20:
51:
The poem describes a young man passing through a mountain village at dusk. He bears the banner "Excelsior" (translated from Latin as "higher", also loosely but more widely as "onward and upward"). The traveller disregards warnings from villagers of fearful dangers above, and an offer of rest from a
328:
in
Mussorie, India. It is also the name and motto for the Brampton, Ontario, Canada box lacrosse teams. In 1871 Mr. George Lee, a Brampton High School teacher introduced lacrosse to the town. He proposed the name "Excelsior", which he took from Longfellow's poem. In 1883 the Brampton Excelsiors
362:, Al Gore visits South Park to warn everyone about a creature called ManBearPig, an allegory for global warming. Gore describes the monster as “half human, half bear, half pig.” Al Gore is portrayed as a caped hero who exclaims "Excelsior!" as he attempts to fly.
353:(one of the author's Peter Shandy mysteries), Peter climbs a steep slope to visit an elderly woman; and, at the finish of the climb, "he felt like the youth who bore 'mid snow and ice a banner with a strange device; he had a sneaking urge to shout 'Excelsior!'"
888:
111:("my goal is higher"). Biographer Charles Calhoun suggested the Alpine setting was an autobiographical reference to the poet's then-unsuccessful wooing of Frances Appleton, daughter of industrialist
1000:
226:, the entire action of the play happens in a fictitious New Jersey town with the name "Excelsior". Longfellow is also directly mentioned with a fictitious poem towards the end of Act I.
123:
The popularity of "Excelsior" inspired many parodies, adaptations, and references in other media. The poem was set to music as a duet for tenor and baritone by the Irish composer
608:
342:
In Italy S.A.T., the
Tridentin Alpine Society which is the largest section of the Italian Alpine Club (C.A.I) has "Excelsior" as its motto referring to the poem of Longfellow.
969:
195:
518:
Wilder, Thornton. "The Skin of Our Teeth: Act I." Three plays: Our town, The skin of our teeth, The matchmaker. New York, NY: Harper and
Brothers, 1957. 164. Print.
995:
56:. "Lifeless, but beautiful" he is found by a "faithful hound" half-buried in the snow, "still clasping in his hands of ice that banner with the strange device,
938:
601:
568:
67:, notes that he finished the poem at three o'clock in the morning on September 28, 1841. The poem came to him as he was trying to sleep. "That
917:
910:
594:
811:
781:
507:
487:
466:
445:
412:
386:
53:
1005:
744:
149:, satirized it. His description is partly based on an illustration used in the readers. The words quoted are Longfellow's:
752:
288:
212:
823:
640:
882:
617:
576:
329:
Lacrosse Club was officially formed. The name has been used for all levels of box lacrosse in
Brampton ever since.
40:
788:
702:
336:
28:
565:
959:
541:
96:
876:
200:
847:
805:
773:
730:
688:
278:"Excelsior" also became a trade name for wood shavings used as packing material or furniture stuffing. In
817:
766:
695:
124:
759:
52:
local maiden. The youth climbs higher until a last distant cry interrupts the prayers of the monks of
943:
737:
725:
325:
208:
423:
Vol. VII No. 1 and No. 2 of Jan 8 and 22 were issued with wrong year of 1841 on the masthead of the
990:
283:
84:
567:
Cobb, Irvin S., "A Plea for Old Cap
Collier," George H. Doran Company, New York. 1921 (see 40-49)
356:
In "ManBearPig", the sixth episode in the tenth season of the
American animated television series
859:
64:
23:
Illustration for
Longfellow's poem "Excelsior" from an 1846 collection. The poem was included in
933:
905:
853:
503:
483:
462:
441:
408:
382:
346:
204:
841:
709:
648:
72:
835:
829:
674:
580:
545:
219:
127:, and became a staple of Victorian and Edwardian drawing rooms. Longfellow's acquaintance
112:
186:
984:
667:
190:
146:
88:, vol. VII no. 2, January 22, 1842. It was also included in Longfellow's collection
19:
964:
232:
227:
128:
717:
527:
358:
586:
632:
104:
562:, Thomas R. Lounsbury, ed. (1838–1915). Yale Book of American Verse. 1912.
135:. He began writing it for Baroness von Meyendorff in 1869; it premiered in
131:
composed an adaptation as a prelude to his longer
Longfellow adaptation of
332:
136:
573:
559:
538:
379:
American
Literary Autographs, from Washington Irving to Henry James
18:
286:
the Moose parodies the poem in Season 2 Episode 18 (1960–61) of
63:
Longfellow's first draft of "Excelsior", now in the archives at
590:
230:
alludes to
Longfellow's poem in the title song of the musical
107:. Longfellow explained the repeated title as from the Latin,
75:, which caused him to get up and write the poem immediately.
377:
Cahoon, Herbert; Lange, Thomas V.; Ryskamp, Charles (1977).
199:
in 1945. Thurber chose nine poems for the series, including
27:(1842), which also included other well-known poems such as "
95:
The title of "Excelsior" was reportedly inspired by the
71:
kept ringing in my ears", as he wrote to his friend
952:
926:
898:
869:
798:
659:
624:
39:" is a short poem written in 1841 by American poet
1001:Works originally published in American newspapers
196:Fables for Our Time and Famous Poems Illustrated
103:. Longfellow had seen it earlier on a scrap of
602:
502:. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press: 74.
480:Revolution and Religion in the Music of Liszt
8:
247:Who bore the banner with the strange device,
609:
595:
587:
528:"Bullwinkle's Corner - Excelsior," YouTube
939:Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site
500:Remember Laugher: A Life of James Thurber
181:There is a Lancashire version or parody,
399:
397:
395:
370:
405:A Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Companion
324:The poem is the base for the motto of
308:I represent Smith, Jones, & Jakes,
155:The shades of night were falling fast,
407:, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press: 77.
298:The answer came both quick and blunt:
257:This motto applies to folks who dwell
165:A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice,
7:
996:Poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
262:In Richmond Hill or in New Rochelle,
242:Remember the youth 'mid snow and ice
193:(1894–1961) illustrated the poem in
482:. Cambridge University Press, 235.
160:As through an Alpine village passed
812:Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Jr.
381:, Courier Dover Publications, 34.
16:Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
14:
461:. Boston, MA: Beacon Press: 142.
440:. Boston, MA: Beacon Press: 140.
189:one hundred years later in 1941.
170:A banner with the strange device,
965:"the mills of God grind slowly"
745:The Courtship of Miles Standish
459:Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life
438:Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life
303:It's just an advertising stunt.
313:A lumber company that makes...
99:, which bears the Latin motto
1:
970:"Whom the gods would destroy"
289:The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
583:lyrics by Lorenz Hart, 1936.
457:Calhoun, Charles C. (2005).
436:Calhoun, Charles C. (2005).
213:Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight
824:Ernest Wadsworth Longfellow
78:"Excelsior" was printed in
1022:
891:(Cambridge, Massachusetts)
883:Wadsworth-Longfellow House
668:The Battle of Lovells Pond
618:Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
569:Clean copy, PDF, pp. 40-50
143:A Plea for Old Cap Collier
41:Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
918:Washington, D.C. memorial
789:The Sermon of St. Francis
703:The Wreck of the Hesperus
339:was named for this poem.
109:Scopus meus excelsior est
80:Supplement to the Courant
29:The Wreck of the Hesperus
960:Dante Society of America
911:Portland, Maine memorial
119:Adaptations and parodies
498:Grauer, Neil A. (1995)
403:Gale, Robert L (2003).
201:John Greenleaf Whittier
90:Ballads and Other Poems
25:Ballads and Other Poems
1006:Switzerland in fiction
848:Richard Henry Dana III
806:Alexander S. Wadsworth
774:Tales of a Wayside Inn
731:The Death of Minnehaha
689:The Village Blacksmith
478:Merrick, Paul (1987).
351:Something In the Water
322:
276:
179:
97:state seal of New York
32:
818:Alice Mary Longfellow
767:The Saga of King Olaf
696:The Skeleton in Armor
294:
238:
224:The Skin of Our Teeth
151:
125:Michael William Balfe
22:
944:Longfellow Mountains
726:The Song of Hiawatha
326:Wynberg Allen School
209:Rose Hartwick Thorpe
753:The Children's Hour
280:Bullwinkle's Corner
139:on March 10, 1875.
85:Connecticut Courant
860:Stephen Longfellow
777:(collection, 1863)
760:Paul Revere's Ride
713:(collection, 1842)
579:2009-12-28 at the
544:2016-02-01 at the
425:Courant Supplement
65:Harvard University
33:
978:
977:
934:Longfellow Bridge
906:Longfellow Square
885:(Portland, Maine)
879:(Portland, Maine)
854:Samuel Longfellow
347:Charlotte MacLeod
335:'s chess problem
205:Barbara Frietchie
133:The Golden Legend
1013:
889:Longfellow House
842:Richard Bonython
710:Poems on Slavery
611:
604:
597:
588:
548:
536:
530:
525:
519:
516:
510:
496:
490:
476:
470:
455:
449:
434:
428:
421:
415:
401:
390:
375:
272:In Sutton Place.
73:Samuel Gray Ward
1021:
1020:
1016:
1015:
1014:
1012:
1011:
1010:
981:
980:
979:
974:
948:
922:
894:
870:Historic houses
865:
836:Peleg Wadsworth
832:(father-in-law)
830:Nathan Appleton
794:
782:Christmas Bells
675:A Psalm of Life
655:
620:
615:
581:Wayback Machine
574:"On Your Toes,"
556:
551:
546:Wayback Machine
537:
533:
526:
522:
517:
513:
497:
493:
477:
473:
456:
452:
435:
431:
422:
418:
402:
393:
376:
372:
368:
220:Thornton Wilder
121:
113:Nathan Appleton
49:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1019:
1017:
1009:
1008:
1003:
998:
993:
983:
982:
976:
975:
973:
972:
967:
962:
956:
954:
950:
949:
947:
946:
941:
936:
930:
928:
924:
923:
921:
920:
915:
914:
913:
902:
900:
896:
895:
893:
892:
886:
880:
873:
871:
867:
866:
864:
863:
857:
851:
845:
839:
833:
827:
821:
815:
809:
802:
800:
796:
795:
793:
792:
785:
778:
770:
763:
756:
749:
741:
738:Santa Filomena
734:
722:
714:
706:
699:
692:
685:
678:
671:
663:
661:
657:
656:
654:
653:
645:
637:
628:
626:
622:
621:
616:
614:
613:
606:
599:
591:
585:
584:
571:
563:
555:
554:External links
552:
550:
549:
531:
520:
511:
491:
471:
450:
429:
416:
391:
369:
367:
364:
321:
320:
315:
310:
305:
300:
275:
274:
269:
264:
259:
254:
249:
244:
187:Marriott Edgar
178:
177:
172:
167:
162:
157:
120:
117:
48:
45:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1018:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
992:
989:
988:
986:
971:
968:
966:
963:
961:
958:
957:
955:
951:
945:
942:
940:
937:
935:
932:
931:
929:
925:
919:
916:
912:
909:
908:
907:
904:
903:
901:
897:
890:
887:
884:
881:
878:
875:
874:
872:
868:
861:
858:
855:
852:
849:
846:
843:
840:
838:(grandfather)
837:
834:
831:
828:
825:
822:
819:
816:
813:
810:
807:
804:
803:
801:
797:
790:
786:
783:
779:
776:
775:
771:
768:
764:
761:
757:
754:
750:
747:
746:
742:
739:
735:
732:
728:
727:
723:
720:
719:
715:
712:
711:
707:
704:
700:
697:
693:
690:
686:
683:
679:
676:
672:
669:
665:
664:
662:
658:
651:
650:
646:
643:
642:
638:
635:
634:
630:
629:
627:
623:
619:
612:
607:
605:
600:
598:
593:
592:
589:
582:
578:
575:
572:
570:
566:
564:
561:
558:
557:
553:
547:
543:
540:
535:
532:
529:
524:
521:
515:
512:
509:
508:0-8032-7056-9
505:
501:
495:
492:
489:
488:0-521-32627-3
485:
481:
475:
472:
468:
467:0-8070-7039-4
464:
460:
454:
451:
447:
446:0-8070-7039-4
443:
439:
433:
430:
426:
420:
417:
414:
413:0-313-32350-X
410:
406:
400:
398:
396:
392:
388:
387:0-486-23548-3
384:
380:
374:
371:
365:
363:
361:
360:
354:
352:
348:
343:
340:
338:
334:
330:
327:
319:
316:
314:
311:
309:
306:
304:
301:
299:
296:
295:
293:
291:
290:
285:
281:
273:
270:
268:
267:In Chelsea or
265:
263:
260:
258:
255:
253:
250:
248:
245:
243:
240:
239:
237:
235:
234:
229:
225:
221:
216:
214:
210:
206:
202:
198:
197:
192:
191:James Thurber
188:
185:, written by
184:
176:
173:
171:
168:
166:
163:
161:
158:
156:
153:
152:
150:
148:
147:Irvin S. Cobb
144:
140:
138:
134:
130:
126:
118:
116:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
93:
91:
87:
86:
81:
76:
74:
70:
66:
61:
59:
55:
54:Saint Bernard
46:
44:
42:
38:
30:
26:
21:
850:(son-in-law)
772:
743:
724:
716:
708:
681:
647:
639:
631:
534:
523:
514:
499:
494:
479:
474:
458:
453:
437:
432:
424:
419:
404:
378:
373:
357:
355:
350:
344:
341:
331:
323:
317:
312:
307:
302:
297:
287:
279:
277:
271:
266:
261:
256:
251:
246:
241:
233:On Your Toes
231:
223:
217:
194:
182:
180:
174:
169:
164:
159:
154:
142:
141:
132:
122:
108:
100:
94:
89:
83:
79:
77:
68:
62:
57:
50:
36:
34:
24:
228:Lorenz Hart
129:Franz Liszt
991:1841 poems
985:Categories
877:Birthplace
844:(ancestor)
820:(daughter)
718:Evangeline
359:South Park
318:Excelsior!
284:Bullwinkle
252:Excelsior!
175:Excelsior!
58:Excelsior!
927:Namesakes
899:Memorials
856:(brother)
682:Excelsior
633:Outre-Mer
560:Excelsior
337:Excelsior
105:newspaper
101:Excelsior
92:in 1842.
37:Excelsior
862:(father)
814:(nephew)
791:" (1875)
784:" (1863)
769:" (1863)
762:" (1860)
755:" (1860)
740:" (1857)
733:) (1855)
705:" (1842)
698:" (1841)
691:" (1841)
684:" (1841)
677:" (1838)
670:" (1820)
649:Kavanagh
641:Hyperion
577:Archived
542:Archived
333:Sam Loyd
137:Budapest
47:Overview
953:Related
808:(uncle)
636:(1830s)
183:Uppards
799:Family
748:(1858)
721:(1847)
660:Poetry
652:(1849)
644:(1839)
539:S.A.T.
506:
486:
465:
444:
411:
385:
207:" and
826:(son)
625:Prose
366:Notes
69:voice
504:ISBN
484:ISBN
463:ISBN
442:ISBN
409:ISBN
383:ISBN
211:'s "
203:'s "
349:'s
345:In
222:'s
218:In
215:".
145:by
987::
394:^
292::
282:,
236::
115:.
82:,
60:"
43:.
787:"
780:"
765:"
758:"
751:"
736:"
729:(
701:"
694:"
687:"
680:"
673:"
666:"
610:e
603:t
596:v
469:.
448:.
427:.
389:.
35:"
31:"
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
