Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - The Wreck of the Hesperus

Oral reading of 'The Wreck of the Hesperus', written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in 1840. It details the hubris of a ship captain who refuses to make port despite a coming storm, putting both his crew and his precious daughter in danger.
Norman's Woe is an actual rock reef located off the shore of Gloucester, Massachusetts, the site of many shipwrecks. It is the subject not only of this poem, but a famous painting by artist Edward Moran.
Longfellow seems to have garnered inspiration for the poem from a terrible storm in 1839 that sank almost two dozen vessels; a woman was found washed ashore, tied to a mast.

[@user-qk3sc8rq9r]

What a wonderful reading of a wonderful poem.Thank You

[@raleighsreadings]

You're very welcome! :)

[@lawrencedewan9838]

Didn't listen
but I trust You
No doubt the words are wonderous

[@lazyGamer_lazy]

❤

[@lawrencedewan9838]

Twas not the Hesperus the first ship at the scene of the lighthouse mystery...strange indeed

[@l.salisbury1253]

If that schmuck were any good as a sea captain he would have known that storm was on its way just by the texture of the air or the color of the sky. ("Red sky at night: sailor's delight. Red sky at morning: sailors take WARNING!") And he would NOT have brought with him an inexperienced amateur- much less his own daughter!

[@raleighsreadings]

Exactly! Makes one wonder about the real-life wreck the little girl's death is inspired by - the 'Favorite'. Story has it that a woman died and floated to shore tied to its mast :(