👉Introduction : "A Psalm of Life" is a lyric poem written by the famous American poet Henry Wardsworth Longfellow. The name itself suggests that it has some religious touch and so it is a religious lyric. 'Psalm' is a sacred song or poem used in worship. Here the matter of worshiping is not devoted to any deity or God, it is the worshiping of life. This poem may be said a sort of 'Invocation' to mankind to realize the true meaning of life and to follow the path of righteousness that would make a life meaningful, not 'an empty dream'.
Optimism is at every line of this poem.
Summary- Stanza 1 :
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.
👉 The poet H.W.Longfellow requests one not to tell him in mournful verses or sorrowful term that life of human being is nothing but an empty dream or a meaningless journey. He rejects such an idea and says that the persons who slumber or are in sleeplike state are dead, obviously the owner of dead soul.He also confirms that the things of this world can not be defined and meant according to their notion. Things of this world are still unrecognized to them as they are dead soul.
Summary- Stanza 2 :
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.
👉 Life of human being created by God has a definite purpose. It is called 'real' by the poet, that means life is 'meaningful'. It is our duty to make our life meaningful. Life is called 'earnest' the meaning of which is 'sincere'. We have to do everything sincerely whatever we should do to achieve our 'goal' which is not, with the least doubt, the 'grave'. Life ends in death, this is destiny, but this can not be the destination of our life.We know that we are made of 'dust', after death our body would turn to dust, but it is not applicable to our soul, because the body is perishable, the soul is not.
Summary- Stanza 3 :
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
👉 What should be the right and perfect way of living / It is neither 'enjoyment' nor the 'sorrow'. One should not be indulged in excessive enjoyment, not be submersed in the depth of sorrow. Our duty is to act joyfully as assigned to us by God.Acting wisely and properly should be our enjoyment. We must be careful of and mindful to our action so that we can grow each day by slow degree and each tomorrow would bring our further development.
Summary- Stanza 4 :
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.
👉 Our life is an art , every deed or our life is a part of art and we have to perform it with utmost perfection. The deed or work assigned to us is vast and time-taking .At the same time the work of perfection or the art is long and ever-lasting. On the other hand, the time given us by god that is our life span is very short for performing so many good works. So the poet says that the time is fleeting. We are the owner of strong and brave heart, but we can not stop the heart beats and make our life long. The heart is going on beating like a 'muffled drum' and ends in our funeral march for taking us to our graves. Taking it to the mind we have to utilize every moment, with courage, for good work.
Summary- Stanza 5 :
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!
👉 The world is compared to a vast battlefield and our life to a temporary camp for the soldiers (bivouac).We are the soldiers to fight the battle of the life bravely within the given stipulated period of time.Human beings are not like the cattle to be driven to any direction by others. Human life must have a mission, a defined aim to achieve. Our duty is to combat and overcome all trouble and strife on the way of achieving our goal and wear the crown of the hero.
Summary- Stanza 6 :
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!
👉 One should not trust the future though it seems pleasant. The action and result of future are not in our hands, these lacks certitude.The incidents of the past, good or bad, are dead and we should forget them to avoid the pull of the past.The wise decision is to live with the present.One should act with enthusiasm in heart and God,s presence in mind.
Summary- Stanza 7 :
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
👉 The lives of the great men are the prominent example of the noble purpose of our lives. Through their noble and selfless deeds they have made their lives sublime. They are a sort of education as they remind us that everyone can make his/her life noble and sublime , can scale many a steps to achieve the greatest height. Death is our destiny and when we would die we must leave some prominent footprints on the 'sands of time.'
Summary- Stanza 8 :
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
👉 Life of human being is like a vast sea (solemn main ). We sail on this sea to make the life meaningful.The footprints left by us in this world shines like bright pole star. A forlorn brother who,losing all morale and strength of mind, is running a frustrated life will find some ray of hopes in footprints left by some noble soul before. The noble deeds must inspire the broken mind to pull courage and strength in his/her heart.
Summary- Stanza 9 :
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
👉 Life of man is not meant to wait and see. It is full of activities. Our heart must always be charged with full energy and courage so that it can confront any situation and can brook any fate. One should not think about the consequence of the action and activities, should not recoil for any imaginary impediment. Our duty is to pursue and achieve our goal. If we learn to labour ,we must not be doubtful of the result. Patient waiting after hard labour brings about prestigious rewards in life.
