Tales of a Wayside Inn

"Tales of a Wayside Inn" published in 1863, is a book of poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), the famous American poet. In this book, Longfellow depicts a group of people gathered in the tavern at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts, as each tells a story in the form of a poem. The characters telling the stories at the inn are based on real people of Longfellow's acquaintance, and was originally titled 'The Sudbury Tales.' There actually was a Wayside Inn located about 20 miles from Longfellow's home in Cambridge. This volume also includes "Birds of Passage: Flight the Second." Longfellow wrote many lyric poems known for their musicality and often presenting stories of mythology and legend. He became one of the most popular American poet of his day and had success overseas.