A Psalm of Life
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the most beloved American poet of the nineteenth century. If you have heard of him prior to this class, it was probably for his poem “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.” For today’s discussion, read his poem “A Psalm of Life.”
The poem is titled a psalm “of life.” If you are familiar with the psalms in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, you know they are titled by numbers, and sometimes by author.
Longfellow inscribes a philosophy of life throughout his poem. Identify one belief that Longfellow’s speaker has about life. Then explain whether or not you agree with that belief. Then explain.
For example, if you agree that we should “Be a hero in the strife!” (20), how is one a hero in life? Few of us are faced with moments of physical heroism. Short of training to be firefighters, how can we be heroes?
Your response needs to identify the line you are discussing and be around 75-100 words.
