Maine Memory Network

Actors, Charles Dickens Cosmorama, Saco, 1912, 1912

Contributed by: McArthur Public Library Date: 1912-06-07 Location: Saco Media: Photographic print

"Chops and Tomato Sauce" as prepared for Samuel Pickwick, ca. 1890

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1890 Media: Watercolor, ink on paper

Longfellow Studies: Longfellow and Dickens - The Story of a Trans-Atlantic Friendship

Grade Level: 9-12 Content Area: English Language Arts, Social Studies
What if you don't teach American Studies but you want to connect to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in meaningful ways? One important connection is Henry's friendship with Charles Dickens. There are many great resources about Dickens and if you teach his novels, you probably already know his biography and the chronology of his works. No listing for his association with Henry appears on most websites and few references will be found in texts. However, journals and diary entries and especially letters reveal a friendship that allowed their mutual respect to influence Henry's work.