Who are the storytellers in Part Third?

The same characters from the earlier parts are back: a Spanish Jew, a Poet, a Student, a Theologian, a Sicilian, a Musician, and the Landlord himself. Each character's background influences the story they share — the Theologian seeks faith, the Musician draws on folklore, and the Landlord offers something personal and entertaining.

What is the story of Azrael about?

Azrael is known as the angel of death in both Jewish and Islamic traditions. In a tale from the Spanish Jews, a man catches sight of Azrael and flees to another city to avoid his fate. However, he soon discovers that Azrael was just as surprised to see him there, knowing all along that the man was destined to die in that very city. This story embodies the classic theme of 'appointment in Samarra,' illustrating the futility of trying to escape one's fate.

Why does Longfellow include so many different cultures in the tales?

Longfellow taught modern languages at Harvard and explored various European literatures. He felt that tales from different cultures resonate with universal human experiences—like love, death, faith, and courage. This variety is intentional; it suggests that people everywhere share similar storytelling themes.

What is the point of the interludes between the tales?

The interludes maintain the frame narrative's vitality. Without them, the poem would simply be a series of isolated stories. With them, you can sense the progression of a real evening — people interacting, discussing, and adjusting in their seats. They also allow Longfellow to shift the emotional tone between tales, so a darker story can be succeeded by a lighter mood before the next begins.

Is The Mother's Ghost based on a real story?

Yes. Longfellow was inspired by a traditional Scandinavian ballad known as *Modersmålet* (or similar variations), which tells the story of a deceased mother returning to see how her children are doing. These ballads were extensively gathered in the 19th century, and since Longfellow could read Danish and Swedish, he had firsthand access to them.

How does Part Third end?

The Finale wraps up the *Tales of a Wayside Inn* series. The group disperses, the fire goes out, and Longfellow quietly contemplates — with a sense of calm rather than sentimentality — how stories endure beyond those who share them. This soft, mournful conclusion suits a poet who dedicated his life to interpreting and sharing tales from different cultures.

Is this poem suitable for students studying narrative poetry?

Absolutely. Part Three is a great example of the frame narrative technique, and the individual stories differ enough in tone and subject that various students will resonate with different pieces. The Azrael tale and The Mother's Ghost are especially effective for exploring how a short narrative poem can convey strong emotional or philosophical themes.

The Annotated Edition

PART THIRD. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →

Part Third is a section of Longfellow's narrative poem *Tales of a Wayside Inn*, featuring a group of travelers at a New England inn who take turns sharing stories in verse.

Poet: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Themes: death, faith, love

The PoemFull text

PART THIRD.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Prelude The Spanish Jew’s Tale Azrael Interlude The Poet’s Tale Charlemagne Interlude The Student’s Tale Emma and Eginhard Interlude The Theologian’s Tale Elizabeth Interlude The Sicilian’s Tale The Monk of Casa-Maggiore Interlude The Spanish Jew’s Second Tale Scanderbeg Interlude The Musician’s Tale The Mother’s Ghost Interlude The Landlord’s Tale The Rhyme of Sir Christopher Finale

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Part Third is a section of Longfellow's narrative poem *Tales of a Wayside Inn*, featuring a group of travelers at a New England inn who take turns sharing stories in verse. Each tale is interspersed with moments where the storytellers engage in conversation and respond to one another, weaving through history, legend, and faith from various cultures. It's reminiscent of a 19th-century Canterbury Tales, where each voice contributes a unique perspective to the gathering.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

Prelude
Editor's note
The Prelude begins Part Third just like the earlier sections — it establishes the atmosphere of the inn, the flickering firelight, and the people gathered together. Longfellow employs these framing passages to remind us that storytelling is a shared experience, a way to keep the darkness of the night at bay.
The Spanish Jew's Tale / Azrael
Editor's note
The Spanish Jew tells the story of Azrael, the angel of death in both Islamic and Jewish traditions. The narrative reveals that no one, not even the mighty, can evade mortality — a king attempts to escape the angel’s sight and ends up confronting his own destiny. It's a brief parable illustrating the futility of trying to escape death.
Interlude
Editor's note
The first Interlude allows listeners to take a breather and reflect. In these passages, Longfellow captures the human feel of the gathering — light debate, moments of appreciation, and the clinking of glasses — before diving into the next story.
The Poet's Tale / Charlemagne
Editor's note
The Poet shares the tale of Charlemagne's intense love for a woman who has passed away, her spirit sustained by a magical ring hidden under her tongue. When the ring is cast into a lake, the emperor's affection shifts to the lake itself. This eerie, poignant story explores how love can feel like a spell — and how grief can change direction but never truly fade away.
Interlude
Editor's note
Another brief interlude weaves the stories together, creating the feeling of an actual evening happening in real time. The travelers chat, the fire crackles, and the inn's structure keeps everything grounded.
The Student's Tale / Emma and Eginhard
Editor's note
The Student shares the medieval romance of Emma, Charlemagne's daughter, and her secret lover Eginhard. When the emperor discovers their affair, their love is ultimately forgiven and accepted. This tale highlights the bravery that love demands and the compassion that those in power can occasionally display.
Interlude
Editor's note
This interlude flows seamlessly from the romantic story that was just shared, and the group's reactions add depth to the previous events. Longfellow employs these pauses to allow themes to resonate before the next voice chimes in.
The Theologian's Tale / Elizabeth
Editor's note
The Theologian shares the story of Elizabeth, a Puritan woman whose faith faces trials in the New World. This narrative is rich in religious belief and explores the challenges of maintaining faith when times are tough. It's one of the more serious pieces in Part Third.
Interlude
Editor's note
The interlude following Elizabeth gives the theological depth of the earlier story a moment to sink in. The company's replies suggest their own different connections to faith and doubt.
The Sicilian's Tale / The Monk of Casa-Maggiore
Editor's note
The Sicilian narrates a darkly comedic story about a monk who rises from the dead to clear up his earthly debts. This tale weaves together folklore, humor, and a real discomfort about what exists after death, showcasing Longfellow's versatility — he manages to be both playful and unsettling simultaneously.
Interlude
Editor's note
The mood lightens here after the Sicilian's tale, and the interlude captures that change. Longfellow uses these transitions to adjust the emotional tone of the entire section.
The Spanish Jew's Second Tale / Scanderbeg
Editor's note
The Spanish Jew brings back the story of Scanderbeg, the Albanian national hero who battled the Ottoman Empire. This narrative showcases military bravery and patriotic defiance, making Part Third one of its most historically rich and engaging moments.
Interlude
Editor's note
After the martial energy of Scanderbeg, this interlude provides a contrast — the calm of the inn juxtaposed with the chaos of the battle just described. The framing device effectively highlights the gap between the story-world and the present moment, allowing the listener to feel that distance.
The Musician's Tale / The Mother's Ghost
Editor's note
The Musician taps into the Scandinavian ballad tradition to recount the story of a mother who returns from the grave, propelled by love and guilt, to watch over her children. This tale is one of the most emotionally intense in Part Third — grief, maternal love, and the line between the living and the dead collide in a powerful way.
Interlude
Editor's note
The interlude after The Mother's Ghost feels quieter and more contemplative, suggesting that the company has been genuinely touched. Longfellow allows the silence to convey part of the message.
The Landlord's Tale / The Rhyme of Sir Christopher
Editor's note
The Landlord, who runs the inn, wraps up the storytelling with a lively tale of Sir Christopher, filled with both adventure and humor. It serves as a perfect second-to-last note — down-to-earth, enjoyable, and connected to the New World instead of European legend.
Finale
Editor's note
The Finale concludes Part Third and the entire *Tales of a Wayside Inn* series. The guests leave, the fire flickers out, and Longfellow contemplates how stories can unite people, transcending both time and distance. It offers a heartfelt, nostalgic ending — the inn may be empty, but the stories linger on.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The overall tone of Part Third is warm and diverse. Longfellow shifts from solemn to playful to elegiac within a single section, relying on the inn's frame to hold these contrasts together. A deep affection for storytelling itself runs beneath everything — the idea that gathering around a fire and sharing tales is one of the most human activities.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The Wayside Inn: The inn isn’t just a backdrop; it represents a fleeting community, a spot where strangers become friends and the everyday life takes a break, allowing stories to unfold. It resonates with the spirit of Chaucer's Tabard Inn, sharing the same notion that travel fosters honesty.
The fire / firelight: The fire in the inn's common room represents storytelling — a source of light in the darkness and warmth against the cold outside. It serves as a gentle reminder throughout the interludes of the reasons people come together and share their tales.
Azrael's gaze: In the Spanish Jew's first tale, the angel of death's gaze represents the inevitability of mortality. No title, no swiftness, and no cleverness can change what lies ahead. That stare embodies fate in a personal way.
Charlemagne's magic ring: The enchanted ring in the Poet's tale represents love as something that compels rather than something chosen — it doesn’t seek consent; it simply clings on. When the ring is discarded, love doesn’t cease; it merely seeks out a new target, hinting at something unsettling about the nature of obsession.
The mother's ghost: The returning mother in the Musician's tale represents a love that endures beyond death. She embodies guilt and a sense of unfinished responsibility — her ghost is less terrifying and more filled with sorrow.
The interludes themselves: The recurring interlude passages symbolize the present moment — the pauses between stories remind us that life continues around the tales, as listeners age, react, and disagree. They help the poem stay truthful about the distance between art and life.

§06Historical context

Historical context

*Tales of a Wayside Inn* was released in three volumes from 1863 to 1874. Longfellow took inspiration from Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales* and Boccaccio's *Decameron*, crafting a frame narrative where various characters share their stories one after another. The real Wayside Inn located in Sudbury, Massachusetts, serves as the backdrop for the poem. The final part was published in 1874, towards the end of Longfellow's life, during which he was the most celebrated poet in America and had endured significant personal loss, including his wife's tragic death in a fire. The tales in Part Third draw from Jewish, Islamic, Carolingian, Puritan, Sicilian, Albanian, and Scandinavian traditions, showcasing Longfellow's lifelong fascination with European languages and literature. This section demonstrates a poet fully in control of his art, skillfully using the frame device to weave together diverse tones and cultures into a unified dialogue.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It is the third and final section of *Tales of a Wayside Inn*, a lengthy narrative poem by Longfellow released in three parts (1863, 1872, 1874). The entire piece is inspired by Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales*, where a group of guests at an inn share their stories in turn.

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PART THIRD. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

PART THIRD.

What this poem is about

Recurring themes

Stanza by stanza, with notes

How this poem feels

Symbols & metaphors

Historical context

Questions readers ask

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