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The Annotated Edition

PICTURES by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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

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This isn’t your typical poem; it’s a collection of Perry Pictures—affordable reproductions of well-known artworks—suggested as study aids for Longfellow’s narrative poem *Evangeline*.

Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Themes
art, exile, home
The PoemFull text

PICTURES

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Perry Pictures helpful in the Study of Evangeline: Christ Church, Boston, 1357; The Sheepfold, 3049; The Blacksmith, 887; Evangeline, 23; The Wave, 3197; Spring, 484; Pasturage in the Forest, 506; Sheep-Spring, 757; Milking Time, 601; Angelus, 509; Haymaker's Rest, 605; Landscape, 490; Priscilla Spinning, 3298; Shoeing the Horse, 908; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 15; Priscilla, 1338; Autumn, 615; September, 1071; Deer by Moonlight, 1005; Winter Scene, 27-B. * * * * * We supply the above at one cent each, if twenty or more are ordered. They may be assorted, as desired.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This isn’t your typical poem; it’s a collection of Perry Pictures—affordable reproductions of well-known artworks—suggested as study aids for Longfellow’s narrative poem *Evangeline*. Each numbered entry links to a specific image, ranging from serene landscapes to portraits, designed to help students picture the poem's world. At the end, a brief commercial note informs readers that they can order any combination of twenty or more prints for just a penny each.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Perry Pictures helpful in the Study of Evangeline: / Christ Church, Boston, 1357; The Sheepfold, 3049; The Blacksmith, 887;

    Editor's note

    The opening line makes it clear what the list is about: these visuals accompany *Evangeline*, Longfellow's 1847 epic focused on Acadian exile. The initial entries blend architectural sites like Christ Church in Boston with rural and working-class settings such as The Sheepfold and The Blacksmith, reflecting the poem's shift between established community life and pastoral work.

  2. Evangeline, 23; The Wave, 3197; Spring, 484; Pasturage in the Forest, 506;

    Editor's note

    A portrait of Evangeline anchors the list, providing students with a face to connect with the heroine. The Wave and the seasonal images — Spring, Pasturage in the Forest — reflect the natural world that shapes the poem's setting and conveys the passage of time during Evangeline's lengthy search.

  3. Sheep-Spring, 757; Milking Time, 601; Angelus, 509; Haymaker's Rest, 605;

    Editor's note

    These images come from daily agricultural and devotional life. *Angelus* likely refers to Jean-François Millet's well-known painting of peasants taking a moment to pray when the evening bell rings — a perfect visual fit for the devout, rural Acadian community that Longfellow portrays.

  4. Landscape, 490; Priscilla Spinning, 3298; Shoeing the Horse, 908; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 15;

    Editor's note

    The list expands slightly beyond *Evangeline* to incorporate imagery from Longfellow's other writings — for instance, Priscilla Spinning relates to *The Courtship of Miles Standish* — and, interestingly, features a portrait of Longfellow himself. This indicates that the list was likely utilized for a wider classroom exploration of the poet, rather than focusing solely on one poem.

  5. Priscilla, 1338; Autumn, 615; September, 1071; Deer by Moonlight, 1005; Winter Scene, 27-B.

    Editor's note

    The list concludes with images that evoke the changing seasons and night — Autumn, September, Deer by Moonlight, Winter Scene — which together reflect the complete cycle of the year. In *Evangeline*, the passage of time and the change of seasons play a crucial role in the tragedy of a woman devoted to searching for her lost love throughout her life.

  6. We supply the above at one cent each, if twenty or more are ordered.

    Editor's note

    This closing note is purely commercial, yet it reveals something crucial about the audience: these prints were intentionally affordable, targeting schoolchildren and teachers who couldn't buy original art or costly reproductions. The Perry Picture Company made visual culture available to everyday classrooms throughout America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is purely functional and instructional—there's no lyrical voice, emotional depth, or figurative language. It feels like a teacher's handout, which it essentially is. Any warmth comes indirectly from the images themselves, which together create a scene of pastoral beauty, quiet devotion, and the changes of the seasons.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The Wave
In *Evangeline*, water — rivers, the sea, the tides — symbolizes the relentless flow of time and the forces that drive people away from their homes and loved ones. By including *The Wave* as a study image, students are encouraged to view nature as a dynamic force in the poem, rather than merely a background element.
Angelus
Millet's *Angelus* shows peasants pausing their work to pray when they hear the evening bell. As a companion piece to *Evangeline*, it represents the strong Catholic faith of the Acadian community and how that faith helps them endure hardship and loss.
The Seasons (Spring, Autumn, September, Winter Scene)
Four seasonal images are included in this brief list. Collectively, they represent the complete journey of a human life — particularly Evangeline's life, which traverses each season as she seeks Gabriel across a vast continent.
Portrait of Longfellow
Including the poet's portrait alongside images of landscapes and laborers brings the author into the realm of his poem. It also mirrors a 19th-century classroom culture that viewed great authors as figures deserving of admiration, akin to secular saints.
The Blacksmith / Shoeing the Horse
Images of skilled manual labor appear throughout the list, linking to the poem's portrayal of the Acadian village as a self-sufficient and dignified community. The blacksmith in *Evangeline* is Basil, Gabriel's father—a symbol of strength and stability before the expulsion.

§06Historical context

Historical context

The Perry Picture Company started in Malden, Massachusetts, during the 1890s, creating affordable photographic reproductions of well-known artworks for American schools. At just a penny each, they were among the first resources to introduce visual art into regular classrooms. This specific list was put together as a study aid for Longfellow's *Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie* (1847), which was an immensely popular narrative poem about the British's forced deportation of French Acadians from Nova Scotia in 1755. By the late 19th century, *Evangeline* had become a mainstay in American school curricula, and supplementary materials like this picture list were widely used. The list showcases the belief that visual art could enhance literary comprehension — a surprisingly contemporary idea wrapped in Victorian sensibilities.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Strictly speaking, no — it lacks meter, rhyme, and a lyrical voice. Instead, it serves as a catalogue and a commercial notice. Although it appears under Longfellow's name because it was published alongside his work, it feels more like a found or documentary text than a crafted poem.

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