Why is the poem "Evangeline" considered a classic?

Question:

Why is the poem "Evangeline" considered a classic?

My favorite author is Victor Hugo, my favorite book A Clockwork Orange, I've read several of Cicero's treatises on Oratory, and one of my best friends is an English proffesor but I still can not figure out what the artistic merits of Evangeline are. Can someone please explain to me why Evangeline is considered a classic?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Evangeline is apoem written about the expulsion of the Acadians from Canada. Some of these people settled in Louisiana and their decents are called Cajuns. It is a classic because it is the history of a people