Poems get me so excited.
Today in English we read a poem called “A Psalm of Life” by Longfellow
We ripped this poem to shreds and I gained a lot from it.
it’s so exciting that the closer I get to God, the more he shows up in my life. EVERY.SINGLE.ASPECT of my life revolves around him.
for choir, almost every song we’re singing sings of this wonderful God.
In English class we’re reading about the life after death.
This is the poem:
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 art, to dust returnest,”
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us further than to-day.
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 sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn 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 labour and to wait.
I saw the first stanza as saying Do not read to me the sad scripture.. life is empty and if your soul is not awakened it indeed is dead and you will be blinded.
The second stanza: Life is to be enjoyed. We do not live just to die. Your body will die, thats inevitable, but your soul will live on forever.
The third: Emotions are not what’s important and we must grow from day to day.
The fourth: Art lasts forever and time is passing. Out hearts will live on forever. . Our hearts may be brave, but we may not escape death.
Fifth: Do not be ignorang to the uglies in the world. Instead, make a change and “be a hero in the strife”
Sixth: Do not count on tomorrow to start your change because tomorrow is never guarenteed but a privilege. Act now because of this.
Seventh: WE can make our lives worthy and leave the past behind is in the sand where it may be washed away.
Eighth: Our “brothers” can learn from our actions and be uplifted by our footprints in the sand, so they know that someone else had once been where they presently are.
Ninth: No matter what you think may happen, keep pushing on. Be able to balance out the effort you put forth, and the waiting you do.
As I sat and stared at my paper some more.. I realized the words that rhyme also give you some more juice to squeeze out of this lemon when you read them together.. [read line 1 and 3 together.. and 2 and 4 togther.. and so one]
When I did it that way i got this:
1st:Do not tell me of the sadness, for my soul is dead. Life is empty and things are not what they seem.
2nd: [still working on]
3rd: Do not be happy, nor be sad but work towards bettering tomorrow.
in the end.. we will be further than we are today.
4th: same as it meant before..
5th: When the world is ugly.. do not be dumb but shelter he lives of the lost and be a hero.
6th: Do not count on tomorrow, instead act presently. Let the past go and be dead and keep your heart with God.
7th: Great men will leave us, but we can make our lives worthy and we can remember what we’ve lost.
8th: there are too many words i dont know the meaning to.
9th: We need to be acting and acting persistantly with a heart open to anything.. that is willing to work but also willing to wait.
i seriously loveee poetry.
What do you get from this poem?
