Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life," "The Rainy Day," and "The Children's Hour."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is known for his poetic imagination and diversity. The subjects of his poems range from serious to light-hearted, all written with perfect rhyme and meter. In fact, Cecil Willaims maintains that Longfellow was "not only extraordinarily versatile in his prosody; he was equally venturesome in types of poetry" (Williams). This paper will examine Longfellow's style and techniques in the poems "A Psalm of Life," "The Rainy Day," and "The Children's Hour."
An example of one of a Longfellow's psalms is the poem "A Psalm of Life." Cecil Williams refers to this poem as one of Longfellow's most controversial poem. In fact, he states the poem was "Burlesqued and ridiculed in modern times, it was extravagantly praised when it was published and long afterward" (Williams). It is easy to see why the poem became popular. It revolves around a theme of action as opposed to adopting a "wait and see" attitude about living.
Longfellow's poem, "A Psalm of Life" is inspirational above all things, encouraging us to live because "life is real" (Longfellow 5). Additionally, the poet reminds us that the "grave is not the goal" (6). Instead of dreaming about the future or worrying about the past, we are to "act in the living Present!" (23). In fact, we should "trust no Future" (21) and "Let the dead Past bury its dead" (22). These lines represent urgency coupled with an enthusiasm that is almost contagious.
In this poem Longfellow demonstrates his ability to write lines that flow. And example of this can be seen in the fourth stanza, when the poet says:
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums are beating
Additionally, we discover exceptional imagery in this poem. Longfellow's mention of death and funeral marches suggests the brevity of life. The image of footprints in sand encourages us to live a life that makes a difference.
An example of Longfellow's lyrical poetry can be seen in his poem, "The Rainy Day." Willaims believes this is one of Longfellow's best-known poems. This is probably because the poem introduces the famous line "Into each life some rain must fall" (14). This poem begins with a melancholy mood. For example, the poet repeats the line, "My life is cold, and dark, and dreary" (1, 6). In fact, the poet writes that his days are dark and dreary as well. Clearly, repetition is a literary technique the poet utilizes to reinforce the somber tone. For instance, we are told, "the vine clings to the mouldering wall" (3) and the poet's "thoughts still cling to the moudlering Past" (8). The repetition of the rhyming words dreary and weary coupled with the use of the word dead and dark emphasize the poet's "sad heart" (11) and his realization of a "common fate" (13). This is an effective combination to illustrate the poet's crestfallen emotion.
This poem also contains strong imagery to reinforce the mood. For example, we know that the day is cold with rain and with "every gust the dead leaves fall" (4). The wind is also "never weary" (7). The poet's thoughts cling to the past like the vine clings to the wall and his hopes of youth "fall thick in the blast" (9). We can almost visualize his hopes being carried away with the dead leaves in the cold wind.
However, "The Rainy Day" manages to close with a hint of hope. The poet seems determined that his mood will pass with the understanding that "Some days must be dark and…
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