INTERLUDE. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This poem connects to Longfellow's larger piece *Tales of a Wayside Inn*, where a group of travelers share stories in turn.
The poem
The Landlord ended thus his tale, Then rising took down from its nail The sword that hung there, dim with dust And cleaving to its sheath with rust, And said, “This sword was in the fight.” The Poet seized it, and exclaimed, “It is the sword of a good knight, Though homespun was his coat-of-mail; What matter if it be not named Joyeuse, Colada, Durindale, Excalibar, or Aroundight, Or other name the books record? Your ancestor, who bore this sword As Colonel of the Volunteers, Mounted upon his old gray mare, Seen here and there and everywhere, To me a grander shape appears Than old Sir William, or what not, Clinking about in foreign lands With iron gauntlets on his hands, And on his head an iron pot!” All laughed; the Landlord’s face grew red As his escutcheon on the wall; He could not comprehend at all The drift of what the Poet said; For those who had been longest dead Were always greatest in his eyes; And he was speechless with surprise To see Sir William’s plumed head Brought to a level with the rest, And made the subject of a jest. And this perceiving, to appease The Landlord’s wrath, the others’ fears, The Student said, with careless ease, “The ladies and the cavaliers, The arms, the loves, the courtesies, The deeds of high emprise, I sing! Thus Ariosto says, in words That have the stately stride and ring Of armed knights and clashing swords. Now listen to the tale I bring Listen! though not to me belong The flowing draperies of his song, The words that rouse, the voice that charms. The Landlord’s tale was one of arms, Only a tale of love is mine, Blending the human and divine, A tale of the Decameron, told In Palmieri’s garden old, By Fiametta, laurel-crowned, While her companions lay around, And heard the intermingled sound Of airs that on their errands sped, And wild birds gossiping overhead, And lisp of leaves, and fountain’s fall, And her own voice more sweet than all, Telling the tale, which, wanting these, Perchance may lose its power to please.” THE STUDENT’S TALE
This poem connects to Longfellow's larger piece *Tales of a Wayside Inn*, where a group of travelers share stories in turn. The Poet playfully jabs at the Landlord, claiming that his humble American ancestor, who served as a volunteer soldier, is more remarkable than any elaborate medieval knight, leaving the Landlord feeling a bit awkward. To ease the tension, the Student intervenes and introduces the next story—a romantic narrative adapted from Boccaccio's *Decameron*.
Line-by-line
The Landlord ended thus his tale, / Then rising took down from its nail
And said, 'This sword was in the fight.' / The Poet seized it, and exclaimed,
All laughed; the Landlord's face grew red / As his escutcheon on the wall;
And this perceiving, to appease / The Landlord's wrath, the others' fears,
'The ladies and the cavaliers, / The arms, the loves, the courtesies,
The Landlord's tale was one of arms, / Only a tale of love is mine,
Tone & mood
The tone is warm, playful, and gently humorous. Longfellow seems to be having a great time — the Poet speaks with a teasing confidence, the Landlord's embarrassment feels more affectionate than mean-spirited, and the Student's interruption comes across as smooth and lighthearted. By the end, the atmosphere shifts into something almost dreamlike as the Student paints a picture of Fiametta sharing her story in a sunlit garden. It feels like a chat among friends who are close enough to joke around and bounce back without any real damage done.
Symbols & metaphors
- The rusty sword — The sword represents both inherited pride and the divide between legend and reality. It remains stuck in its sheath, covered in dust — transformed into a mere decoration rather than a weapon. The Poet argues that genuine, lived heroism holds more value than refined aristocratic myths.
- The escutcheon (coat of arms) — The Landlord's family crest on the wall shows his connection to his lineage and his old-world status. When his face flushes as red as the escutcheon, Longfellow connects his pride to that symbol — he embodies his family's heraldry, brought to life.
- Fiametta's garden — The garden where Fiametta shares her story in the *Decameron* represents an ideal backdrop of beauty, comfort, and togetherness — a space where tales are shared under the best possible circumstances. The Student references it to emphasize that no retelling can truly capture the original enchantment of a story told in its proper place and time.
- The named swords (Joyeuse, Excalibur, Durandal, etc.) — These legendary blades from European romance and epic poetry capture the allure of the Old World and its noble traditions. The Poet brushes them aside to emphasize that fame and a grand name don't necessarily reflect true value.
Historical context
"Interlude" is a poem that transitions between stories in Longfellow's *Tales of a Wayside Inn* (1863–1874), which is modeled after Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales* and Boccaccio's *Decameron*. A group of travelers — including the Landlord, the Poet, the Student, and the Musician — come together at an inn in Massachusetts, taking turns to share their stories. Each interlude connects one tale to the next, revealing insights into the storytellers' personalities and the debates among them. This specific interlude comes after the Landlord's tale and before the Student's, illustrating a genuine tension in mid-19th-century American culture: the conflict between respect for European aristocratic traditions and the pride in a unique American, democratic identity. Longfellow, well-versed in European literature — having translated Dante and taught at Harvard — allows the Student's casual mentions of Ariosto and Boccaccio to reflect his own voice through the character.
FAQ
It isn't standalone. It originates from Longfellow's *Tales of a Wayside Inn*, a collection released in parts from 1863 to 1874. The entire work is a frame narrative — a group of travelers at a real inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts share stories with one another. The interludes serve as the glue between these tales, illustrating how the characters respond to one another.
These are the renowned named swords from European legend and epic tales. Joyeuse is the sword of Charlemagne; Colada belongs to El Cid; Durandal (referred to as 'Durindale' here) is Roland's sword from *The Song of Roland*; Excalibur is associated with King Arthur; and Arondight is the sword wielded by Sir Lancelot. The Poet includes these names to illustrate the significant cultural value placed on weapons — then contends that a simple, unnamed sword of an American colonel holds equal worth.
He presents a democratic, American argument: a genuine individual who fought — even on an old gray mare, dressed in a simple coat — is far more heroic than a glorified medieval knight clanking around in iron armor in distant lands. He challenges the Landlord's elitist admiration for noble lineage.
The Landlord defines greatness based on age and lineage. For him, the older and more noble something appears, the more respect it earns. The Poet's jest — regarding Sir William as equal to anyone else and even making him the target of humor — truly puzzles and irritates him. He struggles to comprehend how an ordinary volunteer soldier could be considered *grander* than a decorated knight.
Ludovico Ariosto was a 16th-century Italian poet known for *Orlando Furioso*, a sprawling romantic epic filled with knights, ladies, and magic. The Student quotes its famous opening lines—about ladies, cavaliers, arms, and loves—not just to show off his knowledge, but mainly to shift the group's mood. Bringing up Ariosto flatters the Landlord's love for chivalric romance and seamlessly directs everyone toward the next story.
The *Decameron* is a collection of stories from the 14th century by Giovanni Boccaccio. A group of ten young people escapes the plague-stricken Florence to a countryside villa, where they spend ten days sharing stories—one hundred in total. Fiametta is one of these fictional storytellers, known for her wit and charm. The Student claims that his tale comes from her, recounted in a garden filled with the sounds of birds and flowing fountains.
He shows real humility about the challenges of retelling. Fiametta's story resonates partly due to its ideal setting—warm air, birds singing, leaves rustling, a fountain, and her lovely voice. Without all that, and told in an inn by a student, the story is sure to lose some of its magic. It's a thoughtful, self-aware disclaimer before he starts.
The poem features rhyming couplets and short lines that flow in a relaxed, conversational style instead of adhering to a strict form like a sonnet. The rhymes appear often, but the line lengths differ, creating a casual, spoken feel—just right for a poem that captures the energy of a lively group discussion.