253:". In 1850, Longfellow recorded in his journal of his delight upon hearing it quoted by a minister in a sermon, though he was disappointed when no member of the congregation could identify the source. Not long after Longfellow's death, biographer Eric S. Robertson noted, "The 'Psalm of Life,' great poem or not, went straight to the hearts of the people, and found an echoing shout in their midst. From the American pulpits, right and left, preachers talked to the people about it, and it came to be sung as a hymn in churches." The poem was widely translated into a variety of languages, including
20:
130:, often subtitled "What the Heart of the Young Man Said to the Psalmist". Longfellow wrote the poem not long after the death of his first wife and while thinking about how to make the best of life. It was first published anonymously in 1838 before being included in a collection of Longfellow's poems the next year. Its inspirational message has made it one of Longfellow's most famous poems.
149:; the two had spent an evening "talking of matters, which lie near one's soul:–and how to bear one's self doughtily in Life's battle: and make the best of things". The next day, he wrote "A Psalm of Life". Longfellow was further inspired by the death of his first wife, Mary Storer Potter, and attempted to convince himself to have "a heart for any fate".
222:
Further, the influence of Goethe was noticeable. In 1854, an
English acquaintance suggested "A Psalm of Life" was merely a translation. Longfellow denied this, but admitted he may have had some inspiration from him as he was writing "at the beginning of my life poetical, when a thousand songs were
210:
Longfellow wrote "A Psalm of Life" at the beginning of a period in which he showed an interest in the Judaic, particularly strong in the 1840s and 1850s. More specifically, Longfellow looked at the
American versions or American responses to Jewish stories. Most notable in this strain is the poet's
274:
Calhoun also notes that "A Psalm of Life" has become one of the most frequently memorized and most ridiculed of
English language poems, with an ending reflecting "Victorian cheeriness at its worst". Modern critics have dismissed its "sugar-coated pill" promoting a false sense of security.
181:
In the summer of 1838, Longfellow wrote "The Light of Stars", a poem which he called "A Second Psalm of Life". His 1839 poem inspired by the death of his wife, "Footsteps of Angels", was similarly referred to as "Voices of the Night: A Third Psalm of Life". Another poem published in
202:
and frequent exclamation. Answering a reader's question about the poem in 1879, Longfellow himself summarized that the poem was "a transcript of my thoughts and feelings at the time I wrote, and of the conviction therein expressed, that Life is something more than an idle dream."
279:, an admirer of Longfellow's, likely was referring to this poem in his "Ballade by the Fire" with his line, "Be up, my soul". Despite Longfellow's dwindling reputation among modern readers and critics, "A Psalm of Life" remains one of the few of his poems still anthologized.
275:
Nevertheless, Longfellow scholar Robert L. Gale referred to "A Psalm of Life" as "the most popular poem ever written in
English". One story has it that a man once approached Longfellow and told him that a worn, hand-written copy of "A Psalm of Life" saved him from suicide.
230:
notes that, despite it being one of his earlier poems, "A Psalm of Life" embodies
Longfellow's strongest messaging for young people to seek greatness. She further notes the message is even stronger than other examples of his works with similar themes like
249:"A Psalm of Life" became a popular and oft-quoted poem, such that Longfellow biographer Charles Calhoun noted it had risen beyond being a poem and into a cultural artifact. Among its many quoted lines are "footprints on the
158:, though it was attributed only to "L." Longfellow was promised five dollars for its publication, though he never received payment. This original publication also included a slightly altered quote from
1025:
198:, is meant to inspire its readers to live actively, and neither to lament the past nor to take the future for granted. The didactic message is underscored by a vigorous
1137:
166:: "Life that shall send / A challenge to its end, / And when it comes, say, 'Welcome, friend.'" "A Psalm of Life" and other early poems by Longfellow, including "
745:
1106:
363:
Four
American Poets: William Cullen Bryant, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, Oliver Wendell Holmes; a Book for Young Americans
1127:
142:
and was heavily inspired by him. He was also inspired to write it by a heartfelt conversation he had with friend and fellow professor at
1075:
738:
652:
638:
610:
596:
223:
ringing in my ears; and doubtless many echoes and suggestions will be found in them. Let the fact go for what it is worth".
1132:
1054:
1047:
731:
948:
918:
717:
666:
624:
581:
549:
450:
346:
832:
874:
881:
889:
615:
Gruesz, Kirsten Silva. "Feeling for the
Fireside: Longfellow, Lynch, and the Topography of Poetic Power" in
1101:
707:
647:(Christoph Irmscher and Robert Arbour, editors). Madison, WI: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2014.
960:
777:
1019:
754:
139:
127:
925:
839:
171:
362:
1096:
276:
1013:
146:
984:
942:
910:
867:
825:
818:
619:(Mary Chapman and Glenn Hendler, editors). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1999.
263:
204:
167:
62:
685:
954:
903:
896:
250:
232:
216:
1080:
862:
237:
8:
643:
Pelaez, Monica. "'A Love of Heaven and Virtue': Why
Longfellow Sentimentalizes Death" in
996:
143:
1070:
1042:
990:
701:
690:
662:
659:
Schoolroom Poets: Childhood, Performance, and the Place of
American Poetry, 1865–1917
648:
634:
620:
606:
592:
577:
545:
446:
342:
154:
804:
978:
846:
785:
711:
268:
972:
966:
186:
titled "The Reaper and the
Flowers" was originally subtitled "A Psalm of Death".
178:
in 1839. This volume sold for 75 cents and, by 1842, had gone into six editions.
159:
366:. New York: Werner School Book Company, 1899: 106–107. Accessed August 12, 2008
212:
697:
1121:
723:
258:
138:
Longfellow wrote the poem shortly after completing lectures on German writer
617:
Sentimental Men: Masculinity and the Politics of Affect in American Culture
357:
227:
195:
261:
translated the poem, as well as others from Longfellow's later collection
854:
267:, into Hebrew. By 1879, the poem was included in the sixth edition of
769:
67: And our hearts, though stout and brave,
254:
19:
199:
163:
41: And things are not what they seem.
445:. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1982: vol. VI, 449.
339:
Longfellow in Love: Passion and Tragedy in the Life of the Poet
207:
referred to the theme of the poem as a "lesson of endurance".
103: Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
98: Footprints on the sands of time;
85: Let the dead Past bury its dead!
107: Seeing, shall take heart again.
89: Heart within, and God o'erhead!
661:. Lebanon, NH: University of New Hampshire Press, 2005: 25.
589:
Nineteenth-Century US Literature in Middle Eastern Languages
152:
The poem was first published in the September 1838 issue of
94: We can make our lives sublime,
46: And the grave is not its goal;
341:. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2018: 151.
71: Funeral marches to the grave.
116: Learn to labor and to wait.
59: Find us farther than to-day.
37: Life is but an empty dream!—
55: Is our destined end or way;
50: Was not spoken of the soul.
112: With a heart for any fate;
23:"Footprints on the sands of time", c. 1891 illustration
133:
80: Be a hero in the strife!
76: In the bivouac of Life,
605:. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003.
211:"The Jewish Cemetery at Newport", inspired by the
1119:
1138:Works originally published in The Knickerbocker
633:. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2006.
753:
739:
720:" by Don Meyer, PhD, Huffpost.com, 2/13/2013
324:
322:
320:
704:, at the "Favorite Poem Project" on YouTube
460:
458:
746:
732:
401:
399:
1076:Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site
443:The Letters of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
317:
301:
299:
297:
295:
293:
291:
675:. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1938.
542:An Edwin Arlington Robinson Encyclopedia
455:
18:
396:
126:" is a poem written by American writer
1120:
603:A Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Companion
288:
69:Still, like muffled drums, are beating
727:
544:. McFarland & Company, 2006: 24.
74:In the world's broad field of battle,
1128:Poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
591:. Edinburgh University Press, 2013.
504:. London: Walter Scott, 1887: 78–79.
174:", were collected and published as
134:Composition and publication history
39:For the soul is dead that slumbers,
13:
949:Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Jr.
502:Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
105:A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
83:Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
16:Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
14:
1149:
679:
101:Footprints, that perhaps another,
63:Art is long, and Time is fleeting
48:Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
35:Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
114:Still achieving, still pursuing,
92:Lives of great men all remind us
78:Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
1102:"the mills of God grind slowly"
882:The Courtship of Miles Standish
574:Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life
554:
534:
525:
516:
507:
494:
485:
476:
467:
435:
426:
417:
408:
96:And, departing, leave behind us
87:Act,—act in the living Present!
57:But to act, that each to-morrow
576:. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004.
387:
378:
369:
351:
331:
308:
110:Let us, then, be up and doing,
53:Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
44:Life is real! Life is earnest!
1:
1107:"Whom the gods would destroy"
566:
673:Young Longfellow (1807–1843)
7:
1133:Works published anonymously
961:Ernest Wadsworth Longfellow
244:
189:
10:
1154:
1028:(Cambridge, Massachusetts)
1020:Wadsworth-Longfellow House
805:The Battle of Lovells Pond
755:Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
140:Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
128:Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
1089:
1063:
1055:Washington, D.C. memorial
1035:
1006:
935:
926:The Sermon of St. Francis
840:The Wreck of the Hesperus
796:
761:
718:A Psalm of Life: The Poem
172:The Wreck of the Hesperus
1097:Dante Society of America
1048:Portland, Maine memorial
645:Reconsidering Longfellow
441:Hilen, Andrew (editor).
282:
277:Edwin Arlington Robinson
194:The poem, written in an
147:Cornelius Conway Felton
985:Richard Henry Dana III
943:Alexander S. Wadsworth
911:Tales of a Wayside Inn
868:The Death of Minnehaha
826:The Village Blacksmith
264:Tales of a Wayside Inn
205:Richard Henry Stoddard
168:The Village Blacksmith
119:
24:
955:Alice Mary Longfellow
904:The Saga of King Olaf
833:The Skeleton in Armor
629:Irmscher, Christoph.
217:Newport, Rhode Island
32:
22:
1081:Longfellow Mountains
863:The Song of Hiawatha
686:Original publication
671:Thompson, Lawrance.
572:Calhoun, Charles C.
238:The Song of Hiawatha
890:The Children's Hour
587:Einboden, Jeffrey.
500:Robertson, Eric S.
337:Cifelli, Edward M.
184:Voices of the Night
176:Voices of the Night
997:Stephen Longfellow
914:(collection, 1863)
897:Paul Revere's Ride
850:(collection, 1842)
233:Paul Revere's Ride
144:Harvard University
25:
1115:
1114:
1071:Longfellow Bridge
1043:Longfellow Square
1022:(Portland, Maine)
1016:(Portland, Maine)
991:Samuel Longfellow
708:Annotated version
702:Michael E. Haynes
691:The Knickerbocker
653:978-1-61147-673-6
639:978-0-252-07586-5
611:978-0-313-32350-8
597:978-0-7486-4564-0
155:The Knickerbocker
1145:
1026:Longfellow House
979:Richard Bonython
847:Poems on Slavery
748:
741:
734:
725:
724:
712:Genius (company)
631:Longfellow Redux
601:Gale, Robert L.
561:
558:
552:
540:Gale, Robert L.
538:
532:
529:
523:
520:
514:
511:
505:
498:
492:
489:
483:
480:
474:
471:
465:
462:
453:
439:
433:
430:
424:
421:
415:
412:
406:
403:
394:
391:
385:
384:Calhoun, 137–139
382:
376:
373:
367:
355:
349:
335:
329:
326:
315:
312:
306:
303:
269:McGuffey Readers
1153:
1152:
1148:
1147:
1146:
1144:
1143:
1142:
1118:
1117:
1116:
1111:
1085:
1059:
1031:
1007:Historic houses
1002:
973:Peleg Wadsworth
969:(father-in-law)
967:Nathan Appleton
931:
919:Christmas Bells
812:A Psalm of Life
792:
757:
752:
700:" read by Rev.
698:A Psalm of Life
682:
657:Sorby, Angela.
569:
564:
559:
555:
539:
535:
530:
526:
521:
517:
512:
508:
499:
495:
490:
486:
481:
477:
473:Einboden, 20–21
472:
468:
463:
456:
440:
436:
431:
427:
422:
418:
413:
409:
404:
397:
392:
388:
383:
379:
374:
370:
356:
352:
336:
332:
327:
318:
313:
309:
304:
289:
285:
247:
226:Modern scholar
192:
160:Richard Crashaw
136:
124:A Psalm of Life
120:
118:
115:
113:
111:
109:
108:
106:
104:
102:
100:
99:
97:
95:
93:
91:
90:
88:
86:
84:
82:
81:
79:
77:
75:
73:
72:
70:
68:
66:
61:
60:
58:
56:
54:
52:
51:
49:
47:
45:
43:
42:
40:
38:
36:
31:
29:A Psalm of Life
17:
12:
11:
5:
1151:
1141:
1140:
1135:
1130:
1113:
1112:
1110:
1109:
1104:
1099:
1093:
1091:
1087:
1086:
1084:
1083:
1078:
1073:
1067:
1065:
1061:
1060:
1058:
1057:
1052:
1051:
1050:
1039:
1037:
1033:
1032:
1030:
1029:
1023:
1017:
1010:
1008:
1004:
1003:
1001:
1000:
994:
988:
982:
976:
970:
964:
958:
952:
946:
939:
937:
933:
932:
930:
929:
922:
915:
907:
900:
893:
886:
878:
875:Santa Filomena
871:
859:
851:
843:
836:
829:
822:
815:
808:
800:
798:
794:
793:
791:
790:
782:
774:
765:
763:
759:
758:
751:
750:
743:
736:
728:
722:
721:
714:
705:
694:
681:
680:External links
678:
677:
676:
669:
655:
641:
627:
613:
599:
585:
568:
565:
563:
562:
553:
533:
524:
515:
506:
493:
484:
475:
466:
454:
434:
425:
416:
407:
395:
386:
377:
375:Pelaez, 55, 67
368:
350:
330:
316:
307:
286:
284:
281:
246:
243:
213:Touro Cemetery
200:trochaic meter
191:
188:
135:
132:
33:
27:
26:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1150:
1139:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1126:
1125:
1123:
1108:
1105:
1103:
1100:
1098:
1095:
1094:
1092:
1088:
1082:
1079:
1077:
1074:
1072:
1069:
1068:
1066:
1062:
1056:
1053:
1049:
1046:
1045:
1044:
1041:
1040:
1038:
1034:
1027:
1024:
1021:
1018:
1015:
1012:
1011:
1009:
1005:
998:
995:
992:
989:
986:
983:
980:
977:
975:(grandfather)
974:
971:
968:
965:
962:
959:
956:
953:
950:
947:
944:
941:
940:
938:
934:
927:
923:
920:
916:
913:
912:
908:
905:
901:
898:
894:
891:
887:
884:
883:
879:
876:
872:
869:
865:
864:
860:
857:
856:
852:
849:
848:
844:
841:
837:
834:
830:
827:
823:
820:
816:
813:
809:
806:
802:
801:
799:
795:
788:
787:
783:
780:
779:
775:
772:
771:
767:
766:
764:
760:
756:
749:
744:
742:
737:
735:
730:
729:
726:
719:
715:
713:
710:of the poem,
709:
706:
703:
699:
695:
693:
692:
687:
684:
683:
674:
670:
668:
667:1-58465-458-9
664:
660:
656:
654:
650:
646:
642:
640:
636:
632:
628:
626:
625:0-520-21621-0
622:
618:
614:
612:
608:
604:
600:
598:
594:
590:
586:
583:
582:0-8070-7026-2
579:
575:
571:
570:
557:
551:
550:9780786422371
547:
543:
537:
528:
519:
510:
503:
497:
488:
479:
470:
461:
459:
452:
451:0-674-52728-3
448:
444:
438:
429:
420:
414:Thompson, 270
411:
402:
400:
390:
381:
372:
365:
364:
359:
358:Cody, Sherwin
354:
348:
347:9781476675053
344:
340:
334:
325:
323:
321:
314:Thompson, 267
311:
302:
300:
298:
296:
294:
292:
287:
280:
278:
272:
270:
266:
265:
260:
259:Joseph Massel
256:
252:
251:sands of time
242:
240:
239:
234:
229:
224:
220:
218:
214:
208:
206:
201:
197:
187:
185:
179:
177:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
156:
150:
148:
145:
141:
131:
129:
125:
117:
64:
30:
21:
987:(son-in-law)
909:
880:
861:
853:
845:
811:
784:
776:
768:
689:
672:
658:
644:
630:
616:
602:
588:
573:
560:Irmscher, 19
556:
541:
536:
527:
518:
513:Einboden, 27
509:
501:
496:
487:
478:
469:
442:
437:
428:
419:
410:
393:Irmscher, 54
389:
380:
371:
361:
353:
338:
333:
328:Calhoun, 137
310:
273:
262:
248:
236:
228:Angela Sorby
225:
221:
209:
196:ABAB pattern
193:
183:
180:
175:
153:
151:
137:
123:
121:
34:
28:
1122:Categories
1014:Birthplace
981:(ancestor)
957:(daughter)
855:Evangeline
567:References
531:Gruesz, 60
482:Gruesz, 59
464:Pelaez, 55
432:Gruesz, 49
405:Pelaez, 54
1064:Namesakes
1036:Memorials
993:(brother)
819:Excelsior
770:Outre-Mer
522:Sorby, 26
491:Sorby, 25
305:Gale, 202
999:(father)
951:(nephew)
928:" (1875)
921:" (1863)
906:" (1863)
899:" (1860)
892:" (1860)
877:" (1857)
870:) (1855)
842:" (1842)
835:" (1841)
828:" (1841)
821:" (1841)
814:" (1838)
807:" (1820)
786:Kavanagh
778:Hyperion
423:Gale, 85
255:Sanskrit
245:Response
190:Analysis
1090:Related
945:(uncle)
773:(1830s)
170:" and "
164:epigram
936:Family
885:(1858)
858:(1847)
797:Poetry
789:(1849)
781:(1839)
665:
651:
637:
623:
609:
595:
580:
548:
449:
345:
235:" and
162:as an
963:(son)
762:Prose
283:Notes
663:ISBN
649:ISBN
635:ISBN
621:ISBN
607:ISBN
593:ISBN
578:ISBN
546:ISBN
447:ISBN
343:ISBN
688:in
215:in
1124::
457:^
398:^
360:.
319:^
290:^
271:.
257:.
241:.
219:.
924:"
917:"
902:"
895:"
888:"
873:"
866:(
838:"
831:"
824:"
817:"
810:"
803:"
747:e
740:t
733:v
716:"
696:"
584:.
231:"
122:"
65:,
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
