Henry Ford, the automobile magnate, once stated that the "world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward" (Daily Quotations Network). Man has always struggled with uncontrollable aspects of his environment, but his ability to overcome these seemingly indomitable obstacles has earned recognition from numerous classical writers and poets, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. "One of the real American Poets of yesterday" (Montiero, Preface), Longfellow elaborates on man's perpetual struggle with life and nature in his poetry. In "A Psalm of Life," "The Village Blacksmith," and "The Rainy Day," Longfellow explores many facets of man's unyielding will.
             Born into a prominent family on February 27, 1807, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow grew up in the bustling town of Portland, Maine. His parents Stephen and Zilpah Longfellow provided a strong, but refined, Puritan background, while encouraging Henry to excel in academics (Wagenknecht 2). Longfellow's education began early, when he was enrolled in an "old-fashioned 'dame' school" (Wagenknecht 4) at the age of three. His schooling continued in 1815 with his entrance into the Portland Academy. At the age of fourteen, Longfellow entered Bowdoin College where his academic brilliance earned him a position of fourth in a graduating class of thirty-eight (Williams, Preface). Stephen Longfellow encouraged his son to pursue a stable career in law, but Longfellow's love of words led him to accept the "newly established professorship of modern languages at Bowdoin College" (Wagenknecht 3). He traveled extensively in France, Spain, Italy, and Germany to refine his language skills in preparation!
             for his six-year long professorship.
             Harvard University offered Longfellow the "Smith Professorship of French and Spanish" in 183...