A_Psalm_of_Life_文法分析

A Psalm of Life

----Hurry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is noted as the most popular American poet of the nineteenth century. His poetry and narrative works are lyrical with an easy rhythm, making them memorable. Uplifting with topics the “every man”can relate to, Longfellow’s poetry hums in people’s minds like a favorite song.

“A psalm of Life”was first published in V oice of the Night in the September edition of New York Monthly in 1839. It is very influential in China, because it is said to the first English poem translated into Chinese. The poem was written in 1838 when Longfellow was struck with great dismay, his wife died in 1835, and his courtship of a young woman was unrequited. However, despite all the frustrations Longfellow tried to encourage himself by writing a piece of optimistic work—of this one.

In the poem, the poetry made his voice of the life is short; instead, the art should be eternal. In this case, human should no fear of the death, but be always moving forward, to cherish the time and take every single opportunity met on the way. Also, Longfellow expressed in this poet that we should be brave of facing each challenge, no afraid of the unknown future nor waste time in doing the meaningless autistic thinking. Young people should never draw themselves at the moment of the present. The dream couldn’t be accomplished without the actions being put now.

In this poet, Longfellow chose to face the death directly, with an optimistic attitude. The poetry denied the “life is but an empty dream” in the opening thesis of the poet. In his opinion, human’s soul would be died immediately by the time that

falls asleep. He also pointed out that human’s body would be grown old and become senium, but the spirit should always being moving forward to chase the original objection.

The poetry used the trochee 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; the “sailing” and “seeing” in 8th section and the “let” and “learn” in the 9th section.

In this poem, we can also see the quotation from the Bible “Dust thou art, to dust returnest”. The poetry regarded life as the camping of the soldiers’“Bivouac”, to emphasize the shortness of human being’s life, as well as to suggest that life is also a fight filed which contains a lot of struggles.

The whole poem, given the rhythm and urged human to progress, as if contain s the infinite vitality. The poetry highly spoken of that life is struggle. The sprit could be ever lasting though the one’s body has already gone. Life isn’t matter in the faith one people hold, but to live a heroic life. In the last section, Longfellow called on everyone brave to face the fate of any challenge, in short life of struggle to wait, continuously enterprising and after for an ideal l ife.

人生颂 A Psalm of Life

——年轻人对诗人的心语WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN

SAID TO THE PSALMIST

I莫用哀伤的诗句告诉我：Tell me not,in mournful numbers,

“人生虚幻本是梦！”'Life is but an empty dream!'

沉睡的性灵无异于死亡，For the soul is dead that slumbers,

事物又怎会表里恒常。And things are not what they seem.

II人生真！人生诚！Life is real! Life is earnest!

它的归宿不是坟；And the grave is not its goal;

“本是尘土，终归尘土”，'Dust thou art, to dust returnest,'

那是人身，而不是灵魂。Was not spoken of the soul.

III我们生来的目标和道路Not enjoyment,and not sorrow, 不是享乐，或是伤悲；Is our destined end or way;

而是行动，让每个明天But to act,that each to-morrow

超越今天，更有进步。Find us farther than to-day.

IV艺业无涯，时光飞逝；Art is long,and Time is fleeting,

人心，纵然勇敢坚强，And our hearts, though stout and brave,

仍如鼙鼓，闷声地Still, like muffled drums, are beating

敲着哀乐渐入九泉。Funeral marches to the grave.

V在世界广阔的战场，In the world's broad field of battle,

在人生征途的露营；In the bivouac of life,

莫如牛羊任人驱策，Be not like dumb,driven cattle!

当做一名奋斗的英雄！Be a hero in the strife!

VI莫希冀未来，纵然是可爱的未来！Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant! 让往事随时光湮灭！Let the dead Past bury its dead!

行动，在活生生的现在行动！Act, -- act in the living Present!

胸怀赤心，上赖天佑！Heart within, and God o'evhead!

VII千秋伟人昭示着我们：Lives of great men all remind us

我们能够出众超群。We can make our lives sublime,

纵然离去，留在身后的是：And, departing, leave behind us

印在时间泥砂上的踪痕；Footprints on the sand of time;

VIII或有别的弟兄，Footprints,that perhaps another,

泛舟于严峻的人生海洋，Sailing o'er life's solemn main,

遇险而心感凄凉，A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

见踪重拾勇气和希望。Seeing, shall take heart again.

IX那么，就让我们行动起来，Let us,then,be up and doing,

胸怀一颗敢于担戴的心；With a heart for any fate;

不断进取，日日追寻，Still achieving,still pursuing,

善于等待，勤于耕耘。Learn to labor and to wait.