Introduction

Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie (1847), was the first literary success of American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem was soon translated into a number of languages, with the first French edition appearing in 1856. This reworking of an Acadian myth sparked an awakening of the national, collective consciousness of the Acadian people. Finally someone was talking about them!

The influence of the poem's heroine on Acadian culture, north and south, grew as the years went by. The name and image of Evangeline were celebrated in theatre, film and music and exploited by the tourist industry and commerce. Her picture graced a wide range of products.