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May 28, 1857 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Written for his friend, the naturalist Louis Agassiz, on his fiftieth birthday, Longfellow envisions Nature as a nurturing old nurse who takes the young Agassiz in her arms and nurtures him with the marvels of the natural world.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Core theme
Childhood
The PoemFull text

May 28, 1857

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It was fifty years ago In the pleasant month of May, In the beautiful Pays de Vaud, A child in its cradle lay. And Nature, the old nurse, took The child upon her knee, Saying: "Here is a story-book Thy Father has written for thee." "Come, wander with me," she said, "Into regions yet untrod; And read what is still unread In the manuscripts of God." And he wandered away and away With Nature, the dear old nurse, Who sang to him night and day The rhymes of the universe. And whenever the way seemed long, Or his heart began to fail, She would sing a more wonderful song, Or tell a more marvellous tale. So she keeps him still a child, And will not let him go, Though at times his heart beats wild For the beautiful Pays de Vaud; Though at times he hears in his dreams The Ranz des Vaches of old, And the rush of mountain streams From glaciers clear and cold; And the mother at home says, "Hark! For his voice I listen and yearn; It is growing late and dark, And my boy does not return!"

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Sourced from Project Gutenberg

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§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Written for his friend, the naturalist Louis Agassiz, on his fiftieth birthday, Longfellow envisions Nature as a nurturing old nurse who takes the young Agassiz in her arms and nurtures him with the marvels of the natural world. The poem traces Agassiz's journey from his childhood in Switzerland to his emergence as a renowned scientist, illustrating how his curiosity and sense of wonder kept his spirit youthful. It concludes on a bittersweet note, with the call of Agassiz's homeland — and his mother — drawing him back home.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. It was fifty years ago / In the pleasant month of May,

    Editor's note

    Longfellow begins with a fairy-tale vibe—"fifty years ago" evokes the classic "once upon a time." He pinpoints the exact moment of Louis Agassiz's birth in May 1807, in the Pays de Vaud region of Switzerland. The lovely, inviting language immediately creates a warm, festive atmosphere.

  2. And Nature, the old nurse, took / The child upon her knee,

    Editor's note

    Here, Nature is depicted as a grandmotherly figure who lovingly cradles the newborn Agassiz. She presents the natural world as a "story-book" authored by God — implying that for a scientist like Agassiz, exploring nature equates to reading sacred scripture. This beautifully frames scientific curiosity as a reverent pursuit.

  3. "Come, wander with me," she said, / "Into regions yet untrod;

    Editor's note

    Nature beckons the child into uncharted territory—both the literal wilderness and the vast unknowns of science. The term "manuscripts of God" deepens the book metaphor: the natural world is a text still waiting to be fully understood, and Agassiz's life's work is about interpreting it.

  4. And he wandered away and away / With Nature, the dear old nurse,

    Editor's note

    This stanza summarizes Agassiz's entire scientific journey in just four lines. He dedicated his life to exploring and researching — from glaciers and fish fossils to the Amazon and the American continent. The phrase "sang to him night and day / The rhymes of the universe" implies that the patterns he discovered in nature resonated with him like poetry, rather than merely being data.

  5. And whenever the way seemed long, / Or his heart began to fail,

    Editor's note

    Longfellow recognizes that a life devoted to scientific exploration can often be dull and filled with tough, discouraging times. However, Nature counters this by providing something even more incredible, a "more wonderful song" or a "more marvellous tale." The joy of discovery itself is what drives the scientist forward.

  6. So she keeps him still a child, / And will not let him go,

    Editor's note

    This is the poem's central idea: true wonder keeps a person feeling youthful. Even at fifty, Agassiz remains as curious and open-minded as a baby in a cradle. Nature has a hold on him because there’s always more to discover. The tension is soft — being embraced by wonder is both a blessing and a form of captivity.

  7. Though at times he hears in his dreams / The Ranz des Vaches of old,

    Editor's note

    The Ranz des Vaches is a classic Swiss Alpine herding tune that often stirs a deep sense of homesickness in Swiss people living abroad. Longfellow uses it to illustrate how someone deeply dedicated to their work can still feel a strong connection to their roots. The glaciers and mountain streams evoke vivid, sensory memories of Agassiz's homeland in Switzerland.

  8. And the mother at home says, "Hark! / For his voice I listen and yearn;

    Editor's note

    The poem ends with Agassiz's mother waiting for a son who never really returns. "It is growing late and dark" carries two meanings: the approaching night and the passage of fifty years. This line captures the poem's only truly sad moment — the price of a life spent wandering is that someone is always left behind, waiting.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone of the poem is warm and celebratory for the most part — it is a birthday tribute, after all — but Longfellow subtly introduces a quiet sense of longing and loss. The fairy-tale rhythm maintains a light and loving feel, but the final stanza transitions into something more tender and bittersweet. It doesn’t quite become sad; rather, it captures the essence of reminiscing fondly about a long journey while acknowledging that something was left behind.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Nature as nurse
Personifying Nature as a nurturing caregiver presents scientific curiosity as a fundamental part of childhood, as natural and essential as being fed and held. It also honors Agassiz's work by implying that he was selected and nurtured by the world around him.
The story-book / manuscripts of God
The natural world is portrayed as a sacred text waiting to be explored. For Agassiz, a deeply religious man and a scientist, this wasn't merely a metaphor — he truly believed that nature unveiled God's design. Longfellow respects that belief while ensuring it's relatable for every reader.
The Ranz des Vaches
This Swiss Alpine melody has been known to evoke deep homesickness in Swiss soldiers and emigrants. Longfellow employs it as a culturally rich symbol of the homeland Agassiz abandoned — the sound of a life he never experienced.
The waiting mother
The mother at the end of the poem symbolizes all that the wandering scientist gives up: his roots, the chance to return, and the everyday comforts of home. She also softly mirrors Nature herself — two mothers, one who sends her child out into the world and another who patiently awaits his return.
The child
Being kept "still a child" by Nature is the highest compliment in the poem. That childlike wonder — the openness, delight, and endless curiosity — is what defines a great scientist or artist. Agassiz never lost this quality, and Longfellow sees it as a form of grace.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
iambic trimeter
Rhyme
ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IJIJ KBLB MNMN OPOP

§07Historical context

Historical context

Longfellow wrote this poem as a birthday tribute to Louis Agassiz (1807–1873), a Swiss-American naturalist who became one of the most renowned scientists in nineteenth-century America. Agassiz was a professor at Harvard, a pioneering glaciologist, and he founded what we now know as the Harvard Museum of Natural History. He and Longfellow shared a close friendship and lived near each other in Cambridge, Massachusetts, within a circle that included Oliver Wendell Holmes and James Russell Lowell. This poem was created for a surprise birthday dinner in Agassiz's honor on May 28, 1857—his fiftieth birthday. Agassiz was born in Môtier, located in the Vaud canton of Switzerland, and the Ranz des Vaches referenced by Longfellow is a genuine Alpine herding song that holds a deep connection to Swiss national identity and feelings of homesickness.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

Who is the poem actually about?

It's about Louis Agassiz, a Swiss-American naturalist and Harvard professor known as one of the most prominent scientists of the nineteenth century. Longfellow wrote this piece as a birthday tribute for Agassiz's fiftieth birthday on May 28, 1857. The two men shared a close friendship.

What is the Pays de Vaud?

It's a French-speaking area in western Switzerland — the canton of Vaud. Agassiz was born there in 1807. Longfellow uses the French name not only for the meter but also because it adds a romantic, distant feel that complements the poem's fairy-tale tone.

What is the Ranz des Vaches?

It's a classic Swiss Alpine tune that herdsmen once used to call their cattle. It gained popularity throughout Europe for evoking deep homesickness in Swiss expatriates—historical records even mention Swiss soldiers being banned from listening to it because it made them want to desert. Longfellow employs it as a clear symbol of Agassiz's yearning for his homeland.

Why does Longfellow call Nature an "old nurse"?

It's a way of expressing that the natural world nurtured Agassiz just as much as any human caregiver. In the nineteenth century, a nurse often referred to a wet nurse or nanny — someone who cares for a child from infancy. This perspective suggests that Agassiz's scientific calling was something he was destined for, rather than merely a career he selected.

What does "manuscripts of God" mean?

Longfellow is deepening his metaphor of Nature as a storybook. If the natural world is a book, then its rocks, animals, glaciers, and fossils become the pages of a manuscript written by God. For Agassiz, who embraced both faith and science, exploring nature was like deciphering divine purpose. This phrase respects that perspective.

Why does the poem end with the mother waiting?

It's the emotional gut-punch that Longfellow saves for the end. The entire poem celebrates Agassiz's adventurous life, but the final stanza gently poses a question: what did that cost? His mother is still waiting, the evening is growing dark, and her son hasn't returned. It serves as a poignant reminder that a life filled with great accomplishments often means leaving someone who cares about you behind.

What is the poem's meter and form?

The poem uses ballad stanzas, which consist of four lines that alternate between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, following an ABAB rhyme scheme. This structure resembles that of folk songs and nursery rhymes, making it a fitting choice as Longfellow narrates the tale of a man who grew up listening to Nature's melodies.

Is this poem critical of Agassiz at all?

Not openly—it's a birthday tribute from a friend. However, the last two stanzas create a subtle tension. Agassiz hears the call of his homeland in his dreams, and his mother is waiting for him. Longfellow isn’t criticizing the life of wandering and discovery; he’s simply acknowledging that it comes with a price. This honesty prevents the poem from feeling like mere flattery.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "May 28, 1857." Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/may-28-1857-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/.

APA

Longfellow, H. W. (n.d.). May 28, 1857. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/may-28-1857-henry-wadsworth-longfellow/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

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In 'MAY 28, 1857,' Longfellow constructs Nature as a surrogate mother whose nurturing tutelage keeps the speaker perpetually suspended between childhood wonder and adult longing, arguing that the artistic imagination is sustained only at …

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