-- By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow --

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born on February 27, 1807 in Portland, Maine while the area was still a part of Massachusetts. Henry was the second of 8 children and his mother was the descendent of Richard Warren, a passenger of the Mayflower. He studied at both Bowdoin College and Harvard College. 

At the age of 13, he published his first poem in the Portland Gazette in November 1820. At Bowdoin College Longfellow began a life long friendship with (yet to be) renowned American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne. After college, Longfellow spent a significant amount of time in Europe before delving into his immensely successful writing career.

Christmas Bells was published in his 1863 poetry collection Tales of a Wayside Inn. 

Longfellows life is well documented and we will be revisiting his background in future episodes.