Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 - March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. He wrote many lyric poems known for their musicality and often presenting stories of mythology and legend. He became the most popular American poet of his day and also had success overseas. He studied at Bowdoin College. After spending time in Europe he became a professor at Bowdoin and, later, at Harvard College. His first major poetry collections were Voices of the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841). He retired from teaching in 1854, to focus on his writing. His first wife Mary Potter died in 1835, after a miscarriage. His second wife Frances Appleton died in 1861, after sustaining burns when her dress caught fire. After her death, Longfellow had difficulty writing poetry for a time and focused on his translation. His most famous works are: "Paul Revere's Ride", "The Song of Hiawatha", and "Evangeline". He was the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, and was one of the five Fireside Poets. He died in 1882 at the age of 75.