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William James Kemp Gregg

Amy Carter
AP Language and Composition
11 March 2014
A Psalm of Life
BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
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Funeral marches to the grave.

In the worlds broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howeer pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God oerhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing oer lifes solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
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Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.


The Conquer of Strife for Everlasting Joy
Henry Wadsworth Longfellows lyric poem, A Psalm of Life speaks directly to the
reader using a youthful tone that is uplifting in its portrayal of life and how it leads to
somewhere beyond. Longfellows poem is a guideline on how one should live their life so they
will gain happiness during this life or in the next life (Heaven). He uses references from The
Bible, everyday experiences and views on life to illustrate how good deeds and proper lifestyles
can lead to prosperity.
Stanzas one through four explain that life does not end at death but continues on in
another life. Dust thou art, to dust returnest, was not spoken of the soul. (Longfellow)
Referring to Adam and Eve being created of dust and everyone will return to dust, he brings in
the fact that the soul leaves the body to continue in the next life.But to act, that each to-
morrow Find us farther than to-day.(Longfellow) Meaning we must always act proper knowing
that we will live forever. Funeral Marches to the Grave.(Longfellow) Longfellow states that
our bodies do not matter but our souls need to be strong and brave to be happy later after
death. These four stanzas help show that our bodies may leave us when we die but we take
our souls to a greater place. On Earth we need to stay strong and act as if we will never die
because we wont, our bodies are just shed and left on the physical world.
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Stanzas five and six share the drive to overcome hard challenges in life and power
through anything life may through at you during the hard times. Be not like dumb, driven
cattle! Be a hero I the strife!(Longfellow) Longfellow says that we need be strong and lead the
world with a grateful and passionate drive for happiness. We should not follow others and
become one of the norm, we should stand out and act as if we we trust no
future(Longfellow), we should act as if every day is our last and make the most out of every
single one of them. Act, -- act in the living present! Heart within, and God
oerheard!(Longfellow) We need to act in the present not knowing what the future will have in
store for us. We need to live every moment like its our last and we need to confident in the
decisions that we make so that we make them for the better good of everyone and not just
ourselves. Longfellow uses these to portray his ideals and values on how each person should
live their lives.
Stanzas seven through nine serve as the conclusion for the poem. In these stanzas
Longfellow concludes by saying how we will live on even after our death. departing, leaving
behind us Footb=prints on the sands of time;(Longfellow) He uses this to show that we will
always be remembered in the hearts of the ones most dear and if we live by the way that he
says we should then we will be Great men reminding others of the ways we should live. Let
us then, be up and doing, even after we die with a heart of any fate, going to Heaven or to
Hell Still achieving, still pursuing, constantly living to better others and achieving personal
goals learn to labor and to wait. Longfellow shows that we must always live with pride and
courage, to brave through even when things seem to be perfect. Even in Heaven we should act
as if we are still on Earth because God is always watching, Heart within, and God oerhead.
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Longfellow is able to portray his beliefs through personal thoughts, Christian ideals, his
ability to speak directly to the reader and the flow from the use of an abab rhyme scheme that
helps the poem continue from beginning to end. Rhyme schemes are often used to help flow
between stanzas in poems and works of literature, it helps the reader to flow easier when
reading. Rhyming also connects all of the ideas that Longfellow discussing during his poem.
A Psalm of Life shows the ways one should live their lives. Longfellow does this by
directly speaking to the reader, using rhyme scheme, and explaining the beliefs that he
believes. By using the rhyme scheme he is able to separate the three parts of the poem; Heaven
as the goal, how to live and what this living will bring you and the people that you leave behind.