Introduction

The title of the paper suggests that there are romantic features in Longfellow's poems. Nevertheless, Longfellow is regarded a Puritan poet by Cecil B. Williams (1962:195). The most realistic opinion on Longfellow's verses to the writer is probably the one made by Perry Millers, who stated that Longfellow is strongly influenced by the Romanticism, which made his poetry acceptable to the readers of his time.

The romantic characteristics are shown through the use of common man and nature in his poems as well as the use of poetry as personal self-expression (Foster, 1962:274-279). Due to this, the nature of this brief paper is an analysis of the romantic feature seen in Longfellow's "The Village Blacksmith," " A Psalm of Life," "Mezzom Cammin," "Seaweed," "The Sound of the Sun" and "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls."

The Use of Common Man

The democratic spirit, which was initiated by the American and French Revolutions embody romanticism. The romantic poets believe that the common man is the natural and the earthly man. To Whitman everyday man is the man of significance since "everything comes out of the people, the people of everyday people" (Foster, 1962:279). The common man is the powerful man. To Longfellow, the common man is the man who deserves admiration.

This admiration on the ordinary man is expressed through the sympathetic manners of the blacksmith in "The Village Blacksmith." The smith as symbol of the common man is physically and spiritually strong. This smith has large and sinewy hand with iron muscles and works very hard. He works "Week in, week out, from morn till night" and "you can hear his ballows blow." In accomplishing his daily toil, "He earns whatever he can and looks the whole world in the face,/for he owns not any man." The smith is a self-sufficient and independent hard-working man. This proves that the smith leads not only a simple but also a humble as well as a vigorous life.

Another positive trait is given to this ordinary man as he is religious and sensitive. He dilligently goes to the church to pray for his passed-away wife. As a responsible father, he supports his daughter's activities in the church. However, the manners and life of the smith five deep realization of being equal to other common men. To every man, life is full of strife and "toiling-rejoicing-sorrowing" come all the time.

The Use of Poetry as Personal Self-expression

The romantic poets love freedom in composing their work. They reject the classical ideas, which regards poetry as moral teaching. This classical literary concept is too rigid for the romantic poets. The freedom of the romantic poet in composing his work is shown though the application of poetry as his "verbal externalization of his inner life, his feelings" (Foster, 1962:281). This belief is applied by Longfellow in his poems "A Psalm of Life" and "Mezzo Cammin."

These two poems convey Longefellow's introverted and personal feelings at the time when he was relieving his depression of two great sorrows-the death of his first wife and the long trying courtship of his future second wife (Cady, 1965:525). Longfellow's individual regret, sadness, love, longing, fear and hope are shown in these two poems. The depression of the two great sorrows lead him to the experience of a gloomy and somber life. He states regretfully that "Life is but an empty dreams," as his ideal to be with his first wife cannot last long. The death of his first wife ceases him to see life as something meaningless. Nevertheless, he realizes that death is normal for human being as every human being is mortal. Yet, Longfellow believes that eternal life after death. To him, the death of his wife is only physical death, nut her soul is eternal.

"Mezzo Cammin" also reveals Longfellow's emotion. This sonnet was written at the Rhine, August 25, 1824-seven years after his first wife died (Cady, 1965:526). It is seen here that Longfellow suffers and cannot forget his first wife. Apart from this sadness, he also repents his unfulfilled dreams. He feels that half of his life has gone by and those years slip away from him without accomplishing any worth masterpiece. This is not because of "idolence," "pleasure" or "fret or restless passion," but because of being left by his first wife. The deep grief keeps him away from what he should accomplish as a poet. He feels regret that he-as a poet-has not been able to compose any good poetry which is appropriate to be dedicated to his wife.

The Use of Nature

To romantic poet nature is not merely a natural and beautiful scenery that should be admired but nature is also "a personality, a divine friend, that sympathizes with man's sorrow, works upon his feeling, speaks to him of beauty, freedom, peace, happiness, touches him with intimations oh high truth" (Foster, 1962:278). This perception of nature is also adapted by Longfellow in his poems: "Seaweed," "The Sound of the Sea," and "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls."

To Longfellow the "Seaweed" reflects his poetic emotion. Therefore, "when storms of wild emotion/Strike the ocean/Of the poet's soul," some verses come out from his inner mind. They convey the spirit of youth. This condition by connotation suggests strength, vigour, and optimism. The seaweed comes from the reefs, whereas his poems come "from the strong Will and Endeavor." Those poems give the poet spiritual response and satisfaction, because his poems are recorded in books.

In "The Sound of the Sea" and "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls" nature brings self-realization of the limitation of man. The sound of the tides "rush onward with uninterrupted sweep," and "a voice out of silence deep and a sound mysteriously multiplied." This condition bring the realization of the "Inaccessible solitude of being" that may refer to the Supreme Being.

The limitation of man is emphasized in "The Tide Rises, the Ride Falls." The refrain of the phrase "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls" serves as an emphasis to the perpetual movement of the tides. By this, we have the picture that nature is eternal. On the other hand, man is mortal--compared to nature. This can be traced though the condition of the traveler in the poem. Adter passing the beach, the traveler hastens to the town, and nevermore he returns to the shore. Nevertheless, the tides keep on rising and falling.

Conclusion

The romantic features of using the common man in "The Village Blacksmith" serves indirectly as a medium of conveying the admiarion of the ocmmon people . This shows also Longfellow's democratic spirit of his time. The next trend (self-expression) gives keen and touchy impressions. Apart from this, the personal self-expression reveals an immense of emotion. As the result, the poems become confessional, personal, and even autobiography. The poems may serve also as an outlet of personal emotion.

Nature has deep and various meanings to Longfellow. It seems to him that nature is a divine friend, that gives him peace, calmness and self-realization of man's mortality as well as the idea that nature is more powerful than human being.

Bibliography

Bradley, Sculley, 1975. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: WW Norton & Company Inc.

Cady. Edwin Harrison. 1965. The Growth of American Literature. New York.

Fosters. 1962. American Poetry and Prose. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Millers, Perry. 1966. Major Writers of America. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc.

Williams, Cecil B. 1964. Henry Wardsworth Longfellow. New York: Twayne Publisher.

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Indrani Dewi Anggraini, lecturer at the Faculty of Letters, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya.