Hereafter" as an empty void rather than a place of fulfillment.
E. triumphalist, conflating Hiawatha’s departure with a conquest of death rather than a harmonious transition.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The passage frames Hiawatha’s death as a return—to the "home-wind," to the "Kingdom of Ponemah," and to the "Land of the Hereafter." This language undermines a linear view of life (birth → death → oblivion) and instead presents existence as cyclical, where death is a reunion with spiritual origins (e.g., his father Mudjekeewis, the West-Wind). The "purple mists" and "sunset" further reinforce this cyclicality, as they evoke natural rhythms (day/night, seasons). The correct answer must address this core thematic concern, which C does explicitly.