The Arrow and the Song
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Author Bio
He was born in Portland, Maine; and by the 1850s became a national literature figure. He lived the life of a traveler, romantic, and linguist who identified himself with great traditions of European literature and thought. Henry attended Bowdoin College, the first college in Maine. During his time in college his passion for writing only grew stronger. Henry then studied abroad for three years in Europe, which lead to his mastery of seven languages and introduce him to living authors of many countries and classical literature. He worked full time at Harvard University where he directed and lectured the modern languages department.
Poem Audio
The Arrow and the Song
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
Analysis- The arrow stands for angry words that are said carelessly and mean nothing are capable of sticking in someone for a long time and are not forgotten. Then on the other hand the song represents words of kindness and joy. The sing can be spread to everyone and can be found in the hearts of the people it impacted.