Happy birthday, Mr. Longfellow

[eleneariel]

When I was six, my dad and I memorized "Paul Revere's Ride." I can still quote large chunks of it, and oh, it brings back such good memories.

But on the occasion of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 200th birthday, I offer this:

A Psalm Of Life

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.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou are, to dust thou returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.

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.

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!

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!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sand of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solenm main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Here I depart, then, to be up and doing. Carpe diem!

Comments

[bellablu.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday Hank...

[bonaparte-tnt.livejournal.com]

I once memorized the last three stanzas of that in my english class. I liked it, and it is interesting to read the rest of the poem.

[pansyprincess.livejournal.com]

I've always loved "A Psalm of Life." I'm going to print it out on some parchment paper sometime and frame it.

[ruthette.livejournal.com]

My 11^th graders memorize this every year. Good times.

*trots off to read "The Song of Hiawatha"*

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

My grandma used to always quote from Hiawatha. :)

[radiantlove.livejournal.com]

Aw, what a great memory with your dad!

I love this poem! The rhythm of it is so constant, pulling you to be "up & doing" :)

[ransomedsea.livejournal.com]

Ah, you beat me to it! I was going to post about his 200th birthday, too! You did a much better job, however.

-wistful sigh- Poetry.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Hey, you still can! I don't have a monopoly on birthday posts. :)

[ransomedsea.livejournal.com]

Oh, I probably still will. I just have to decide on which poem and if I want to draw a party hat on his head like I did to poor dear Stevenson. ;)

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Oh do, do! See, that trumps a mere poem post by thousands of Cool Points. =)

[wandering-flame.livejournal.com]

All I can remember of the Paul Revere poem is "Paul Revere, Paul Revere, the midnight ride of Paul Revere." I don't even know if thats accurate. :-P

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Listen, my child(ren), and you shall hear...

...that you are so not accurate. ;)

[wandering-flame.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I didn't think so. But I should get points for trying in our self esteem education system of today. :-P

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

*gives you Cool Points anyway, just because you make my friend Sarah so happy*