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The Annotated Edition

COREY. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

This monologue comes from Longfellow's verse play and is delivered by Corey, a successful Puritan farmer who looks over his flourishing land with heartfelt gratitude and pride.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The PoemFull text

COREY.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Lord hath prospered me. The rising sun Shines on my Hundred Acres and my woods As if he loved them. On a morn like this I can forgive mine enemies, and thank God For all his goodness unto me and mine. My orchard groans with russets and pearmains; My ripening corn shines golden in the sun; My barns are crammed with hay, my cattle thrive The birds sing blithely on the trees around me! And blither than the birds my heart within me. But Satan still goes up and down the earth; And to protect this house from his assaults, And keep the powers of darkness from my door, This horseshoe will I nail upon the threshold. Nails down the horseshoe. There, ye night-hags and witches that torment The neighborhood, ye shall not enter here!-- What is the matter in the field?--John Gloyd! The cattle are all running to the woods!-- John Gloyd! Where is the man? Enter JOHN GLOYD. Look there! What ails the cattle? Are they all bewitched? They run like mad.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This monologue comes from Longfellow's verse play and is delivered by Corey, a successful Puritan farmer who looks over his flourishing land with heartfelt gratitude and pride. While he reflects on his good fortune, he nails a horseshoe above his door to protect against witches and evil spirits—a superstitious practice alongside his Christian beliefs. The scene concludes with a jolt of fear as his cattle rush into the woods, suggesting that the very evil he dreaded might already be at play.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. The Lord hath prospered me. The rising sun / Shines on my Hundred Acres and my woods

    Editor's note

    Corey begins with a heartfelt expression of gratitude that feels almost like a prayer. The rising sun shining down on his land serves as a symbol of divine favor — God's light touches everything he possesses. The term "Hundred Acres" holds significant meaning; in Puritan New England, owning land represented both prosperity and evidence of God's blessing.

  2. As if he loved them. On a morn like this / I can forgive mine enemies, and thank God

    Editor's note

    The phrase "on a morn like this" subtly reveals that Corey's forgiveness and gratitude depend on his mood, rather than being unwavering qualities. This hints at a small flaw in his self-satisfied righteousness — he's a good man only when circumstances favor him, which is a relatable human characteristic.

  3. My orchard groans with russets and pearmains; / My ripening corn shines golden in the sun;

    Editor's note

    Longfellow layers in vivid images of abundance—specific apple varieties, golden corn, overflowing barns, and healthy cattle. The repeated use of "my" in this passage highlights Corey's pride in ownership. Everything belongs to him, and everything is thriving.

  4. But Satan still goes up and down the earth; / And to protect this house from his assaults,

    Editor's note

    The word "But" shifts the entire speech. Regardless of how blessed the morning seems, Corey's Puritan perspective holds that the Devil is always at work. This directly references the Book of Job, where Satan wanders the earth seeking souls to test — Longfellow's audience would have recognized this allusion right away.

  5. This horseshoe will I nail upon the threshold. / Nails down the horseshoe.

    Editor's note

    Here’s the poem's central irony: a man who just expressed gratitude to God is now resorting to folk magic for protection. Hanging a horseshoe above a door is an ancient superstition that predates Christianity. The stage direction adds a theatrical touch — we see the act unfold, highlighting the clash between faith and superstition in a way that's hard to overlook.

  6. There, ye night-hags and witches that torment / The neighborhood, ye shall not enter here!

    Editor's note

    Corey speaks to the witches as if they are right there with him. His tone changes from a tone of grateful prayer to one of bold command. This reflects the real fear of the Salem era—witches weren’t just symbols for these individuals; they were seen as actual neighbors inflicting real damage.

  7. What is the matter in the field?--John Gloyd! / The cattle are all running to the woods!

    Editor's note

    The sudden interruption breaks the calm of the scene. Corey's confident speech turns into a series of short, panicked questions. The cattle running away signals that something is really wrong, and the irony is striking—just as he finished nailing up his horseshoe, chaos erupts right away.

  8. What ails the cattle? Are they all bewitched? / They run like mad.

    Editor's note

    Corey's initial reaction is to attribute the situation to witchcraft, revealing much about his mindset. The phrase "They run like mad" comes through with genuine urgency after the lengthy, flowing sentences at the start. The scene concludes with a sense of dread instead of closure.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone starts off with a warm, almost self-satisfied contentment — the perspective of a man who thinks God is personally backing him. There’s a subtle dramatic irony woven in, as Longfellow allows Corey's pride and superstition to coexist without any judgment. By the end, the tone shifts to one of alarm and confusion. The overall impact is jarring: what begins as a peaceful morning quickly turns dark, and the reader is left with the sense that Corey's confidence was unfounded from the start.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The horseshoe
The horseshoe serves as the poem's main symbol, representing the conflict between Christian faith and folk superstition. Corey has faith in God, but he also relies on an iron charm — and Longfellow keeps him oblivious to this contradiction. Additionally, it hints at Corey's vulnerability: the talisman fails to prevent the chaos that ensues.
The rising sun
The sun at the start of the poem represents divine blessing and prosperity. Its warmth feels personal and almost affectionate—Corey describes it as shining "as if he loved" his land. This creates a stark contrast with the chaos at the end, making it feel like a loss of that light.
The cattle bolting
Animals behaving strangely was a classic sign of witchcraft in Salem-era belief. The cattle running into the woods signals the return of the very evil Corey thought he had just locked out. It also provides a practical, visible image that connects the supernatural fear to something the audience can easily picture.
The threshold
The threshold — the spot where Corey hammers in the horseshoe — represents a classic line between safety and danger, home and wilderness. In folklore, thresholds are seen as places where evil can be held back. By nailing the horseshoe there, Corey is performing a ritual to establish that boundary.
The orchard and corn
The abundant harvest reflects Corey's belief that he is among God's chosen ones — a Puritan concept where material success indicates spiritual approval. The vividness of the description makes his impending fear even more striking.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote "Corey" for his 1868 verse drama *New England Tragedies*, which depicts events from early American Puritan history. The character, Giles Corey, was a real farmer accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. He famously met a brutal fate, being pressed to death with stones for refusing to plead. Longfellow wrote during the aftermath of the American Civil War, a time when Americans were reflecting on their national identity and confronting the darker aspects of their history. The Salem trials offered a way to explore themes of mass hysteria, religious extremism, and the persecution of innocent people. Longfellow paints a sympathetic picture of Corey, presenting him as a decent, prosperous man whose life is on the brink of destruction due to the very community he is part of.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Corey is inspired by Giles Corey, a real farmer from Salem, Massachusetts, who faced accusations of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. He chose not to enter a plea at his trial and was executed by being pressed under heavy stones — one of the most infamous deaths of the entire ordeal. Longfellow portrays him as a sympathetic character to delve into the tragedy of the trials.

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