The Village Blacksmith

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The poem, “The Village Blacksmith” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow uses the emotions of “toiling—rejoicing—sorrowing” to express a lesson he has learned from the blacksmith. Longfellow begins his work by describing the blacksmith’s physical appearance and personality or his “toiling.” In stanza one and two his hard-working personality is shown by the similes created. He compares his muscles in stanza one to “iron bands,” providing the reader with an image of a hard-working, strong man. In stanza two, “his brow is wet with honest sweat” characterizes the blacksmith as not only toil but also honest and willing as well. (As well as his face tan, from the fire of welding, earning an honest living). In these first two stanzas the tones of romanticism are set by the use of a common man, such as a toiling blacksmith, compared to the toiling, straightforwardness of nature. In stanzas three and four, emphasis is put on how important his work is within the village society. The toiling blacksmith works “week in, week out,” to provide for the community, just as the toiling church bells do. Church bells have a repeating rhythm that occurs every day, regardless of the nature or tragedies that notify a community of the time. The line, “Like a sexton ringing the village bell” infers that many villagers know the sounds of rhythms, “measured beat and slow,” of his workplace are as central to them as the church bells. Stanza four also provides insight on the blacksmith’s importance to fellow townsfolk. The “children coming home from school” stop and watch him as he works. This simple use of imagery signifies that not only to adults recognize the blacksmith’s hard work, but children do as well. His hard-working or “toiling” way about him is noticed by all and provides a sense of security in the town. The emotion of rejoicing now becomes present in stanza five. Here he
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