Cole
These you brought in your vessel from Barbadoes.
They made an uproar in the Meeting-house
Yesterday, and they're now in prison for it.
I owe you little thanks for bringing them
To the Three Mariners.
The Annotated Edition
Cole by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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This brief dramatic poem captures a moment of dialogue where someone is reprimanding Cole for bringing troublemakers, probably Quakers, from Barbados to a Puritan town in New England.
- Core theme
- Anger
Study actions
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
This brief dramatic poem captures a moment of dialogue where someone is reprimanding Cole for bringing troublemakers, probably Quakers, from Barbados to a Puritan town in New England. The visitors stirred up trouble at the local Meeting-house and ended up in jail, and the speaker emphasizes that Cole is responsible for the chaos. The tone is tense and accusatory, resembling a fragment of a larger argument.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
These you brought in your vessel from Barbadoes.
Editor's note
The speaker starts by directly accusing Cole — *you* brought these people here on your ship. Barbados was a significant stop on colonial trade routes, and it had a prominent Quaker community in the 17th century, adding weight to the statement. The line is straightforward and confrontational, with no introduction.
They made an uproar in the Meeting-house / Yesterday, and they're now in prison for it.
Editor's note
The consequences are clear: a public disturbance at the Meeting-house (the Puritan place for worship and civic gatherings) leads to immediate imprisonment. This reflects historical cases where Quakers disrupted Puritan services in colonial Massachusetts, facing jail time or worse. The term "uproar" suggests disdain—the speaker views the visitors as troublemakers rather than principled dissenters.
I owe you little thanks for bringing them / To the Three Mariners.
Editor's note
The Three Mariners is an inn, and the speaker points out that Cole took these troublemakers in—making him part of whatever happened next. "I owe you little thanks" conveys a chilling, understated anger. The last line roots the entire confrontation in a familiar, everyday setting, making the tension feel incredibly real and pressing.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
The tone remains cold and accusatory from start to finish. There's no shouting, but the restraint adds to its sharpness — the speaker is controlled, terse, and obviously furious. It feels like someone who has chosen to hold Cole personally accountable and wants him to understand that there's no room for debate.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- The vessel from Barbados
- The ship symbolizes the outside world encroaching upon a closed, tightly controlled Puritan community. Barbados was linked to religious nonconformists, especially Quakers, which means the vessel transports more than just cargo — it brings an ideological threat.
- The Meeting-house
- In Puritan New England, the Meeting-house was the hub of religious and civic life. An "uproar" isn't just a disruption; it threatens the entire social order of the community, which explains the strong response.
- The Three Mariners
- The inn marks the boundary between the outside world and the town. By hosting visitors, Cole opened the door for disruption to flow into the community, and the speaker blames him for that directly.
§06Form & structure
Form & structure
- Meter
- blank verse
§07Historical context
Historical context
This poem comes from Longfellow's collection of dramatic verse titled *New England Tragedies* (1868), particularly the play *John Endicott*, which portrays the Puritan persecution of Quakers in 17th-century Massachusetts. The historical context is accurate: colonial Massachusetts enacted laws against Quakers during the 1650s and 1660s, leading to banishments and executions. Quakers traveled from Barbados to New England to spread their beliefs, facing imprisonment, flogging, and, in some instances, hanging. Longfellow wrote these plays later in his life to confront the more troubling aspects of New England's history. Cole's fragment reflects the everyday, grassroots nature of that persecution — highlighting not a judge or magistrate, but a merchant facing blame from a neighbor.
§08FAQ
Questions readers ask
Who is Cole and why is the poem named after him?
Cole is a character in Longfellow's verse drama John Endicott, which is part of New England Tragedies. He plays the role of an innkeeper or merchant who has brought Quaker travelers from Barbados on his ship. The poem, or dramatic fragment, is named after him because he is the one being addressed and is held accountable for the ensuing troubles.
Who are "these" people the speaker is talking about?
They are likely Quakers. Regarding John Endicott, Quaker missionaries came from Barbados to New England to share their beliefs, which Puritan authorities saw as a threat. One method Quakers employed to confront Puritan authority was disrupting Meeting-house services.
What is the Meeting-house and why does an uproar there matter so much?
The Meeting-house served as the heart of a Puritan town, functioning for both worship and community governance. Disrupting the peace there wasn't just considered impolite; it was viewed as a threat to the town's social and spiritual fabric. That’s why the reaction—imprisonment—was swift and harsh.
What is the Three Mariners?
It’s an inn where Cole welcomed travelers after they arrived. The speaker is frustrated that Cole provided them with a place to stay, making him partly responsible for their presence in town. The name fits well with what you’d expect from a colonial New England tavern.
Is this a complete poem or part of something larger?
It’s a powerful excerpt—a speech from Longfellow's verse play John Endicott, which appeared in New England Tragedies (1868). When read in isolation, it resembles a condensed dramatic monologue, but within its original context, it represents just one voice in a broader narrative about the Puritan persecution of Quakers.
What is Longfellow's attitude toward the Puritans in this poem?
Longfellow doesn't editorialize directly; instead, he allows the speaker's cold, self-righteous anger to come through on its own. The speaker has no sympathy for the imprisoned visitors and perceives Cole's hospitality as a wrong. By showcasing this attitude so plainly, Longfellow subtly critiques the Puritan mindset without explicitly stating it.
Why does Barbados come up specifically?
Barbados was home to a notable Quaker community in the 17th century, and Quaker missionaries actually made the journey from there to New England. For a Puritan audience back then, "from Barbados" would have raised eyebrows — a hint that these travelers were probably religious nonconformists. Longfellow incorporates this detail to anchor the poem in genuine historical context.
Citation
Cite this poem
MLA
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "Cole." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/cole-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/.
APA
Longfellow, H. W. (n.d.). Cole. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/cole-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/
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