O - - O - - O - - O - - O - - O - by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This is the opening line of Longfellow's epic poem *Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie* (1847), written in dactylic hexameter — the same meter that Homer used in his works. The line paints a picture of the ancient forests of Acadia (Nova Scotia), creating an atmosphere filled with profound, mournful beauty. The entire poem narrates the tale of Evangeline, an Acadian woman who is separated from her beloved Gabriel during the British-led expulsion of the Acadians in 1755.

Solemn and incantatory. The line feels like the start of a ritual or a lament—slow, dignified, and heavy with a sense of loss that remains unspoken. There’s a sense of grandeur here, but it’s the grandeur of something that can never be reclaimed.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow released *Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie* in 1847, establishing it as one of the first significant American epic poems. The work draws inspiration from the real historical event known as the Great Expulsion (Le Grand Dérangement) of 1755, during which British colonial forces forcibly removed around 10,000 French-speaking Acadian settlers from what is now Nova Scotia, Canada. Longfellow opted for dactylic hexameter—the same meter used by Homer and Virgil—to lend the narrative the grandeur and seriousness of ancient epics. The poem quickly became a sensation, playing a crucial role in shaping American understanding of the Acadian tragedy. As a Harvard professor and the most widely read American poet of the nineteenth century, Longfellow solidified his reputation with *Evangeline* as a poet capable of tackling significant historical and emotional themes.