Zusammenfassung
Zusammenfassung von Das Lied von Hiawatha
Go deeper: the whole of Das Lied von Hiawatha
About 2 h 20 min to read.Für wen es gedacht ist
Readers who love legends of forest and lake, anyone who enjoys the sound of poetry read aloud, and those curious about heroes who bring gifts to their people.
Worum es in diesem Buch geht
Imagine a hero who sets out not to win glory but to bring a divided people together. The Song of Hiawatha, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, follows a young Ojibway hero who grows up beside Lake Superior and learns to serve his nation. Longfellow draws on Native American legends of the Great Lakes and weaves them into one connected life. The poem beats like a drum in short lines, and it is meant to be heard. Along the way, corn, the birch canoe and picture writing come to the people.
In dieser Zusammenfassung
- 1The Master of Life calls the nationsFree
- 2A child of the West Wind
- 3Hard work brings corn and a canoe
- 4Two great fights with water and wealth
- 5A bride, a wedding and tales told
- 6What the poem is about and how it sings
Punkt 1 von 6
The Master of Life calls the nations
The poem begins at the Red Pipe-stone Quarry. Gitche Manito, the Master of Life, stands on the red cliffs and calls the tribes together. He shapes a pipe from the red stone and lights it, and its smoke rises where every nation can see.
The warriors arrive painted for war, glaring at one another with old hatreds. The Great Spirit sees only quarrelling children. He tells them that their strength lies in unity and their danger in discord.
The warriors wash off their war paint and bury their clubs. This opening sets the task Hiawatha will carry through the whole poem, which is to bring a divided people together.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
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Go deeper: the whole of Das Lied von Hiawatha
About 2 h 20 min to read.Who’s who
- Hiawatha
- Hiawatha is Nokomis’s grandson, a legendary hero who seeks wisdom and uses extraordinary powers to help his people.
- Nokomis
- Nokomis is Hiawatha’s grandmother, raising him beside Lake Superior and teaching him about his family and the natural world.
- Minnehaha
- Minnehaha is a Dakota arrow-maker’s daughter whom Hiawatha courts, bringing love into his life of adventures and communal responsibilities.
- Mondamin
- Mondamin is a supernatural figure whose wrestling encounter with Hiawatha connects the hero’s fasting with the origin of corn.
- Chibiabos and Kwasind
- Chibiabos and Kwasind are Hiawatha’s close friends, distinguished respectively by musical gifts and remarkable physical strength.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 33,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 2 h 15 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 13 other languages
Questions about Das Lied von Hiawatha
What is The Song of Hiawatha about?
It tells the life of Hiawatha, an Ojibway hero who learns the speech of animals, brings corn and picture writing to his people, marries Minnehaha and works to end quarrels between the nations.
Who is Hiawatha in the poem?
Hiawatha is the son of Mudjekeewis, the West Wind, and Wenonah, a mortal daughter of Nokomis. He is raised by his grandmother and grows into a teacher and helper of his people.
Is The Song of Hiawatha a true story?
No, it is a poem that Longfellow built from Native American legends and published in the 1850s. The hero shares a name with a historical figure, but the tales are poetic retellings of old stories.
Who is Minnehaha and what does her name mean?
Minnehaha is the Dacotah Arrow-maker's daughter who becomes Hiawatha's wife. Her name means Laughing Water, and it also names a real waterfall in the poem's setting.
Is The Song of Hiawatha easy to read aloud?
Yes, its short lines and steady drumbeat rhythm suit reading aloud. Repeated phrases and lists of birds, rivers and tribes make a chant, and the story moves in clear, separate episodes.