Project Gutenberg 2003-12-01 Public domain in the USA. 429 Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth 1807 1882 Longfellow, Henry W. The Golden Legend Produced by Ted Garvin, Sheila Vogtmann and PG Distributed Proofreaders "The Golden Legend" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a narrative poem written during the mid-19th century. The poem unfolds stories of saints and legends from Christian traditions, echoing themes of faith, sacrifice, and the supernatural. It intricately weaves historical and mythical elements, with a central focus on characters like Prince Henry, whose life and struggles against despair and disease set the frame for the unfolding legends. The opening of the poem sets a dramatic tone with a prologue where Lucifer and the Powers of the Air attempt to topple a sanctified Cross, thwarted by Saints and Angels. Following this prologue is the introduction of Prince Henry, who is afflicted with a mysterious illness and finds himself in a restless state, longing for comfort and peace. He encounters Lucifer, disguised as a physician, who offers remedies that delve into dark temptations. As the narrative progresses, we see the interplay between Henry's despair and the legends of sacrifice and redemption, notably through his interaction with figures who explore deep existential themes. The dichotomy between light and darkness, along with the weight of sin and the promise of salvation, lays the foundation for the rest of the poem. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 80.5 (6th grade). Easy to read. en American poetry -- 19th century PS Text Category: Poetry Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore Category: British Literature 547387 2025-08-05T03:47:29.722861 text/html 209298 2024-10-28T17:50:54 text/html 163889 2025-08-05T03:47:44.215731 application/epub+zip 173826 2025-08-05T03:47:33.145838 application/epub+zip 173826 2025-08-05T03:47:31.018857 application/epub+zip 441280 2025-08-05T03:47:49.934697 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 266320 2025-08-05T03:47:42.386802 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 278031 2022-09-05T08:16:19.442519 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 186235 2025-08-05T03:47:21.198912 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 166460 2024-10-28T17:50:54 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16403 2025-08-05T03:47:50.097708 application/rdf+xml 11998 2025-08-05T03:47:31.636830 image/jpeg 3018 2025-08-05T03:47:31.327860 image/jpeg 154031 2025-08-05T03:47:29.745847 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia