J'ai tout de suite aimé ce beau visage, cette grande barbe.Le buste paraissait très ancien ,le temps avait déposé sa patine sur le marbre; Je me suis demandée qui était ce Henry Longfellow..
De retour à la maison, j'ai fait quelques recherches sur Google, et j'ai fait une jolie découverte. (Peut-être mes lecteurs Américains se moqueront-ils de mon ignorance..)
Henry Longfellow , né en 1807, est en fait un immense poète américain. Il a aussi été professeur. Ses oeuvres majeures sont "Le chant de Hiawatha" et "Evangeline".
Bien qu'enterré à Cambridge (Massassuchets), il est le premier poète américain à avoir eu son buste dans le Coin des Poètes, dans l'Abbaye de Westminster à Londres.
J'ai trouvé quelques citations de lui, parmi lesquelles celles-ci:
"La vie des grands hommes nous rappellle que nous aussi nous pouvons rendre notre vie sublime et laisser derrière nous après la mort des empreintes dans le sable du temps".
"Lis quelque humble poète dont les chants ont jailli du coeur, comme les averse des nuages d'été ou les larmes des paupières".
Je crois que je suis tombée amoureuse de ces mots..
Pour moi, ce fut une merveilleuse rencontre.
Mais un mystère demeure: pourquoi une statue de Longfellow si loin de son pays natal?....
Strolling through the streets of the city of Menton last sunday, I discovered this statue in a small garden. I immediately liked this beautyful face, this large beard... The statue looked very old, was made of marble, and time had put its coat on it.But I wondered who this "Longfellow" was..
Back home, I googled the name, and then made a delightful discovery.( Maybe some American readers will laugh at me because of my ignorance)..
Born in 1807, Henry Longfellow was a famous American poet. He also was a professor.
His most famous works seem to be "The song of Hiawatha", and "Evangeline".
Though buried in Cambridge (Massassuchets), he was the first American poet to have his statue in the Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbay in London.
I found some quotes of him, that I tried to translate:
"The life of the famous men remind us that we also can make our life wonderful, and let behind us, after the death, some tracks in the sand of time."
"Read some humble poet whose words have spouted out from the heart, like rain did from summer clouds, or tears from eyelids".
Well, I fall in love for those words.
For me , it 's a great encounter.
But the mystery remains: why a statue of Longfellow so far away from his home?...
6 commentaires:
You have taught me something too, although I knew of him. From time to time one finds statues of persons very far from their home. They were usually involved with some important local activity - now forgotten.
The quotes were at least appropriate anywhere.
PS Thank you for the comments! ;-)
Yes, very famous in the US and every high school student had to study his poetry and even memorize soem of it! I remember the song of Hiawatha but cannot recite it any longer. Perhaps the person who placed the statue there was a transplanted American or one who grew to love our poet.
Je ne connais pas ce grand poète américain! Peut-être a-t-il passé quelques vacances dans votre jolie région, ce qui expliquerait la présence de cette statue!!!
Désolée de venir si tard, mais ma liste d'amis sur mon blog n'a pas été mise à jour et je n'ai pas été informée que tu avais publié!!!
Bisous et à demain
PS: Aucun sujet sur Cannes???
Thank you for the comment on "my" fire-station. Yes, we don't always know what treasures we have until it is too late.
Dear malyss,
I could never laugh at you. If I were to stumble upon a famous figure from another country, I may very well be ignorant of his/her contributions to the world. No room here to laugh at you! Glad you discovered one of our beloved contributors!
Nice words indeed. He deserves this buste, wherever it stands.
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