Reflection: Comparison of Two Fireside Poets

The Fireside poets, named after their tendency to read their poems in a small group around a fire, are some of the most recognizable poets in the Romanticism period. I chose Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Aftermath” and Oliver Wendell Holmes’s “The Height of Ridiculous” to research. There was no true reasoning for why I chose these two poets or poems to compare and contrast except for the fact that I like the name Longfellow and a poem including the word ‘ridiculous’ in its title is very intriguing. “Aftermath” was a beautifully rhythmic poem that grasped the changing of seasons. Longfellow sums up each season in a one line. For example, he describes the mowing of fields and birds traveling at the end of spring and summer (Longfellow). Then, he mentions the falling, golden leaves and snow for the following seasons (Longfellow). After giving brief details of each season, Longfellow claims that it’s time for an aftermath. Now that spring is back again, the year deserves a review and a plan for moving forward. He says, “Once again the fields we mow and gather in the aftermath” (Longfellow). As commonly done in Romanticism pieces, Longfellow focused on nature and the seasons. The outdoors proved to be a huge inspiration for writers at this time, so they discussed it very often in their work. “Aftermath” also follows the journey of the changing seasons. Although short, his poem tells a story that takes place in about three hundred and sixty-five days. A story of travel and change is also popular in the Romanticism period. Longfellow uses both alliteration and personification in his poem. The first was given in line twelve when he writes, “Tangled tufts from marsh and meads” (Longfellow). Personification was given to the poppy, a flower, when it “drops its seeds”. Flowers don’t have hands, so they can’t literally drop something. Instead, Longfellow is giving the flower human like traits. Holmes’s “The Height of Ridiculous” was very different compared to “Aftermath”. The protagonist that is writing the poem, which the reader would easily assume to be Holmes, is pretty vain (Holmes). He goes on and on about his great poem and how funny it is. After having his servant read the poem, the narrator realizes it was really worth the praise (Holmes). One of the only Romanticism characteristics that I found in the poem was the emotion and feelings involved in the story. During this time, authors valued feelings in their writings as much as they did imagination. “The Height of Ridiculous” shares a great amount of humor and feelings, and it gives a good hearted message. In the end, the narrator learns that his humor is greater than can be controlled. One critic says, “The poem ends with the lesson the speaker takes from the adventure” (The Height).

One criticism takes a guess at the meaning behind Longfellow’s title of “Aftermath.” He says, “The word "aftermath" is most often used in reference to the events following a tragedy, and this poem may be a testament to how, many years later, a few tragic incidents irredeemably darken the speaker's perception of his entire life” (Huff).


 Holmes, Oliver Wendell. “The Height of Ridiculous.” An American Anthology, 1787–1900. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1900; Bartleby.com, 2001.

Huff, Randall. "Aftermath." The Facts On File Companion to American Poetry, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Huff, Randall. "'The Height of the Ridiculous'." The Facts On File Companion to American Poetry, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "Aftermath by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow." PoemHunter.Com - Thousands of Poems and Poets.. Poetry Search Engine. Web. 14 Dec. 2011.