PART THIRD. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
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.
The poem
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
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.
Line-by-line
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
Tone & mood
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.
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.
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.
FAQ
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.