a psalm of life

A Psalm of Life 1538A Psalm of Life is written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who is noted as the most popular American poet of the nineteenth century.The poem is the first English poem translated into Chinese according to the research of Qian Zhongshu . Its simple and forceful language, sincere emotion and smooth rhythm have won appreciation from Chinese readers.《人生颂》即采用传统格律诗regulated verse中最常用的四行诗节quatrain形式，诗行则主要采用抑扬格四音步iambic tetrameter（有一部分是三音步trimeter），一轻一重的音节在同一行诗里出现四次。

此诗韵rhyme律整齐，采用a，a-b，c-d-c-d，e-f-e-f这样的隔行韵形式，而且脚韵feet rhyme还穿插了单韵和双韵的变化，奇数行用双韵，偶数行用单韵，如第一小节中一、三行的“numbers”“slumbers”，二、四行的“dream”“seem”。

双韵幽婉明快，单韵则强劲有力，两者的乏叉使用无疑进一步增强了该诗抑扬顿挫的节奏感。

除此以外，部分诗行还采用了头韵的修辞形式，如诗中第三行、第六行、第八行与第十七行中的soul and slumbers，grave and goal，spoken and soul，broad and battle等皆为典型的头韵修辞法。

所有这些韵格、脚韵与头韵的运用从总体上形成了这首诗工整和谐的韵律，使之节奏明快、语气流畅，读起来铿锵有力，优美动听，而这又恰好与诗的思想内涵珠联壁合，共同给人们带来一种奋发向上的感觉，具有极强的感染力，与当时正值西进运动与工业革命时期的美国人那种蒸蒸日上、拼搏进取的时代精神十分吻合，这也许就是它能够广为流传的根本原因所在。

本诗四句一节，共计三十六句，分为九节。

上一节是下一节内容的铺垫，每一节内容都有层层递进的趋向，向一支无形而又强有力的手，一步步地把我们推向思想的高潮。

第一、二节，针对“人生如梦”的颓废论调，开宗明义地指出“人生是实在的，人生不是虚无”。

第三、四、五、六节进一步指出，既然生活不是梦，那就要抓住现在去实干，去行动。

第七、八两节以伟人的榜样来激励人们，要在“时间的沙滩上”留下脚印，以给后来者以鼓舞，最后一节以更为激昂的声调总结全诗，首尾呼应，在“不断去收获，不断去追求”的强音中结束全诗。

677 The poetry used the trochee扬抑格which leads the whole poet read rhythm and lively, and give person a kind of uplifting strength. The poem take the rhyme, for instance, “numbers”and “slumbers”; “dream”and “seem”; “earnest”and “returnest”; “dead” and “o’erhead”; and “face”with “wait”. etc. There are 18 reims in total, which makes the whole poem read in a specific way of being beautiful and relaxed. In the same time, the poetry used the alliteration, such as “art” and “and” in the 4th section; “in” and “in”, “be”and “be” in the 5th section; the “footsteps” and “footprints” in 7th section; t he “sailing”and “seeing” in 8th section and the “let” and “learn” in the 9th section.Longfellow begins his poem "A Psalm of Life" with enthusiasm that continues through most of the poem. For example, he thinks life can only be lived truly if one believes that the soul will continue to live long after the body dies.The second stanza Longfellow states this clearly by writing, "And the grave is not its goal." Meaning that, life doesn't end for people simply because they die; there is always something more to be hopeful and optimistic for.Longfellow begins discussing how humans must live their lives in constant anticipation for the next day under the belief that it will be better than each day before it: "But to act that each to-morrow / Find us farther than to-day."In this stanza, Longfellow asserts that there is never an infinite amount of time to live, but art that is created during one's life can be preserved indefinitely and live on long after its creator dies.In this stanza, Longfellow likens living in the world to fighting on a huge field of battle. He believes that people should lead heroic and courageous lives and not sit idle and remain ineffectual while the world rapidly changes around them.Longfellow then encourages everyone to have faith and trust the lord and not to rely on an unknown future to be stable and supportive. He advises people to seize the moments they have before them and act while thinking about their present situations.Longfellow continues his poem by citing the lives of great and important men who were able to lead incredible lives and leave their marks. He views these men as role models for people who have yet to live their lives; Longfellow encourages his readers toleave their own "footprints on the sands of time" and become important.In this stanza, the second to last in the poem, continues with this same point. It describes how successful people in the past have their lives copied, while those who failed serve as examples of ways of life to avoid. The final lines of the poem echo the beginning ones and offer perhaps the most important advice in a poem that is chocked full of it. Longfellow encourages all to work and try their hardest to make their lives great and accomplish as much as they can.He advises people to seize the moments they have before them and act while thinking about their present situations. The final lines of the poem echo the beginning ones and offer perhaps the most important advice in a poem. Longfellow encourages all to work and try their hardest to make their lives great and accomplish as much as they can.Longfellow’s first wife died when he was traveling around Europe for studying. As a result, he suffered from hypochondria (忧郁症).When he wrote this poem, he was still struggling with the illness.But the poem expressed an impassioned and optimistic feeling to the life. It also showed the beginning of American’s extension to the west.Since its inspiring influences to people, this poem handed down to generations.The poem reminds us that life is not a dream, but very real, and urges us to live it to the full and not sit around waiting for death. It says that the purpose of life is not to have fun or indeed to suffer but to do something. It also reminds us that although mankind has lived a long time our own individual time on earth is limited and will pass very quickly, with each heartbeat a further step towards the grave. So try, like great men of the past, to make something of yourself in your short time on earth and leave behind something by which to be remembered .。