Henry Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life"

The Daily Poem

Goldberry Studios

Education For Kids, Arts, Kids & Family

4.6 • 729 Ratings

🗓️ 26 February 2021

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. He was the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy and was one of the Fireside Poets from New England. - Bio via Wikipedia.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome back to the Daily Poem. I'm David Kern, and today is Friday, February 26, 2021.
0:07.3	Today's poem is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the famous American poet and writer and educator
0:12.8	who lived from February 27, 1807, so tomorrow is his birthday, until March 24, 1882.
0:19.9	He is most famous for works like Paul Revere's Ride, Evangeline, and the Song of Hiawatha,
0:25.6	all of which I have read here on the podcast.
0:28.3	So today I want to read another one of his more famous poems,
0:31.7	which is a poem that has a complicated legacy.
0:34.7	It's called A Psalm of Life, and I'll read it first once, and then offer a few comments
0:40.2	and share a little bit about why its legacy is complicated, and then read one more time,
0:45.9	as is our custom here on the show.
0:48.7	A Sum of Life, what the heart of a young man said to the psalmist.
0:56.4	Tell me not in mournful numbers, life is but an empty dream.
1:01.2	For the soul is dead that slumbers, and things are not what they seem.
1:07.3	Life is real. Life is earnest, and the grave is not its goal.
1:12.4	Dust thou art, to dust returnest was not spoken of the soul.
1:17.9	Not enjoyment and not sorrow is our destined to end or way,
1:22.1	but to act that each tomorrow find us further than today.
1:27.7	Art is long and time is fleeting in our hearts, though stout and brave,
1:32.2	still like muffled dreams are beating funeral marches to the grave.
1:37.0	In the world's broad field of battle, in the bivouac of life,
1:41.5	be not like dumb, driven cattle, be a hero in the strife.
1:46.3	Trust no future, however pleasant.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Goldberry Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Goldberry Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.