A Psalm of Life

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Reporter: Marian Bacala

Allan Bacsal
 Psalm
is a
religious or
sacred
 Psalm of
life
is a song of life,
where the poet
glorifies life and
its possibilities
Psalm of life
DIDACTIC
contain a clear
The poem moral
or message
is didactic in
tone.
Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow
-national and
international
prominence
Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow
Wrote Psalm
of life
(1838)
“What the Heart of
the Young Man
Said to the
Psalmist “
A subtitle
1 ST STANZA
•LIFE
Imperative
has much more
onmanner
what this life actually
potential than we think of. is
2 ND STANZA
ending of life to the body,
life is worth living
and not to the soul.
3RD STANZA
about the ideal way
of living
4 th STANZA
our responsibilities in
we fear death
this life
5th STANZA
The
Wepoet
should
urgeshave
us ato
compares this world
goal
be aorhero
direction
in thisin
to a vast battlefield
battle
Life
of life
6 th STANZA
Don’t live on the
not to trust the future
past events
7 th STANZA

own inspirations
leave a legacy
8 th STANZA
Legacy
compares
Continue that
to will
this always
life
pursue to
anda
difficult to cross this sea
be
vastremembered
sea.something
achieve
of life.
9 th STANZA
be up and
learn fate
prepared
to labor and wait
Additional info
Because of his wife who
died three years before
he wrote the poem
Why
He did
was Henry
also inspired
Because
wrote
after
to write ittheof his
by poem
completing
wife
lectures on
a heartfelt
who died
A psalm of life ? three
German writer Johann
conversation he had with
Wolfgang
friend von
and
years Goethe
fellow
before and
professor
he
was
at strongly inspired
Harvard by him.
University,
wrote the
Conway Felton. poem
Literary
Literary devices are
also
Deviceshelp the
in readers
tools that enable the
“Aunderstand
Psalm ofthose
writers to present their
Life”more profound
ideas, emotions, and
meanings.
feelings
Allusions: Allusion is an
“Tell me not,
indirect reference of a in
mournful numbers.”
person, place, thing or idea of
aHere
historical, cultural, political
the numbers refer to the
or literary
chapters significance.
and sections of the Bible.
Assonance: Assonance
•is sound of /e/ in “Lives of
the repetition of
great men all remind
vowel sounds in the us”
• the sound of /i/ in “Still
same line
achieving, still pursuing”.
Personification: 
“Was not spoken
Personification is to of
the soul”
give human qualities
as if the
to inanimatesoul is human and
subjects.it can speak .
Consonance: 
“A forlorn
Consonance is the and
shipwrecked
repetition of brother.”
consonant sounds in
such as the sound of /r/ in
the same line
Paradox: A paradox is a
“And things
statement that mayare not
seemwhat they seem.”
contradictory yet
can be true, or at least
Here he talks about
makes sense.
appearances versus reality.
( 4th line)
Parallelism: Parallelism is
•the“Life
useisofreal” “Life is in
components
earnest!”
a sentence grammatically
the same or similar in
•their
“Still achieving” “still
construction, sound,
pursuing”.
meaning, or meter.
Alliteration: 
Alliteration is the
“Not enjoyment,
repetition of
and notsounds
beginning sorrow”.
or
letter
Analysis of Poetic
Devices in
“A Psalm of Life”
Stanza: A stanza is a
poetic form of some
lines. There are nine
stanzas in this poem
each having four lines
in it.
•Quatrain: A quatrain is
a four-lined stanza
borrowed from Persian
Here, each stanza is
quatrain as the first one
and the second one.
Rhyme Scheme: 
The rhyme scheme
 followed by the
entire poem is ABAB.
•Genre - Poetry

•Setting- The 19th

century
 Tone- Hopeful,
dynamic, sincere
•Mournful- mournful
is feeling or
expressing sorrow
•Slumbers - rest
•Earnest- showing
sincere 
•Fleeting- lasting for a
very short time.
•Stout-  heavy build.
Muffled- To muffle is to
quiet a sound, usually by
wrapping it with
something.
•Bivouac- temporary camp
without tents or cover,
used especially by soldiers
or mountaineers. /ˈbivoo ͞
ˌak/
•Strife- angry or bitter
disagreement over
fundamental issues; conflict.
•Sublime- of such excellence,
beauty as to inspire great
admiration
•Forlorn - sad and abandoned or
lonely.
Shipwrecked- the loss or
destruction of a ship through
storm, collision, going
aground, etc. any ruin, failure,
or destruction.
THANK YOU