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Summary: A brief review and summary of Evangeline, by Longfellow
Review: I read Evangeline, an epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. If you think about poetry, you usually think that it's pretty short. But some of the world's most famous poetry is the Iliad and the Odyssey. They are each almost five hundred pages long! Evangeline takes place in Acadie, which is present-day Nova Scotia. Acadie was a colony of New France, but was then seized by the British in 1713. The British allowed the French to stay on, but in 1755 the British deported all 6,000 of Acadie's French residents. The Acadiens were sent to British colonies throughout the present-day Canada and the United States. Many went to Louisiana, which has a large Acadien population. Families were separated, children put on different ships from their parents'. Since the British were a large force at the time, it has always been told that the Acadiens were nasty to the British. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow decided to take a look at the story from a whole different view-the Acadiens'. He supports the view that the British were just plain mean and inhuman. Evangeline is about a beautiful woman named, of course, Evangeline. Her life is perfect, and her father is the richest man in their village of Grand-Pré. She has just become engaged to a really great guy named Gabriel. They are in love, and soon to become married, when the British sail into the harbor and announce that it's time to pack up and leave. Gabriel and his father are sent off on one ship, while Evangeline is deported to another place. Evangeline is heartbroken, and she searches and searches for her beloved Gabriel. Will she find him? Of course I won't tell! Read and find out! I would recommend this book, but you have to like poetry and happiness and sadness! I loved this book, and one thing made it especially interesting for me. It's a true story. Evangeline is a character based on a real Acadienne named Emmeline Labiche, who was deported, just like Evangeline. The best, and saddest, part is that my sixth-great-grandmother, Marie Hébert, suffered the same thing! When she was only ten, she was deported from Acadie to a whole new world. It must have been terrifying.
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Summary: Classic tale of star crossed lovers
Review: This classic American poem is a great story about French Canadian newly-weds, Evangeline and Gabriel, caught up in a tragic moment of history. On the day of their wedding in 1755 in Nova Scotia, all the French men are summoned together by the commander of the British troops. They are told that all their lands, dwellings, and animals are forfeited to the crown and that they will be transported to other lands. The villages and farms are burned. The people are loaded onto ships. Evangeline and Gabriel are separated onto different ships. They are scattered throughout the continent in what is called by French Canadians "le grand derangement." Evangeline searches endlessly for Gabriel hoping to renew their lives together. The history is true; the lovers are legendary. This monstrous crime of history is brought to life wonderfully by relating it through the lives of separated young lovers. The poem is written in unrhymed hexameter which gives it a timeless appeal. It almost reads like a short story rather than a 19th century poem. I got interested in this story after visiting Nova Scotia this summer and meeting the French Canadians who live there. After learning their sad history, I wanted to read this book. This edition has a 31 page Introduction by C. Bruce Ferguson that recounts the historic events portrayed and the story of how Longfellow came to write about them. It also explores the historicity of the main characters who have become legends on their own. There are 12 pages of black and white illustrations from books and movies which help to bring the setting and characters to life. This is a wonderful edition of a classic of American literature and is highly recommended.
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