SAVANNAHS, grassy plains. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This brief excerpt is an epigraph that Longfellow included in *Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie* (1847).
The poem
678-9. We have already seen, in this province of Pennsylvania, two hundred and fifty of our people, which is more than half the number that were landed here, perish through misery and various diseases. PETITION OF THE ACADIANS
This brief excerpt is an epigraph that Longfellow included in *Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie* (1847). It comes from an actual petition written by Acadian exiles who found themselves in Pennsylvania. The text conveys, in straightforward bureaucratic terms, that over half of this displaced community has succumbed to hardship and illness. The impact of this tragedy is intensified by the starkness of the language—there's no embellishment or poetry in the statement, and that’s precisely the intention.
Line-by-line
We have already seen, in this province of Pennsylvania, two hundred / and fifty of our people...
Tone & mood
Flat, documentary, and restrained—this is what makes it so devastating. There’s no flashy rhetoric or appeals for sympathy. The writers just lay out the facts of what happened, allowing the understated tone to carry the emotional weight. It’s like stumbling upon a coroner's report hidden within the pages of a history book.
Symbols & metaphors
- Pennsylvania — Named as a specific place, Pennsylvania represents the alien land of exile — a location where the Acadians were sent, not one they selected. It serves as geography as punishment.
- Two hundred and fifty — The precise figure is the symbol. Acknowledging mass death means recognizing that each of those 250 individuals was a distinct, countable human being, not just a statistic.
- Misery and various diseases — The phrase "various diseases" suggests that the survivors writing the petition struggled to gather enough information on what was causing the deaths in their community. This highlights a complete lack of support from institutions.
Historical context
The Grand Dérangement of 1755–1764 refers to the forced removal of French-speaking Acadian settlers from Nova Scotia and nearby areas by British colonial authorities during the Seven Years' War. Thousands were put on ships and sent to British colonies along the Atlantic coast, where they often faced hostility, poverty, and a lack of support. Longfellow drew on this historical tragedy for his narrative poem *Evangeline* (1847), using documentary quotes at the beginning of sections to ground the fiction in real events. The petition included here was an actual document submitted by Acadian survivors in Pennsylvania, compelling readers to confront the human toll of colonial policies before diving into the poem's narrative.
FAQ
It’s a historical document—a piece of an actual petition—that Longfellow decided to include as an epigraph in *Evangeline*. By placing this found prose within a poetic context, he transformed it into poetry, allowing its stark, factual language to convey emotions that verse might have dulled.
The Acadians were French-speaking Catholic settlers living in present-day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island for more than a century. In 1755, British authorities forcibly deported them, breaking apart families and sending them across the Atlantic colonies and all the way to Louisiana, where their descendants are known as the Cajun people.
By quoting the Acadians directly, Longfellow allows the victims to share their own story. This choice also reminds the reader that *Evangeline*, while a work of fiction, is based on a genuine historical tragedy. The petition serves as evidence of this.
The title is a section heading from *Evangeline* that depicts the landscape the exiles traveled through during their long journey. Longfellow contrasts the serene beauty of the savannahs with the harsh reality of the death toll, highlighting the stark difference between the indifferent natural world and the pain of human suffering.
Because it’s a petition—a legal and political document aimed at convincing authorities to take action. The writers opted for factual language instead of expressing their grief, likely knowing that emotional appeals might be disregarded. This restraint reflects a certain dignity in their approach.
It indicates that exile alone has halved the community, even before facing any additional hardships. This mortality rate would typically be labeled as a catastrophe in any other situation. By presenting it plainly and without exclamation, the petition subtly accuses.
Evangeline explores themes of love, loss, and the quest for home following forced displacement. This epigraph connects these personal experiences to a broader historical context, reminding us that Evangeline's individual sorrow is just one element in a much larger narrative of communal devastation.