It's safe to say that The Song of Hiawatha is a violent poem. It seems like every few pages we hear about a skull being caved in or a corpse getting picked at by seagulls. For Longfellow, this kind of violence is connected to the cycles of the natural world. Predators kill their prey, of course. But human beings also get into conflicts with one another that they try to settle with violence. It's true that Gitche Manito appears at the beginning of this book to bring peace to the many tribes of North America. But some folks must not have gotten the memo, because there's still a ton of murdering and revenge that goes on.
Questions About Violence
- Are there any conflicts in this book that would have been better settled without the use of violence? Which ones and why?
- Do you agree with the idea that there's something deep in our primitive souls that makes us violent with other humans? Why or why not?
- Does Gitche Manito's call for peace at the beginning of the poem actually achieve anything? Why or why not?
- How many times does Hiawatha "kill" Pau-Puk-Keewis? How does he eventually succeed?
Chew on This
The Song of Hiawatha shows us that, sometimes, violence is the only answer.
The Song of Hiawatha shows us that violence can only solve short-term problems, while making long-term problems worse.