In 1845, Poe published a scathing review of Longfellow's poem "The Spanish Student," accusing Longfellow of stealing from a Spanish play, "Don Juan Tenorio" by José Zorrilla. Poe claimed Longfellow borrowed heavily from Zorrilla's work without proper acknowledgment.
This accusation sparked a literary feud between the two writers. Longfellow never responded directly to Poe's accusations, but many of Longfellow's supporters defended him against Poe's charges. The debate surrounding Longfellow's work and Poe's accusations continues to this day.