The Song of Hiawatha
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Read by Peter Yearsley
I sing the Song of Hiawatha,
Brave of heart and strong of arm.
Daughter's son of old Nokomis,
Fathered by the harsh West Wind.
With its regular, beating rhythm, the Song of Hiawatha has often been parodied, but in truth, it is a powerful, emotional epic; a hero's life, his loves and suffering. The legends and traditions of the North American Indian swirl together through the tale like a mountain stream, tumbling white over the rocks, and caressing the mossy tree roots.
(Summary by Peter Yearsley)
[introduction by Woodrow Morris] (3 hr 55 min)
Chapters
Introduction | 7:31 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
The Peace-pipe | 7:01 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
The Four Winds | 12:52 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha's Childhood | 10:32 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis | 12:32 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha's Fasting | 12:46 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha's Friends | 7:59 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha's Sailing | 6:26 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha's Fishing | 9:32 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha and the Pearl-Feather | 12:51 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha's Wooing | 12:16 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha's Wedding Feast | 10:06 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
The Son of the Evening Star | 16:33 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Blessing the Cornfields | 10:36 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Picture-Writing | 8:03 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha's Lamentation | 9:30 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Pau_Puk_Keewis | 10:47 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
The Hunting of Pau-Puk-Keewis | 14:58 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
The Death of Kwasind | 5:21 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
The Ghosts | 9:18 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
The Famine | 8:05 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
The White Man's Foot | 9:49 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Hiawatha's Departure | 10:31 | Read by Peter Yearsley |
Reviews
Hiawatha
Ragsdog
If you have never listened to Hiawatha except for the bits you learnt at school , you must try this - it's a great reading of a great poem - warning , you might need a tissue in places. A must listen
PLEASURE
Avid Listener
It is all too easy to overlook Longfellow's greatness. Reading HIAWATHA is all that is needed as a reminder. This narrator's rendering cannot be surpassed.
Wonderful movement of words
Jen
The narration is so enjoyable to listen to. I plan to share this treasure of Longfellow's with my grandchildren.
Great Reading
listenfly
Great reading of this title by Peter Yearsley.
Perfect
Maine1820
A fantastic poem with great production quality that shares one of Maine's gifts to the world: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, grandson of Revolutionary War hero Peleg Wadsworth and nephew of Henry Wadsworth who fought and died at Tripoli. It is beautiful and compelling with information about Native American beliefs. The final section, however, does not age well and says Hiawatha left because European settlers were so incredible and wise that he is no longer needed and, essentially, that they should hold dominion over Native Americans. I highly suggest this to students but it should be discussed in class with comparisons being made between the story and reality.
An epic story well told and well read
Chris Hoving
A stirring tale of heroism and myth, and the reading is slow, melodic, and neither over dramatic or understated. Judged against the norms of hos own culture, this story is laudable for portraying an indigenous North American culture as han and noble. Judged against modern norms it is deeply problematic appropriations and the last chapters were apologetic of colonializaton. Worth a listen, if nothing more than to better understand the Myth of the Noble Savage that was so prevalent in Romantic literature.
Superb
Aek
Beautiful. This man could make a phone book sound enchanting. I thoroughly enjoyed this recording.
A+ 10/10
A LibriVox Listener
very pretty poetry, and interesting folkloric story