MILES STANDISH by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This is the opening section of Longfellow's epic poem about Miles Standish, a real military captain from the Pilgrim era in the 1620s Plymouth Colony.
The poem
In the Old Colony days, in Plymouth the land of the Pilgrims, To and fro in a room of his simple and primitive dwelling, Clad in doublet and hose, and boots of Cordovan leather, Strode, with a martial air, Miles Standish the Puritan Captain. Buried in thought he seemed, with his hands behind him, and pausing Ever and anon to behold his glittering weapons of warfare, Hanging in shining array along the walls of the chamber,-- Cutlass and corselet of steel, and his trusty sword of Damascus, Curved at the point and inscribed with its mystical Arabic sentence, While underneath, in a corner, were fowling-piece, musket, and matchlock. Short of stature he was, but strongly built and athletic, Broad in the shoulders, deep-chested, with muscles and sinews of iron; Brown as a nut was his face, but his russet beard was already Flaked with patches of snow, as hedges sometimes in November. Near him was seated John Alden, his friend, and household companion, Writing with diligent speed at a table of pine by the window; Fair-haired, azure-eyed, with delicate Saxon complexion, Having the dew of his youth, and the beauty thereof, as the captives Whom Saint Gregory saw, and exclaimed, "Not Angles, but Angels." Youngest of all was he of the men who came in the Mayflower. Suddenly breaking the silence, the diligent scribe interrupting, Spake, in the pride of his heart, Miles Standish the Captain of Plymouth. "Look at these arms," he said, "the warlike weapons that hang here Burnished and bright and clean, as if for parade or inspection! This is the sword of Damascus I fought with in Flanders; this breastplate, Well I remember the day! once saved my life in a skirmish; Here in front you can see the very dint of the bullet Fired point-blank at my heart by a Spanish arcabucero. Had it not been of sheer steel, the forgotten bones of Miles Standish Would at this moment be mould, in their grave in the Flemish morasses." Thereupon answered John Alden, but looked not up from his writing: "Truly the breath of the Lord hath slackened the speed of the bullet; He in his mercy preserved you, to be our shield and our weapon!" Still the Captain continued, unheeding the words of the stripling: "See, how bright they are burnished, as if in an arsenal hanging; That is because I have done it myself, and not left it to others. Serve yourself, would you be well served, is an excellent adage; So I take care of my arms, as you of your pens and your inkhorn. Then, too, there are my soldiers, my great, invincible army, Twelve men, all equipped, having each his rest and his matchlock, Eighteen shillings a month, together with diet and pillage, And, like Caesar, I know the name of each of my soldiers!" This he said with a smile, that danced in his eyes, as the sunbeams Dance on the waves of the sea, and vanish again in a moment. Alden laughed as he wrote, and still the Captain continued: "Look! you can see from this window my brazen howitzer planted High on the roof of the church, a preacher who speaks to the purpose, Steady, straight-forward, and strong, with irresistible logic, Orthodox, flashing conviction right into the hearts of the heathen. Now we are ready, I think, for any assault of the Indians; Let them come, if they like, and the sooner they try it the better,-- Let them come if they like, be it sagamore, sachem, or pow-wow, Aspinet, Samoset, Corbitant, Squanto, or Tokamahamon!" Long at the window he stood, and wistfully gazed on the landscape, Washed with a cold gray mist, the vapory breath of the east-wind, Forest and meadow and hill, and the steel-blue rim of the ocean, Lying silent and sad, in the afternoon shadows and sunshine. Over his countenance flitted a shadow like those on the landscape, Gloom intermingled with light; and his voice was subdued with emotion, Tenderness, pity, regret, as after a pause he proceeded: "Yonder there, on the hill by the sea, lies buried Rose Standish; Beautiful rose of love, that bloomed for me by the wayside! She was the first to die of all who came in the Mayflower! Green above her is growing the field of wheat we have sown there, Better to hide from the Indian scouts the graves of our people, Lest they should count them and see how many already have perished!" Sadly his face he averted, and strode up and down, and was thoughtful. Fixed to the opposite wall was a shelf of books, and among them Prominent three, distinguished alike for bulk and for binding; Bariffe's Artillery Guide, and the Commentaries of Caesar, Out of the Latin translated by Arthur Goldinge of London, And, as if guarded by these, between them was standing the Bible. Musing a moment before them, Miles Standish paused, as if doubtful Which of the three he should choose for his consolation and comfort, Whether the wars of the Hebrews, the famous campaigns of the Romans, Or the Artillery practice, designed for belligerent Christians. Finally down from its shelf he dragged the ponderous Roman, Seated himself at the window, and opened the book, and in silence Turned o'er the well-worn leaves, where thumb-marks thick on the margin, Like the trample of feet, proclaimed the battle was hottest. Nothing was heard in the room but the hurrying pen of the stripling, Busily writing epistles important, to go by the Mayflower, Ready to sail on the morrow, or next day at latest, God willing! Homeward bound with the tidings of all that terrible winter, Letters written by Alden, and full of the name of Priscilla, Full of the name and the fame of the Puritan maiden Priscilla! II
This is the opening section of Longfellow's epic poem about Miles Standish, a real military captain from the Pilgrim era in the 1620s Plymouth Colony. It presents two contrasting characters — the brash, tough soldier Standish and the soft-spoken young writer John Alden — while subtly hinting at a love triangle by mentioning that Alden's letters home are filled with thoughts of a woman named Priscilla. You can think of it like the first chapter of a novel, where you get to know the main characters and feel the tension that lies ahead.
Line-by-line
In the Old Colony days, in Plymouth the land of the Pilgrims, / To and fro in a room of his simple and primitive dwelling,
Suddenly breaking the silence, the diligent scribe interrupting, / Spake, in the pride of his heart, Miles Standish the Captain of Plymouth.
Long at the window he stood, and wistfully gazed on the landscape, / Washed with a cold gray mist, the vapory breath of the east-wind,
Fixed to the opposite wall was a shelf of books, and among them / Prominent three, distinguished alike for bulk and for binding;
Tone & mood
The tone is warm, lightly humorous, and carries a hint of sadness. Longfellow admires Standish while allowing us to chuckle at his self-importance — he commands a mere twelve soldiers yet compares himself to Caesar without a trace of irony. Then the poem shifts to heartfelt emotion as Rose's grave comes into view. By the end of the section, a soft melancholy envelops us, conveyed through the gray mist and the letters filled with Priscilla's name.
Symbols & metaphors
- The weapons on the wall — Standish's polished arms reflect his identity as a soldier and his desire for control. He takes the time to polish them himself — 'serve yourself, would you be well served' — indicating that he relies on no one but himself to care for what is important to him.
- Rose Standish's grave on the hill — The buried wife represents all that the Pilgrims gave up and lost during their journey. The wheat planted over the graves to mislead Native scouts intertwines personal sorrow with a shared survival tactic—love and death become hidden from view.
- The three books (Caesar, Bible, artillery manual) — The shelf reflects Standish's soul across three volumes. His choice of Caesar over the Bible suggests that while his faith is genuine, his instincts lean towards the military. The Bible, positioned between the two war books, adds a subtle irony that Longfellow doesn't emphasize.
- The gray mist and cold landscape — The New England weather outside the window serves as an emotional mirror. When Standish is boasting, the scene is lively and indoors; but when grief appears, the camera shifts to fog and a steel-blue ocean—nature reflecting the colony's inner life.
- Priscilla's name in the letters — The name shows up only at the end of the section, but it carries significant weight. Alden has been quietly writing about her while Standish talks about war. This contrast creates the poem's main tension: the soldier's world versus the lover's world.
Historical context
Longfellow released *The Courtship of Miles Standish* in 1858, and it sold 10,000 copies on its first day in both Boston and London — an impressive feat for that era. The poem is based on a real historical triangle involving Miles Standish, John Alden, and Priscilla Mullins, all of whom were passengers on the Mayflower. Longfellow claimed to be a descendant of John and Priscilla. The tale that Standish sent Alden to woo Priscilla for him, only for Alden to end up winning her heart, had been passed down as family lore for many years. Longfellow wrote it in dactylic hexameter, the same meter used by Homer and Virgil, intentionally elevating the Pilgrim story to the status of classical epic at a time when America was eager for its own founding mythology. The poem was published just three years before the Civil War, a period when issues of national identity and shared heritage became increasingly pressing.
FAQ
Sure! Here’s the humanized version:
Mostly yes, at least in broad strokes. Miles Standish, John Alden, and Priscilla Mullins were indeed real passengers on the Mayflower. There’s a popular legend that Standish asked Alden to pursue Priscilla on his behalf, and that Priscilla told Alden to speak for himself. This story has been passed down through Alden family tradition. Interestingly, Longfellow was a descendant of John and Priscilla. While the historical record doesn't confirm every detail, the main characters and their relationships are based on real people.
He chose dactylic hexameter, the same meter used in Homer's *Iliad* and Virgil's *Aeneid*. This choice was intentional: Longfellow aimed to make the Pilgrim story feel as grand and mythic as the founding tales of Greece and Rome. The meter creates a rolling, wave-like rhythm that complements both the sea voyage in the background and the epic nature of the subject.
John Alden is Standish's young friend and secretary, the one writing letters at the pine table. He’s the emotional opposite of Standish: fair, gentle, literary, and already harboring secret feelings for Priscilla Mullins. The contrast between these two men drives the entire poem. Standish embodies action and armor, while Alden represents feeling and words.
Rose Standish was Miles Standish's first wife, and she tragically passed away during the harsh first winter of Plymouth Colony—the very winter that claimed the lives of about half the Mayflower passengers. Longfellow notes that she was the first to die among those who arrived on the Mayflower. Her grave on the hill, concealed with wheat to protect it from Native scouts, stands out as one of the poem's most hauntingly poignant images.
It's a joke Longfellow is making at Standish's expense — and Standish is somewhat aware of it. Caesar famously knew each of his soldiers by name; Standish claims he does the same, but his army consists of just twelve men. The humor is warm-hearted. Longfellow uses it to highlight that Standish is truly brave and competent, yet also a bit absurd in his self-importance.
Standish describes it as 'a preacher who speaks to the purpose' — a cannon that fires 'irresistible logic' at the 'heathen.' There's a dark humor in this: the Puritans actually mounted a weapon of war on their place of worship. Longfellow uses this imagery to illustrate the Puritan mindset, where military defense and religious mission were entirely intertwined.
The final lines show that Alden's letters home are 'full of the name and the fame of the Puritan maiden Priscilla.' This is the poem's first mention of Priscilla, and it feels like a subtle revelation: while Standish has been focused on war and weapons, Alden has been preoccupied with love. This moment sets the stage for Standish to ask Alden to court Priscilla for him — the main conflict of the entire poem.
By today's standards, yes, in some areas. The poem showcases 19th-century colonial attitudes: Native leaders such as Aspinet and Samoset are portrayed as threats to be pushed back, and the colonists concealing graves from 'Indian scouts' presents Native people as enemies. Longfellow wasn't critiquing colonialism — he was honoring Pilgrim mythology. Modern readers will see the biased viewpoint, even though the poem primarily centers on the love triangle instead of conflict.