Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

[Alon 0]

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 further 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.

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!

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!

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 o'er life's 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;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labour and to wait.

[Bill Bucko 0]

Thanks! We had to memorize that poem in High School, back in the '60s. I haven't seen it in a while.

[drm 0]

Reading this poem was a wonderful way to start my day. I hadn't read it before, so thanks a lot Alon, for posting it here.

[Betsy Speicher 0]

"Psalm of Life" has always been one of my personal favorites.

Thank you for posting it.

[Lu Norton 0]

"Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal...."

←

I was emotionally attached to this line since I first read it in highschool. Though I have not encountered Ayn Rand’s writings at that time, I have admired the inspirational theme of the poem as to having a good life.

[dondigitalia 0]

I'd never read this before, but what a great last thing to read before going to bed. Thank you very much.

[softwareGuru 0]

I've always liked the poem. I thin Longfellow should have re-written one stanza:

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.

I see what he is trying to say, and I wouldn't advise a fellow like him how he might do it better. Still, I find it wanting. I wish he could have formulated it so that rather than saying "our hearts... are beating furenal marches", it could be clear that he wanted our hearts not to merely be beating such marches. While the rest of the poem does create a context in which the meaning is unmistakable, I think this stanza should have done so more clearly on its own.

[GMartin 0]

It seems to me that he is reminding us in these stanzas to get on with the important work of our lives, as eventually, we are going to die. I don't have a problem with it.

It and many of his other poems are my favorites too. I generally like his shorter poems, but a medium length one that I like is "The Falcon of Sir Federigo." It is benevolent, but at the same time very ironic. It is amazing to me the he can pack so much meaning into so few words.

I've always liked the poem. I thin Longfellow should have re-written one stanza:

I see what he is trying to say, and I wouldn't advise a fellow like him how he might do it better. Still, I find it wanting. I wish he could have formulated it so that rather than saying "our hearts... are beating furenal marches",.....

←

[Janet_Busch 0]

My first husband carried a copy of this poem with him into war. I made a point of taking a copy with me when I went to Viet Nam. It helped sustain me.

Thank you for posting it.

[JRoberts 0]

Yes, this is truly a wonderful poem (and something I'll remember as I had out to work soon!).

Thank you for posting it .

Question: I have not read any other poems by Mr. Longfellow. Are his other poems generally of this spirit, or is this an exception? Are there any other poems of his that you would suggest?

[GMartin 0]

Check out:

Selected Poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

at Representative Poetry on Line

http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poet206.html

I generally like his shorter poems. Sometimes, just the endings or last stanzas are very inspiring.

Sometimes, one has to drop the religious context.

I finally bought a complete collection of his works (along with Tennyson and Kipling).

This is the end of The Ladder of St. Augustine:

The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night.

Standing on what too long we bore

With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,

We may discern--unseen before--

A path to higher destinies.

Nor deem the irrevocable Past,

As wholly wasted, wholly vain,

If, rising on its wrecks, at last

To something nobler we attain.

Question: I have not read any other poems by Mr. Longfellow.  Are his other poems generally of this spirit, or is this an exception?  Are there any other poems of his that you would suggest?

←

[JRoberts 0]

GMartin, I love that poem too!

I checked out the website and enjoyed some of his poems. The poem, "There was a little girl" is a very fun, jovial poem.

However, there were poems that seemed rather dark/gloomy. But even the gloomy ones I enjoyed because of his "bouncy" nature. The rhyme scheme that he uses reminds me more of melody than modern "poetry".

[GMartin 0]

That URL does not have a all of his poems. I agree that they are not all uplifting. But, they are well constructed and as you suggest, very musical. Longfellow had two major tragedies in his life. His first wife, shortly after they were married while on a trip to Europe, died of some disease she contracted while they were touring. His second wife accidently caught on fire while pressing locks of hair of their children with hot wax, and burned to death. So, that may be the context for some of his gloomier poems. I find something good though, every time I dip into his complete works.

GMartin, I love that poem too!

I checked out the website and enjoyed some of his poems.  The poem, "There was a little girl" is a very fun, jovial poem. 

However, there were poems that seemed rather dark/gloomy.  But even the gloomy ones I enjoyed because of his "bouncy" nature.  The rhyme scheme that he uses reminds me more of melody than modern "poetry".

←