Drawing from the legends found in The Myth of Hiawatha, this epic poem is based upon the historical personage who is believed
to have lived during the fifteenth or sixteenth century. The poetic license (traditionally enjoyed by poets) is very much in evidence as the author has dedicated this poem to the “spirit of Hiawatha” - the spirit of the America Indian who roamed the untamed prairie lands. In literature, comparisons are odious at the best of times, and this epic poem should be read as an artistic creation distinct from the main work (The Myth of Hiawatha) upon which it is based. The Hiawatha depicted in this epic poem is as much fact – or fiction – as the Ulysses depicted in the Odyssey.
There he sang of Hiawatha,
Sang the Song of Hiawatha,
Sang his wondrous birth and being,
How he prayed and how be fasted,
How he lived, and toiled, and suffered,
That the tribes of men might prosper,
That he might advance his
people!
Ye whose hearts are fresh and simple,
Who have faith in God and Nature,
Who believe that in all ages
Every human heart is human,
That in even savage bosoms
There are longings, yearnings, strivings
For the good they comprehend not,
That the feeble hands and helpless,
Groping blindly in the darkness,
Touch God's right hand in that darkness
And are lifted up and strengthened;
"Welcome!" said he, "Hiawatha,
To the kingdom of the West-Wind
Long have I been waiting for you
Youth is lovely, age is lonely,
Youth is fiery, age is frosty;
You bring back the days departed,
You bring back my youth of passion,
And the beautiful Wenonah!"
"Go back to your home and people,
Live among them, toil among them,
Cleanse the earth from all that harms it,
Clear the fishing-grounds and rivers,
Slay all monsters and magicians,
All the Wendigoes, the giants,
All the serpents, the Kenabeeks,
As I slew the Mishe-Mokwa,
Slew the Great Bear of the mountains.
The poetry is moving at times – and ordinary at other times. But then, this criticism could be leveled at much that passes for poetry nowadays… The author comes closest to the “spirit of Hiawatha” when he depicts nature in its entire splendor. The American Indian was truest to himself as part of creation; not apart from nature. Among the vast open spaces, among the bison and the deer, he seems to be at peace with himself. If a criticism is to be leveled at the author, it is at unrestricted use of (Red Indian) person / place names. This tends to interrupt the narrative, and break the smooth flow of the poetry. Besides, these person / place names are meaningless unless they are translated. A final criticism is that the poem (especially for these times) is overly long; the same things could have been said - & the same sentiments expressed – in far fewer words.
In those days said Hiawatha,
"Lo! how all things fade and perish!
From the memory of the old men
Pass away the great traditions,
The achievements of the warriors,
The adventures of the hunters,
All the
wisdom of the Medas,
All the craft of the Wabenos,
All the marvelous dreams and visions
Of the Jossakeeds, the Prophets!
"Great men die and are forgotten,
Wise men speak; their words of wisdom
Perish in the ears that hear them,
Do not reach the generations
That, as yet unborn, are waiting
In the great, mysterious darkness
Of the speechless days that shall be!
Thus it was that Hiawatha,
In his wisdom, taught the people
All the mysteries of painting,
All the art of Picture-Writing,
On the smooth bark of the birch-tree,
On the white skin of the reindeer,
On the grave-posts of the village.
Hiawatha was not just a (warrior) hero; he was a teacher to his people as well.
Thus, he had a dual role to perform – as both leader and guide to his people. Hiawatha was renowned as much for his wisdom as for his heroism, the author seems to say. This is reflected in his choice of friends or companions as well: the singer-musician and the strong man. Malice and jealousy, however, were as much part of that world as it is today; Hiawatha (and his companions) had to contend with them in many forms…
Full of wrath was Hiawatha
When he came into the village,
Found the people in confusion,
Heard of all the misdemeanors,
All the malice and the mischief,
Of the cunning Pau-Puk-Keewis.
"I will slay this Pau-Puk-Keewis,
Slay this mischief-maker!" said he.
"Not so long and wide the world is,
Not so rude and rough the way is,
That my wrath shall not attain him,
That my vengeance shall not reach him!"
The world of the American Indian is a world peopled by ghosts and spirits; where animals, men and the spirits of the departed live in natural harmony with each other. It is a world pure and pristine, a world untouched by greed. In a sense, the Song of Hiawatha is an ode to this departed world, only traces of which can be found. Ironically, the departure of Hiawatha (and his song) from this world coincides with the coming of the white man. Thus concludes the Song of Hiawatha.