"Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie" is a poem published in 1847 by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27 1807 &ndash March 24 1882 was an American educator and Poet whose works include " Paul Revere's Ride "
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Overview
"Evangeline" describes the betrothal of an Acadian girl named Evangeline Bellefontaine to her beloved, Gabriel Lajeunesse, and their separation as the British deport the Acadians from Acadie in the Great Expulsion. The Great Upheaval, also known as the Great Expulsion, The Deportation, the Acadian Expulsion, or to the deportees Le Grand Dérangement, was The poem then follows Evangeline across the landscapes of America as she spends years in a search for him. Finally she settles in Philadelphia and, as an old woman, works as a nun among the poor. While tending the dying during an epidemic she finds Gabriel among the sick, and he dies in her arms. The poem is notable for being written in dactylic hexameter, one of the few nineteenth century compositions in that metre which is still read today. Dactylic Hexameter (also known as "heroic hexameter" is a form of meter in poetry or a rhythmic scheme
Inspiration
Longfellow was introduced to the true story of the Acadians in Nova Scotia by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4 1804 – May 19 1864 was an American novelist and Short story writer Hawthorne was not interested in fictionalizing it so Longfellow turned it into a poem after months of studying the histories of Nova Scotian families. [1]
Analysis
The name "Evangeline" means "good news" or "bearer of good news", from Greek euangelion, meaning "good news" (generally translated, "Gospel").
Legacy and impact
Though Longfellow had no links to the Acadians or Louisiana, the Cajuns have adopted his story into their culture. "Evangeline" has become relatively common among the descendants of the Acadians.
Later works of fiction expanded upon the material of the poem, claiming the "real names" of the characters had been "Emmeline LaBiche" (in Longfellow her full name is Evangeline Bellefontaine) and "Louis Arceneaux" (in the poem, Gabriel Lajeunesse). Among sites which claim a relation to these pseudohistorical figures are a house north of Lafayette, Louisiana, which supposedly belonged to Gabriel, and the grave of Emmeline in the Perpetual Adoration Garden & Historic Cemetery in St. Lafayette is a City in and the Parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. Martin de Tours Church Square, on Main Street, St. Martinville (the site having been determined for its convenience by local boosters about the turn of the 20th century). St Martinville is a city in and the Parish seat of St Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. A statue of Emmeline stands nearby — posed for by silent film star Dolores Del Rio, who starred in the 1929 film Evangeline, and donated to the town by the film's cast and crew. Dolores del Río ( August 3, 1905 &ndash April 11, 1983) was a Mexican Film actress.
References to Evangeline in real life
Evangeline is the name of a Parish in Louisiana, a rural community in Prince Edward Island, and a small settlement in the Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Prince Edward Island (ˌprɪns ˌɛdwɚd ˈaɪlɨnd ( PEI or P The Acadian Peninsula is an historic term that was once used to refer to the Nova Scotia peninsula. New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally It is also often used as a street name in Acadian communities.
The first Canadian film produced in 1913 was Evangeline. A popular French song titled "Evangeline" written in 1971 by Michel Conte and originally sung by Isabelle Pierre is based on her story. This song, performed by Annie Blanchard, won the 2006 ADISQ award for "Most popular song". The ADISQ ( Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque du spectacle et de la vidéo) is a Nonprofit organization with the mission to help the Music industry [2] The Evangeline Trail is a historic route in Nova Scotia that traces the Annapolis Valley, ancestral home of the Acadians. Picturesque especially in Summer and Fall, the trail runs from Grand Pré, site of the first expulsions, south to Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia near the original French settlement in North America, Port Royal, Nova Scotia. Grand-Pré National Historic Site is a park set aside to commemorate the Grand-Pré area of Nova Scotia as a center of Acadian settlement from 1682 to 1755 Annapolis Royal ( 2006 Population 444 is a Canadian town located in the western part of Annapolis County Port Royal is a small rural community in the western part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. More than a dozen small Acadian villages line the trail. A 1998 musical adaptation of the story was recorded and released on CD, and a 1999 production staged at the Strand Theatre in Shreveport, Louisiana was taped and broadcast by PBS in 2000. Evangeline is a musical with a book by Jamie Wax lyrics by Wax and Paul Taranto and music by Taranto Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the
References
- ^ Nelson, Randy F. The Almanac of American Letters. Los Altos, California: William Kaufmann, Inc. , 1981: 182. ISBN 086576008X
- ^ Ariane Moffatt, Pierre Lapointe win deuces at ADISQ awards. CBC (2006-10-30). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Retrieved on 2007-01-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war.
External links
- Evangeline, available at Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works
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