Portret van Henry Wadsworth Longfellow before 1875

This is a photograph of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by an anonymous artist. Note how Longfellow holds a rolled paper, a symbolic representation of intellect and knowledge. This motif of the ‘rolled scroll’ is not new. We see it echoed through the ages, from classical depictions of philosophers holding papyrus rolls, such as Plato and Aristotle, all the way through the Renaissance, where learned men are shown in possession of their texts. It symbolizes the passing of wisdom and knowledge. The way Longfellow clutches the scroll is a subconscious echo of this tradition. The scroll itself has transformed, from ancient papyrus to parchment, and finally to paper, as the means of recording knowledge evolves, but its symbolic power remains. Consider the emotional resonance of this image. The portrait, like the scroll, is a keeper of memory. Longfellow is not merely a man, but an icon, a symbol of cultural achievement passed down to us through the ages.