Psalm of Life

H.W Longfellow

Background
written on July 20, 1838. The lyrical form of this poem is abab. "Mr. Longfellow said of this poem: 'I kept it some time in manuscript, unwilling to show it to any one, it being a voice from my inmost heart, at a time when I was rallying from depression.' Before it was published in the Knickerbocker Magazine, October, 1838, it was read by the poet to his college class at the close of a lecture. Its title, though used now exclusively for this poem, was originally, in the poet's mind, a generic one. He notes from time to time that he has written a psalm, a psalm of death, or another psalm of life. The 'psalmist' is thus the poet himself.

It is a treatise on the art of living. It teaches that we should always strive to excel in whatever we do. Life is precious, life is beautiful, not a single moment may be wasted as Art is long and time is fleeting even in death the soul does not die but sleeps in slumber. We should not allow ourselves to be driven like dumb cattle. One, whose soul does not stir at the prospect of being an achiever, who does not nurture any hope is as good as dead, he has truly stopped living. We should learn to live in present, and try to make it better and glorious, that is the moment gifted to us by God thats why it is called Present. The past is dead, it can not be changed, the future however promising it may look, but we do not have any control over it, its success can not be vouchsafed.

Act-actis the clarion call given by Longfellow to the world. Time at our disposal is very short, with each passing day we are moving towards our death, so we should accomplish what we desire to, with faith in God. We may leave our footprints on the sands of time, we may set an example for others to follow. We can make our life sublime it will inspire other people to know that leading a life of fulfillment is worth living. On the whole, it can be categorized as a spiritual poem.

 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.

Text

(In the opening stanza, the speaker directly addresses the psalmist. He begins by dismissing the psalmist's sad poetry, and he rejects as dangerous the psalmist's notion that human life is a meaningless illusion. If one accepts the logic that life is just a dream, he cautions, one's soul will not merely sleep, but die. On the surface, human life may appear futile, but the speaker contends that it is actually this sense of hopelessness - and not human life itself - that is the illusion. He states here that life doesn't abruptly end when one dies; rather, it extends into another after life. Longfellow values this dream of the afterlife immensely and seems to say that life can only be lived truly if one believes that the soul will continue to live long after the body dies. The second stanza continues with the same belief in afterlife that is present in the first. )

 Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou are, to dust thou returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. (Because the soul lives eternally, the speaker reasons, life must
be real. Note that in the first line there is a caesura, or break, after the word "real." This caesura forces the reader to pause, thereby emphasizing the idea that life is real. These lines are an allusion to the Bible's book of Genesis, where God says to the fallen Adam, "dust thou...... the speaker is asserting that although the mortal body will die, the soul is exempt from death. life doesn't end for people simply because they die; there is always something more to be hopeful and optimistic for.)

 Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; But to act, that each tomorrow Find us farther than today.
(The third stanza introduces the central theme of the poem: the purpose of life is not to experience pleasure or sorrow, but "to act" - to perform the deeds that will improve the condition of mankind. Note that by this point in the poem, the speaker has ceased to address the psalmist; instead, he is directing his remarks to mankind in general, as is evidenced by his broadly inclusive use of the first person plural - "our" and "us." Longfellow begins discussing how humans must live their lives in constant anticipation for the next day under the belief that it will be better than each day before it: "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 Funeral marches to the grave.
The idea here is that although a lifetime passes relatively quickly, it actually takes a long time to learn how to live well - to decipher the "art" of living. The speaker is suggesting with some urgency, then, that we should live as productive a life as possible, because death (of the human body, not the soul) is always imminent. Note the simile in line 15, which compares the human heartbeat to "muffled drums." On a literal level, of course, a heartbeat can sound like a drumbeat, but Longfellow extends this idea to suggest that each beat of our hearts, carries us closer to death. If you read the stanza aloud, you will notice that, it sounds as though a drum is beating in the background. Longfellow asserts that there is never an infinite amount of time to live, but art that is created during one's life can be preserved indefinitely and live on long after its creator dies. In the following stanzas, Longfellow likens living in the world to fighting on a huge field of battle.

 In the world's broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife!
These lines rely heavily on war imagery, as a march to battle. By comparing life to a "bivouac," a temporary campsite during a battle, the speaker reminds us again of the transience of human existence. He exhorts the reader - who, like a soldier should become a hero in this battle and not merely march to his or her death like a cow forced to the slaughterhouse. He believes that people should lead heroic and courageous lives and not sit idle and remain ineffectual while the world rapidly changes around them. His use of the word "strife" clearly acknowledges that life is inherently difficult, is a constant struggle, and will never be easy. Longfellow then encourages everyone to have faith and trust the lord and not to rely on an unknown future to be stable and supportive.

 Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act, - act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o'erhead!
The speaker explains in detail how the reader can become a hero. He advises the reader not to hope for the future nor to worry about the past. Instead, he urges the reader to live actively in the present. Note how Longfellow draws our attention to the word "act" by manipulating the meter: not only does he insert a caesura between the two "acts," but, metrically, the two consecutive words are stressed, giving them added force. He advises people to seize the moments they have before them and act while thinking about their present situations. )

 Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sand of time;
The speaker asks the reader to consider past heroes. These "great men," should inspire us to live our lives so fully that we, too, will leave behind records of greatness when we die. Even here, however, this metaphor ironically reminds us of the transient nature of life, since these footprints will eventually be washed away by the tide. Nonetheless, they may have a positive effect on the people who live after us. He views these men as role models for people who have yet to live their lives.

Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o'er life's solenm main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again.
The "footprints develops into the governing concept, of the eighth stanza. The speaker envisions a shipwrecked sailor who is lost at sea but observes these footprints in the sand. the sailor represents any discouraged or lonely individual who receives encouragement from the memory of the good deeds of others. It describes how successful people in the past have their lives copied, while those who failed serve as examples of ways of life to avoid.

Let us then be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.
The speaker concludes the poem by asking us to live active, courageous lives, to strive continuously to accomplish good, useful deeds: these good deeds, give life meaning and purpose. The last word of the poem, "wait," has a few possible meanings; it can mean "to serve" others - in this case, by working or "laboring" diligently; it can mean "to be ready" for someone or some event; or it can mean to be "watchful" - to be on the lookout for good opportunities as well as to be on guard against unexpected events or dangers. The poem ends, then, as it began, with a word of caution and of hope. Longfellow encourages all to work and try their hardest to make their lives great and accomplish as much as they can. He ensures his followers that the rewards for what they achieve will come eventually-if not in this lifetime, then, certainly, in the next.