Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow read Italian fluently, so fluently that he actually translated Dante. In fact, he was the first American translator of this famous Italian poet. (Source.)
Longfellow was an American poet, but the Brits definitely adored him. They liked him so much, in fact, that he was the first non-British writer memorialized in the poet's corner of Westminster Abbey. (Source.)
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow could tell you all about tragedy. His first wife, Mary, died from complications related to a miscarriage, while his second wife, Fanny, died when she accidentally caught on fire in 1861. (Source.)
Longfellow works great for recitation, so great, in fact, that "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls" is an approved selection for the poetry out loud competition. (Source.)