The Courtship of Miles Standish
Encyclopedia
The Courtship of Miles Standish is an 1858 narrative poem by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
about the early days of Plymouth Colony
, the colonial settlement established in America by the Mayflower Pilgrims.
between three Pilgrims: Miles Standish, Priscilla Mullens
, and John Alden
. Longfellow claimed the story was true, but the historical evidence is inconclusive. Nevertheless, the ballad was very popular in nineteenth-century America, immortalizing the Mayflower Pilgrims.
The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858) was a literary counterpoint to Henry Longfellow's earlier Evangeline
(1847), the tragic tale of a woman whose lover disappears in a colonial war. Together, Evangeline and The Courtship of Miles Standish captured the bittersweet quality of America's colonial era, then only recently past. However, the plot of The Courtship of Miles Standish deliberately varies in emotional tone, unlike the steady tragedy of Longfellow's Evangeline. The Pilgrims grimly battle against disease and Indians, but are also obsessed with an eccentric love triangle, creating a curious mix of drama and comedy. Two bumbling, feuding roommates, Miles Standish and John Alden, vie for the affections of the beautiful Priscilla Mullins, who slyly tweaks the noses of her undiplomatic suitors. The independent-minded woman utters one of the most famous retorts ever: "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?". The saga has a surprise ending, one full of optimism for the American future.
A debate persists as to whether the tale is fact or fiction. The main characters, Miles Standish, John Alden, and Priscilla Mullins, have names of real-life Pilgrims. Henry Longfellow was a direct descendant and claimed that he was relating oral history. Skeptics dismiss his saga as a folktale, but no conclusive evidence exists either way. At minimum, Longfellow used poetic license, condensing several years of events. Scholars though, recently confirmed the cherished place of romantic love in Pilgrim culture, and documented the Indian war described by Longfellow. Circumstantial evidence of the love triangle also exists. Miles Standish and John Alden were likely roommates; Priscilla Mullins was the only single woman of marriageable age. The families of the alleged lovers remained close for several generations, moving together to Duxbury, Massachusetts, in the late 1620s. Descendants still retell the love triangle of their ancestors.
It was published in book form on October 16, 1858; it sold 25,000 copies after two months. Reportedly, 10,000 copies were sold in London in a single day.
The syntax of the Courtship of Miles Standish is archaic and poetically indulgent. Longfellow wrote in an obscure meter, Greek hexameter
, and used medieval vocabulary.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
about the early days of Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
, the colonial settlement established in America by the Mayflower Pilgrims.
Overview
Set against the backdrop of a fierce Indian war, the tale focuses on a love triangleLove triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
between three Pilgrims: Miles Standish, Priscilla Mullens
Priscilla Alden
Priscilla Alden , , noted member of Massachusetts's Plymouth Colony of Pilgrims, was the wife of fellow colonist John Alden . They married in 1623 in Plymouth.-Biography:...
, and John Alden
John Alden
John Alden is said to be the first person from the Mayflower to set foot on Plymouth Rock in 1620. He was a ship-carpenter by trade and a cooper for Mayflower, which was usually docked at Southampton. He was also one of the founders of Plymouth Colony and the seventh signer of the Mayflower Compact...
. Longfellow claimed the story was true, but the historical evidence is inconclusive. Nevertheless, the ballad was very popular in nineteenth-century America, immortalizing the Mayflower Pilgrims.
The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858) was a literary counterpoint to Henry Longfellow's earlier Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie, is an epic poem published in 1847 by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during the time of the Expulsion of the Acadians.The idea for the poem came from...
(1847), the tragic tale of a woman whose lover disappears in a colonial war. Together, Evangeline and The Courtship of Miles Standish captured the bittersweet quality of America's colonial era, then only recently past. However, the plot of The Courtship of Miles Standish deliberately varies in emotional tone, unlike the steady tragedy of Longfellow's Evangeline. The Pilgrims grimly battle against disease and Indians, but are also obsessed with an eccentric love triangle, creating a curious mix of drama and comedy. Two bumbling, feuding roommates, Miles Standish and John Alden, vie for the affections of the beautiful Priscilla Mullins, who slyly tweaks the noses of her undiplomatic suitors. The independent-minded woman utters one of the most famous retorts ever: "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?". The saga has a surprise ending, one full of optimism for the American future.
A debate persists as to whether the tale is fact or fiction. The main characters, Miles Standish, John Alden, and Priscilla Mullins, have names of real-life Pilgrims. Henry Longfellow was a direct descendant and claimed that he was relating oral history. Skeptics dismiss his saga as a folktale, but no conclusive evidence exists either way. At minimum, Longfellow used poetic license, condensing several years of events. Scholars though, recently confirmed the cherished place of romantic love in Pilgrim culture, and documented the Indian war described by Longfellow. Circumstantial evidence of the love triangle also exists. Miles Standish and John Alden were likely roommates; Priscilla Mullins was the only single woman of marriageable age. The families of the alleged lovers remained close for several generations, moving together to Duxbury, Massachusetts, in the late 1620s. Descendants still retell the love triangle of their ancestors.
Composition and publication history
Longfellow was a descendant of the Plymouth Pilgrims, including John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, through his mother, Zilpah Wadsworth. The first reference to the poem recorded in Longfellow's journal is dated December 29, 1857, originally referred to as "Priscilla". By March 1 the next year, it was renamed The Courtship of Miles Standish.It was published in book form on October 16, 1858; it sold 25,000 copies after two months. Reportedly, 10,000 copies were sold in London in a single day.
Critical response
Editor and critic George Ripley liked the play's "native" scenes and "beautiful characters" but complained that Priscilla's speeches sounded like dense orphic sayings and that Longfellow could not capture the "Yankee realism of speech".The syntax of the Courtship of Miles Standish is archaic and poetically indulgent. Longfellow wrote in an obscure meter, Greek hexameter
Hexameter
Hexameter is a metrical line of verse consisting of six feet. It was the standard epic metre in classical Greek and Latin literature, such as in the Iliad and Aeneid. Its use in other genres of composition include Horace's satires, and Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to Greek mythology, hexameter...
, and used medieval vocabulary.
External links
- The Courtship of Miles Standish, and Other Poems, 1858 edition, at books.google.com. — includes this poem.
- Plot summary and historic background