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Comment 9 of 9, added on April 9th, 2007 at 8:22 AM.
Quite brilliant..optimistic yet reminds us of our mortality. One word of
advise ppl...not all poetry
has a hidden moral, same as an abstract painting does
not always have a "meaning". You see what you want to see and you feel what
you want to read.
LJ from Australia
Comment 8 of 9, added on March 12th, 2006 at 7:45 PM.
I believe this poem is more about overcoming pain and is directly
influenced by the death of his second wife, Frances Appleton. She died
while sealing their five children's curls with a candle and wax. The
packages suddenly errupted into flame causing burns from which she later
died. The curls of hair could be connected with the second meaning of the
word Excelsior- slender curly wood shavings used primarily for packing.
When the villagers beg the banner bearer not to try the pass, it represents
Mr Longfellow's contemplation of suicide. Instead Mr. Longfellow, like the
character in his poetry, pushed through the storm and continued on, head
and banner held higher than pain and suffering. But that is just my opinion
of the poem.
Riane from United States
Comment 7 of 9, added on February 10th, 2006 at 3:09 AM.
I am not a fan of peotry perse, I am more a novelist, but when I read this
poem it really connected with me. I am now using it as a base text in a
peice of A-level coursework and every time I read it I find new meaning in
the poem. Very well written - you can read into it as much or as little as
you like and I think that is why Longfellows poems are still so popular so
long after his passing.
Nick Marshall from United Kingdom
Comment 6 of 9, added on February 5th, 2006 at 6:10 PM.
I think this poem is really about innerself. Yeah and that it's more of a
thing like with barbie and ken like sometimes they don't understand each
other, but they still sometimes get along. yeah that's what i think about
this poem.. bye
Ruth from United States
Comment 5 of 9, added on December 8th, 2005 at 11:43 AM.
I like this poem. Even though it does not really come out and show the
moral or point of the poem. It does give quite a few cules, but sort of
leaves the reader hanging. The only thing he did bad was the point of
making the moral of the poem too hard too find.
AnDrEW m. from United States
Comment 4 of 9, added on December 8th, 2005 at 11:43 AM.
I like this poem. Even though it does not really come out and show the
moral or point of the poem. It does give quite a few cules, but sort of
leaves the reader hanging. The only thing he did bad was the point of
making the moral of the poem too hard too find.
AnDrEW m. from United States
Comment 3 of 9, added on August 26th, 2005 at 1:09 PM.
Excelsior: higher (Latin).
OceansOfGrace from United States
Comment 2 of 9, added on June 9th, 2005 at 5:06 AM.
It is about transcending man, sort of like Nietschze's ubermensch. To face
the task that you must overcome, to be all that you can be, you must leave
all comfort and fear behind.
Alon Diamant from Israel
Comment 1 of 9, added on December 20th, 2004 at 1:15 PM.
Not exactly anti-transcendentalism, but goes against the flow of the
transcendentalist theory anyways, due to the fact that it supports duty to
your nation over duty to yourself. The character in the poem is set on
supporting his nation, despite danger to himself. While the poem is not
very complicated and is easy to understand, it is still well written and
gets the point across well.
l33t0n3 from United States
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Quite brilliant..optimistic yet reminds us of our mortality. One word of
advise ppl...not all poetry
has a hidden moral, same as an abstract painting does
not always have a "meaning". You see what you want to see and you feel what
you want to read.
LJ from Australia