P4201

Literary Arts

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Poet and Educator

Collins Cover Announcement 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The design of the new stamp is quite lovely with a bold portrait of the famous poet against a backdrop of the historic ride of Paul Revere. I decided that the Revere theme would be a perfect way to continue with the cachet subject matter. It shows the mounted patriot jumping a fence on his nighttime rousing of the countryside with "The British are Coming" alarm. Five lines of Longfellow's poem "Paul Reveres_Ride" are shown at the lower left_ I consider them a perfect direct linkage to the author shown on the stamp. This is another example of a First Day Cover where only individual hand painting can transform each cachet into a miniature work of watercolor art. The rider and horse in perfect harmony. The period lantern such as those used to signal from the old North Church. The full moon casting its glow over the Colonial countryside that in a few short years would be part of a new nation.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote more than 400 poems and is remembered mostly for their narrative excellence such as the one in this cachet. The other theme I considered for this cover was "The Song of Hiawatha" but largely because of the stamp design and my present use of patriots in other current cachet designs, I decided to go with Paul Revere. Since I was taken with the lines about "Hiawatha" however, Collins collectors will be happy to know that he will appear "by the shores of Gitche Gumee, by the shining big-sea-water" on my Lake Superior cover in the Wonders of America set. That way I get to pay tribute twice to this truly great American literary genius.

My First Day Cover "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" by the gifted Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is now ready. Collins #P4201 —$13.25.