Evangeline Reconsidered

Harlan, Veni

When poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie in 1847, he gave voice to a people who had been essentially forgotten and memorialized an event of historic significance, Le Grand Dérangement—the forced expulsion of Acadians from Nova Scotia. The poem brought recognition for a unique ethnic group and gave the world an enigmatic icon, Evangeline. History, fiction, pride, and poetry have since blended together with each generation. But the universal tenets embodied by Evangeline—love, perseverance, and hope, continue to resonate with people from all walks of life.

2022 marks the 175th anniversary of Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie!