Resources for The Song of Hiawatha

1. "The Song of Hiawatha, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Introduction." Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 101. Gale Group, Inc., 2002. eNotes.com. 2006. 17 Jun, 2008 <http://www.enotes.com/nineteenth-century-criticism/song-hiawatha-henry-wadsworth-longfellow.>
This article gives an overview of The Song of Hiawatha. Henry Longfellow got his inspiration and information from Henry Rowe Schoolcraft in his Algic Researche, as well as from George Caitlin and his information about Indian life and John Heckewelder a missionary. The poem was set along Lake Superior before any European colonists had arrived. The poems is about Hiawatha, a peacemaker, who’s father leaves after his birth and his mother dies so he is raised by his grandmother. Hiawatha goes on to become a great leader for his people. Longfellow’s mimicked Finns’ Kalevala which has caused his poem to be considered by some as plagiarized. The website also goes into the major themes that Longfellow used in his poem which will give me information on how he used themes in his work. As well as how his poem fell into the Romantic period. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau are published critics of Literature making this website creditable.

2. “The Song of Hiawatha”. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_Hiawatha>

The main purpose of this website is to provide the reader with a easy to navigate and easy to understand description and explanation of Longfellow’s epic poem “The Song of Hiawatha”. This website includes information on the description of the text, an analysis, the publication history and its reception and influence. This poem is based on the legend of Hiawatha and his lover Minnehaha, members of the Ojibway Indian tribe. The site then continues to describe where this poem is each in popular culture such as the music, parodies and Song of Hiawatha Pageant. What I found interesting about this site was its specific section on Longfellow’s Hiawatha versus the historical Iroquios Hiawatha. This site was extremely helpful in understanding the epic poem and its background.After examining the references used for this site, I believe it is credible.