The Courtship of Miles Standish

poem by Longfellow

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June 25, 2026

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The Courtship of Miles Standish is a narrative poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in 1858. It tells a fictionalized story set in the early days of the Plymouth colony. The poem centers on the character of Myles Standish, a military leader of the colony, and his unrequited love for Priscilla Mullins.

In the poem, Standish, a proud and somewhat awkward man, asks his friend John Alden to propose marriage to Priscilla on his behalf. However, Alden himself falls in love with Priscilla, and she ultimately accepts Alden's proposal instead of Standish's. It is important to note that there is no historical evidence to support this romantic entanglement; it is a creation of Longfellow's poem.12

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John Alden and Priscilla Alden
…in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Courtship of Miles Standish” (1858). In that legend, Alden presumably won the hand of Priscilla after first wooing her for his friend Standish. Because of the story, Priscilla Alden alone, among the women of the Plymouth Colony, is remembered by name. The tale of…
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…in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Courtship of Miles Standish” (1858). In that legend, Alden presumably won the hand of Priscilla after first wooing her for his friend Standish. Because of the story, Priscilla Alden alone, among the women of the Plymouth Colony, is remembered by name. The tale of…
Read More