A Psalm of Life

A Psalm of Life ----Hurry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is noted as the most popular American poet of the nineteenth century. His poetry and narrative works are lyrical with an easy rhythm, making them memorable. Uplifting with topics the “every man” can relate to, Longfellow’s poetry hums in people’s minds like a favorite song. “A psalm of Life” was first published in Voice of the Night in the September edition of New York Monthly in 1839. It is very influential in China, because it is said to the first English poem translated into Chinese. The poem was written in 1838 when Longfellow was struck with great dismay, his wife died in 1835, and his courtship of a young woman was unrequited. However, despite all the frustrations Longfellow tried to encourage himself by writing a piece of optimistic work—of this one. In the poem, the poetry made his voice of the life is short; instead, the art should be eternal. In this case, human should no fear of the death, but be always moving forward, to cherish the time and take every single opportunity met on the way. Also, Longfellow expressed in this poet that we should be brave of facing each challenge, no afraid of the unknown future nor waste time in doing the meaningless autistic thinking. Young people should never draw themselves at the moment of the present. The dream couldn’t be accomplished without the actions being put now. In this poet, Longfellow chose to face the death directly, with an optimistic attitude. The poetry denied the “life is but an empty dream” in the opening thesis of the poet. In his opinion, human’s soul would be died immediately by the time that falls asleep. He also pointed out that human’s body would be grown old and become senium, but the spirit should always being moving forward to chase the original objection. The poetry used the trochee which leads the whole poet read rhythm and lively, and give person a kind of uplifting strength. The poem take