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Frithiof’s Farewell by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Longfellow's "Frithiof's Farewell" translates a poignant moment from the Swedish epic *Frithiofs saga*, where the hero Frithiof bids farewell to his cherished homeland and the woman he loves before heading into exile.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Core theme
Exile
The PoemFull text

Frithiof’s Farewell

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Children of the Lord’s Supper King Christian The Elected Knight Childhood From the German. The Happiest Land The Wave The Dead The Bird and the Ship Whither? Beware! Song of the Bell The Castle by the Sea The Black Knight Song of the Silent Land The Luck of Edenhall The Two Locks of Hair The Hemlock Tree Annie of Tharaw The Statue over the Cathedral Door The Legend of the Crossbill The Sea hath its Pearls Poetic Aphorisms Silent Love Blessed are the Dead Wanderer’s Night-Songs Remorse Forsaken Allah From the Anglo-Saxon. The Grave Beowulf’s Expedition to Heort The Soul’s Complaint against the Body From the French Song: Hark! Hark! Song: “And whither goest thou, gentle sigh” The Return of Spring Spring The Child Asleep Death of Archbishop Turpin The Blind Girl of Castel-Cuille A Christmas Carol Consolation To Cardinal Richelieu The Angel and the Child On the Terrace of the Aigalades To my Brooklet Barréges Will ever the dear days come back again? At La Chaudeau A Quiet Life The Wine of Jurançon Friar Lubin Rondel My Secret From the Italian. The Celestial Pilot The Terrestrial Paradise Beatrice To Italy Seven Sonnets and a Canzone

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Longfellow's "Frithiof's Farewell" translates a poignant moment from the Swedish epic *Frithiofs saga*, where the hero Frithiof bids farewell to his cherished homeland and the woman he loves before heading into exile. The poem vividly conveys the deep sorrow of leaving behind everything he knows, with an uncertain return looming. It's a brief yet emotionally powerful piece that reflects Frithiof's grief through the Norse landscape.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Farewell, ye hills so blue and bright,

    Editor's note

    Frithiof speaks to the landscape, directly naming the hills and the light he is departing from. The color blue evokes both beauty and sadness, establishing the emotional tone of the entire poem right from the first line.

  2. Farewell, thou sea so dark and wide,

    Editor's note

    The sea represents his path of exile and the mystery ahead. While the hills were bright, the sea appears dark — this contrast shows he is leaving the familiar behind for something that feels threatening and uncertain.

  3. Farewell, Ingeborg, thou sun of my delight,

    Editor's note

    Frithiof finally identifies the person who embodies his sorrow. By calling Ingeborg his 'sun,' he places her above everything else — she isn't merely his love; she's the source of all warmth and light in his life, and now he's sailing away from her.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is mournful and tender, carrying a formal, almost ceremonial quality that fits the Norse saga setting. Longfellow maintains an elevated language that remains warm — the grief resonates on a personal level, even within the epic frame. There's no anger or bitterness, just a pure, aching sorrow.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The hills
The hills symbolize home, stability, and all that Frithiof is being compelled to abandon. Their brightness stands out against the darkness ahead, intensifying the sense of loss.
The sea
The sea is the road of exile — vast, dark, and indifferent. It remains unaffected by Frithiof's sorrow, which adds to its strength as a symbol of fate and the unknown.
Ingeborg as the sun
Referring to his beloved as the 'sun of his delight' places her at the heart of his universe. Being away from her isn't merely a matter of feeling lonely — it feels like being plunged into a never-ending darkness.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Longfellow included this poem in his 1845 collection *The Poets and Poetry of Europe*, a significant translation effort where he introduced American readers to Scandinavian, German, French, Italian, and Anglo-Saxon poetry. "Frithiof's Farewell" is based on *Frithiofs saga*, a well-known Swedish romantic epic by Esaias Tegnér (1782–1846), which tells the Old Norse tale of the hero Frithiof and his love for Ingeborg, the daughter of a king. Tegnér's saga was hugely popular throughout Europe in the early 19th century. Longfellow had a lifelong fascination with Norse and Germanic literature — his later work, *The Song of Hiawatha*, similarly adapts heroic legends into accessible English verse. This translation captures the Romantic era's strong interest in medieval and folk traditions as a means of linking contemporary readers to a heroic, pre-industrial past.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Who is Frithiof and why is he leaving?

Frithiof is the hero of an Old Norse legend, as told in the Swedish epic Frithiofs saga by Esaias Tegnér. He is exiled because the kings who control Ingeborg — the woman he loves — won’t allow him to marry her. The farewell in this poem captures the moment he sails away, fully aware that he may never come back.

Did Longfellow write this poem himself?

No — it's a translation. Longfellow adapted it from Tegnér's Swedish epic Frithiofs saga. He was among the leading literary translators in 19th-century America, and this poem was included in his anthology The Poets and Poetry of Europe (1845).

Who is Ingeborg?

Ingeborg is Frithiof's cherished love in the Norse legend. As a princess, her brothers, the kings Helge and Halfdan, prohibit her from marrying Frithiof due to his lack of royal lineage. She embodies all that Frithiof stands to lose when he is exiled.

Why does Frithiof call Ingeborg his 'sun'?

It symbolizes her importance in his life. The sun provides light and warmth to everything — without it, everything turns dark and cold. By referring to her as his sun, Frithiof expresses that being away from her isn't just sorrowful; it's like losing the very light of his existence.

What is the mood of the poem?

The mood is one of sadness and tenderness. Frithiof isn’t fighting against his fate; he’s softly and heartbreakingly bidding farewell to the landscape and the person he loves. The tone is formal and ceremonial, perfectly matching the epic Norse backdrop.

Why does Longfellow contrast the bright hills with the dark sea?

The contrast serves an emotional purpose. The bright hills represent home, safety, and love — everything Frithiof is familiar with. The dark sea symbolizes the unknown, exile, and danger. Transitioning between these two settings in the poem reflects Frithiof's journey from happiness to grief.

Is this poem part of a longer work?

Yes. This is a scene from Tegnér's Frithiofs saga, a complete epic poem consisting of 24 cantos. Longfellow chose and translated this farewell moment as a standalone lyric for his anthology, allowing it to stand on its own even if you’re not familiar with the entire saga.

What themes does the poem deal with?

The main themes include exile, love, sorrow, and home. Frithiof is being pulled away from the land and the person who shape his world, and the poem centers on that poignant moment of loss and separation.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "Frithiof’s Farewell." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/frithiofs-farewell-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/.

APA

Longfellow, H. W. (n.d.). Frithiof’s farewell. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/frithiofs-farewell-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In 'Frithiof's Farewell,' Longfellow uses the speaker's ritualized leave-taking — his surrender of hall, hearth, and beloved — to argue that exile is not merely a physical displacement but a self-imposed severance from identity itself, one …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
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