A Psalm of Life

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - 1807-1882

What the Heart of the Young Man Said to the Psalmist

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
Finds 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.

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 labor and to wait.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of the "Fireside Poets," wrote lyrical poems about history,
mythology, and legend that were popular and widely translated, making him the most famous
American of his day.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American
poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha,
and Evangeline. He was also the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's Divine
Comedy and was one of the Fireside Poets from New England.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow photographed by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1868

Born February 27, 1807

Portland, Maine

Died March 24, 1882(aged 75)

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Occupation Poet
Professor

Alma mater Bowdoin College

 Spouses Mary Storer Potter
Frances Elizabeth Appleton

Children Charles Appleton Longfellow

Ernest Wadsworth Longfellow
Fanny Longfellow
Alice Mary Longfellow
Edith Longfellow
Anne Allegra Longfellow

Signature

Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine, which was then still part of Massachusetts. He
studied at Bowdoin College and became a professor at Bowdoin and later at Harvard
College after spending time in Europe. His first major poetry collections were Voices of
the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841). He retired from teaching in 1854 to
focus on his writing, and he lived the remainder of his life in the Revolutionary War
headquarters of George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His first wife Mary
Potter died in 1835 after a miscarriage. His second wife Frances Appleton died in 1861
after sustaining burns when her dress caught fire. After her death, Longfellow had
difficulty writing poetry for a time and focused on translating works from foreign
languages. He died in 1882.
Longfellow wrote many lyric poems known for their musicality and often presenting
stories of mythology and legend. He became the most popular American poet of his day
and also had success overseas. He has been criticized by some, however, for imitating
European styles and writing specifically for the masses.

What is the main message of the poem A Psalm of Life?

Quick Answer. "A Psalm of Life" by Henry Wadsworth carries a message of hope and
encouragement. It encourages people to live their lives to the fullest, using the short time we have
here on Earth as a gift. The poem is a message to future generations to find work and action that
gives them purpose and passion.