Death: H.W. Longfellow's Opinions

Some people might say that there is no life after death or that once we are dead everything from our life is gone. This is completely wrong. Our death should reflect our life. Yes, death is inevitable. It is one of the only sure things in life. The thing that should matter is that we need to live our life as if any moment our precious life could be over. Life can be long or short, we need to live it to the fullest, and expect it at any time. Every person on this planet will die at one time but it is what we do during our life that will keep our life living forever in the people we affected.

The poems, "A Psalm of Life" and " The Tide Rises the Tide Falls," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, are about life and death. Both tell us of the inevitable fact that we are all going to die someday. He never has a bad idea about death even though he went through much death in his life. The recurring theme in both selections show the likeness between death, life and nature. Nature represents eternity and how time will pass during life and will continue to pass when a person is dead.

The task of comparing and contrasting Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's views of death in these poems not only reveals much about the overall philosophy embodied in Longfellow's poetry and about his views of death, but also shows how he grew and changed during the years between the two poems. "A Psalm of Life" was written early in his life. This poem shows that after the death of his family, he was alright with the idea of death. He wanted to keep their legacy alive by celebrating their life. Like he says in the poem "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." This is basically saying that life should be lived and death should not be the goal of your life. Celebrate your life and the ones that have left you by death. I believe because he wrote this poem early in his career it is more uplifting and excited than "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls" for the single reason that he is young and has his whole life ahead of him. The poem "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls" was like a manifesto, or statement of the poet's deepest beliefs of his ultimate and upcoming future or fate. Death, in this poem, is stated as a solemn fact. The idea that death is inevitable and every person or living thing must go through it. The major theme is that we must all face the unchanging fact that we must all move on to life after death. In a way go back to where we come from. Longfellow's ideas about nature are greatly expressed in this. Nature and death share a same feeling, as if life and death are nature. The tide in the poem represents time and how time will pass through our life and pass when we are gone. "The little waves, with their soft, white hands Efface the footprints in the sands, And the tide rises, the tide falls." In both poems, death is not expressed as a bad thing. Longfellow never had a bad image on death.

Life is a very fragile thing. One never knows when it is their time to go. Our footprints that we left in the sand will be erased by the wave of time. It is the job of the people we leave behind is to carry on our legacy, if our legacy is worth being carried on. Death is not a bad thing. It is one of the only sure things living beings have to go through. Everyone's life must be lived to the fullest, because we do not want to regret it when it comes closer to our time to go.

A Psalm of Life

WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN SAID TO THE PSALMIST.

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