THAT SHALL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A wealthy Southern woman liberates her enslaved workers, sacrifices her fortune, and dedicates her life to teaching underprivileged children while living a modest life.
The poem
She dwells by Great Kenhawa's side, In valleys green and cool; And all her hope and all her pride Are in the village school. Her soul, like the transparent air That robes the hills above, Though not of earth, encircles there All things with arms of love. And thus she walks among her girls With praise and mild rebukes; Subduing e'en rude village churls By her angelic looks. She reads to them at eventide Of One who came to save; To cast the captive's chains aside And liberate the slave. And oft the blessed time foretells When all men shall be free; And musical, as silver bells, Their falling chains shall be. And following her beloved Lord, In decent poverty, She makes her life one sweet record And deed of charity. For she was rich, and gave up all To break the iron bands Of those who waited in her hall, And labored in her lands. Long since beyond the Southern Sea Their outbound sails have sped, While she, in meek humility, Now earns her daily bread. It is their prayers, which never cease, That clothe her with such grace; Their blessing is the light of peace That shines upon her face.
A wealthy Southern woman liberates her enslaved workers, sacrifices her fortune, and dedicates her life to teaching underprivileged children while living a modest life. The poem honors her like a saint — a person whose goodness is repaid through the prayers of those she freed. Longfellow emphasizes that the love and dignity she shared with others can never be taken from her.
Line-by-line
She dwells by Great Kenhawa's side, / In valleys green and cool;
Her soul, like the transparent air / That robes the hills above,
And thus she walks among her girls / With praise and mild rebukes;
She reads to them at eventide / Of One who came to save;
And oft the blessed time foretells / When all men shall be free;
And following her beloved Lord, / In decent poverty,
For she was rich, and gave up all / To break the iron bands
Long since beyond the Southern Sea / Their outbound sails have sped,
It is their prayers, which never cease, / That clothe her with such grace;
Tone & mood
The tone is respectful and subtly celebratory — Longfellow admires this woman as one might admire a saint, yet he uses simple language that keeps her feeling genuine rather than mythical. There's a warmth throughout, along with a consistent moral belief that doing what’s right brings its own rewards. The poem doesn’t express anger or become argumentative, even though it addresses the intense topic of slavery and abolition. Instead, it maintains a tender quality, almost hymn-like in its rhythm and emotion.
Symbols & metaphors
- Falling chains ringing like silver bells — The sound of chains dropping becomes music — a joyful and beautiful symbol of liberation that goes beyond politics. It presents freedom as a cause for celebration rather than just a goal to reach.
- Transparent air robing the hills — The woman's soul is like fresh mountain air: free to breathe, it influences everything around you, and it remains invisible until you realize it's all around. It represents selfless, hidden love.
- Outbound sails beyond the Southern Sea — The departing ships symbolize the new life and freedom of the people. The sea marks the divide between their past of bondage and a future of self-determination — as well as the distance that now separates their gratitude from the one who made it possible.
- Iron bands — A direct symbol of slavery — the chains represent the entire institution. 'Iron' highlights the harshness, coldness, and intentional cruelty of keeping people shackled.
- Daily bread — An echo of the Lord's Prayer, 'daily bread' indicates that she is now living on the bare minimum. It ties her choice of poverty to her faith and highlights that her needs are as much spiritual as they are material.
- Light of peace on her face — The visible glow of inner grace — a classic representation of sainthood. It implies that the prayers of those she liberated genuinely impact her, making her goodness apparent to everyone around her.
Historical context
Longfellow wrote this poem during the antebellum era in the United States, a time when slavery was a crucial moral and political issue for the nation. He was a dedicated abolitionist — his 1842 collection *Poems on Slavery* clearly expressed his views — and this poem aligns with that commitment. Set in the Kanawha Valley, the poem features a woman from Virginia (now West Virginia), a border area where pro-slavery and abolitionist sentiments often coexisted in tension. The mention of freed individuals sailing "beyond the Southern Sea" likely alludes to the American Colonization Society's efforts to relocate freed Black Americans to Liberia, a practice that sparked debate even among abolitionists. Longfellow presents the woman's sacrifice in distinctly Christian terms, tapping into a long-standing tradition of religious arguments against slavery that included voices from the Quakers to Harriet Beecher Stowe. The title of the poem resonates with the Gospel of Luke, where Mary’s choice of devotion is referred to as "that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
FAQ
It alludes to Luke 10:42 in the Bible, where Jesus tells Martha that her sister Mary has chosen "that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Instead of tackling household chores, Mary chose to sit and listen to Jesus—she prioritized spiritual devotion over the distractions of daily life. Longfellow echoes this sentiment in his subject: the woman gave up her wealth and status, but the grace and love she gained through that sacrifice can never be taken from her.
Longfellow doesn't name her, and scholars haven't identified a single confirmed real-life model. She comes across as a composite ideal—a wealthy Southern woman who liberated her enslaved workers and became a teacher. Some readers link her to actual figures in the abolitionist movement, but the poem mainly serves as a moral portrait rather than a biography.
Kenhawa, now known as Kanawha, is a river located in present-day West Virginia. At the time Longfellow wrote the poem, it was part of Virginia. By setting the story there, the woman is depicted in the slaveholding South, making her decision to free her enslaved workers even more remarkable. She isn’t a Northern outsider; rather, she is someone challenging the norms of her own community.
The poem mentions that they sailed "beyond the Southern Sea," which probably points to Liberia on the West African coast. In the early to mid-19th century, the American Colonization Society helped facilitate the journey for freed Black Americans to Liberia. It's important to note that this practice sparked significant controversy—many Black Americans and abolitionists criticized colonization as a way to sidestep genuine racial equality in the United States.
Longfellow was part of a tradition where religious arguments were the strongest weapon for abolitionists. By depicting a woman reading the Gospels and connecting Christ's mission to the liberation of captives, he's asserting that slavery isn't just a political issue but a sin — a clear violation of Christian teachings. This approach was a widely used and impactful rhetorical tactic in the abolitionist writings of that era.
'Decent' here refers to being dignified or respectable. This phrase suggests that the woman has chosen her poverty rather than it being a result of failure, and she handles her less fortunate situation with grace. It reflects the Christian notion of voluntary poverty as a spiritual virtue — similar to monks or missionaries who intentionally renounce wealth to pursue their calling.
The poem uses ballad meter, featuring alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, with an ABAB rhyme scheme. This structure is typical of hymns and folk ballads, lending the poem a sing-song, devotional feel that fits its theme. The consistent meter emphasizes a sense of steady, quiet virtue instead of dramatic heroism.
The main point is that true love and sacrifice lead to lasting outcomes. The woman surrendered her wealth, status, and the company of those she liberated — yet what she lost returned to her as grace, evident in her expression and experienced in her everyday life. Longfellow suggests that doing the right thing is rewarding in itself, and the spiritual bond between people who have loved each other deeply cannot be diminished by distance or hardship.