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The Song of Hiawatha

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The Song of Hiawatha

By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Narrated by: William Hootkins
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About this listen

 Longfellow's great narrative poem has been unjustly neglected in recent years though it gives a sympathetic portrait especially of Hiawatha, reared by Nokomis, daughter of the Moon, and his bride Minehaha.

It is famously underpinned by its hypnotic rhythm, which makes it ideal listening.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

Public Domain (P)2005 Naxos AudioBooks Americas Poetry United States World Literature

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Editor reviews

For many readers, William Hootkins's narration of Longfellow's classic nineteenth-century poem will evoke memories of elementary or middle school. Longfellow's extended narrative is set in a regular, easily recognized rhythm. This rhythm guides Hootkins's delivery, as this is more of a performance than a simple narration. He powerfully underscores the moments of import, giving the impression of a traditional storyteller revisiting a familiar piece. The one weakness in Hootkins's performance may come from matching Longfellow's poetry too closely. At times, the poem seems to drive on in the same vein for too long, with too many attempts at peak moments.
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Longfellow's poen was beautifully read by William Hootkins. He brought the characters to life and drew from the text every ounce of drama. I loved The Song of Hiawatha as a child, I loved this dramatic reading too. But I miss the almost musical rendering of the poem I heard as a child. This is a great entertainment, but it does not serve well as a lullaby.

An old. friend revisited

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Have always enjoyed Hiawatha, first read
When I was in my teens, Very well read
By the narrator really enjoyed

Time passers

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Read with a beautiful timbre this epic poem is a delight of word pictures

Sheer brilliance

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Many people may have come across extracts from Hiawatha and - haunted by the cadence of its repetitive rhythm -may be curious to sample the whole poem.This audio book provides an excellent opportunity.William Hootkins proves to be an ideal reader:he judges well the flow and variety of the narrative,not disguising the monotonous, hypnotic quality of the verse but using this to create a coherent and convincing heroic world.Some listeners may be put off by the pervasive repetitions and often slow narrative but those who persist and become acclimatised to the world of Hiawatha will be rewarded by getting to know a most enjoyable poem. It is not Homer alas -no memorable characters, profound insight or masterful structure - and I very much doubt whether it is an authentic guide to Native American culture -but it is something unique in English poetry and there were good reasons why it was once so popular.It deserves revisiting - but I do advise listening to short extracts or one episode at a time -more extensive listening might lead to boredom or even sleep.

To be taken in small doses

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