The Song of Hiawatha

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the importance of understanding the historical context for literature. How can reading a historical document in contemporary society be problematic without understanding its context? How can knowing the historical context alter our understanding and shape our perspective as the audience? Explain.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider how understanding a work’s historical context can better shape understanding and perspective. Written during the 19th-century imperial expansion of US settlers into the Indigenous lands of the North American region, Longfellow’s epic presents a specific and stereotypical form of Indigenous persons that were widely perpetuated in literature. Furthermore, this epic espouses the biblical Christian value system, reflecting the social norms of the 19th century. Both of these points are key for understanding, as well as accurately analyzing, the intent and reception of Longfellow’s poem. Longfellow developed a specific form of writing entitled “Indian Edda” that used Scandinavian epic poetry as the structure for his particular epic. In a brief in-class activity, students may use the first resource in order to understand the historical context of Longfellow’s biography in the second resource.

• “Historical and Cultural Context” from Valencia College provides a comprehensive understanding of context for university-level writing standards.
• “Henry Wadsworth Longfellow” from the Poetry Foundation contains an extensive overview of the poet’s life.

2. During the 19th century, European settlers of the eastern United States justified the importance of territorial expansion in what was called “Manifest Destiny.” What were some of the motivations of this territorial expansion? How did Manifest Destiny shape the relationship between Indigenous Americans and European-descended settlers?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the historical context of the epic: the mid-19th-century territorial expansion of American lands. Referred to as Manifest Destiny, settlers in the eastern US states were encouraged to expand across the continent, which was made possible by acquisition of territory from European colonies, along with the improved industrial technology related to railroads and the discovery of precious metals near the Pacific Ocean. As a result, Indigenous groups experienced significant forms of harassment, violence, and death by the hands of settlers and US government cavalries. As students begin responding to the prompt, consider noting that Longfellow’s poem, which was written during this time period, alludes to the end of the Indigenous era and the rise of European/US settlements. It also indicates the importance of Christian values, as Longfellow incorporates biblical allusions throughout the poem.

• This page from History.com provides a historical overview of Manifest Destiny.
• This article critically examines the effect of Manifest Destiny on Indigenous populations.

Short Activity

Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha is an epic poem. Working in small groups, research and select another epic poem to analyze and share with the class. Consider the following questions as you prepare your research: What is the background of this poem? Who wrote it, and which part of the world did it originate in? What makes this poem an epic? What is the basic plot, and who are the characters? Finally, does your chosen poem explore the themes of Connecting With the Natural World, Blood Kin Versus Found Family, and/or Mortality? If so, how?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity invites students to explore the structure of epic poetry in literature, particularly as it relates to oral traditions. Based on the level of the class, this Short Activity may either be completed as a formal in-class presentation with visuals or an informal class discussion.

• This page from SuperSummary defines the term “epic.”
• The Song of Hiawatha from the National Park Service explores the positives and negatives associated with Longfellow’s publication (Note: This source connects to the main Activity).

Differentiation Suggestion: For an extended presentation that includes an analysis of poetry, the following question may be added to the above prompt: Select one passage from your chosen epic that exhibits the theme(s) of Connecting With the Natural World, Blood Kin Versus Found Family, and/or Mortality. How is/are the theme(s) integral to the poem as a whole? Explain.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Consider the term “family.” What does this term mean in contemporary society? For example, does it refer only to blood relations, or can it be extended to supportive members of different communities? How has the meaning of this word changed over time?

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to consider the theme Blood Kin Versus Found Family in relation to their own understanding of the term. Hiawatha is a natural leader and protector of his community. As the speaker indicates, Hiawatha also is an independent thinker, which sets him apart from others; for example, he values his close friends dearly, fights his father in order to avenge his mother’s death, and selects a woman to marry who is outside of the tribe. Most importantly, Hiawatha focuses on centering and supporting his tribe as a cohesive unit. For a more personal approach, this Personal Connection Prompt may be amended to the following: “What does the word ‘family’ mean to you, and why? Are the people you are related to by blood more, less, or just as important as the people you have relationships with that are not biologically related to you? What is the most important part of being a family?” This Prompt directly segues to the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.