A Psalm Of Life Poem Question Answer and Summary pdf chse plus 2 class
A PSALM OF LIFE By Henry Wardsworth Longfellow
An Introduction to W.H. Longfellow:
Henry Wardsworth Longfellow was born at Portland, Maine, and came of Yorkshire stock. At the age of 13, he published poetry. After studying at Bowdoin College he travelled abroad to equip himself for the work of professor of modern languages at his college, a post which he accepted in 1829. In 1836, he was appointed to a similar position at Harvard. He resigned his professorship in 1854 and devoted himself entirely to poetry. His popular - works are
(i) A Pilgrimage Beyond the Sea
(ii) Voices of the Night
(iii) The Song of Hiawatha
(iv) Evangeline
(v) The Courtship of Miles Standish
(vi) Tales of a Wayside Inn.
Longfellow was always a careful and assiduous poet, ranging over a great variety of subjects, but in his anxiety to excel in all branches of poetry, he wrote too much, and, thereby the general level of his poetry was lowered. His narrative power is quite considerate, and his descriptions, especially those of his native country, have grace and fidelity. He lacks, however, the fine furry and the high energy of style.
Introduction to the poem A Psalm of Life :
Life is a very complex thing. It is viewed differently by people. To some it is a bed of roses while to some it is a cheat. Some call it an empty dream while some call it a thing of spiritual value. To the romantics, life is a pleasure while to the pessimistic life is a sorrowful number. The fact is that if you wear red glass, the world will appear red. If you wear blue glass, the world will appear blue. Actually the world is neither blue nor red. If you wear no glass, then you confront the real world- hills, rivers, sky, trees, birds, animals etc.
Life is a beautiful thing. It is like a pleasant wine. Those who have drunk it get intoxicated and want to life more; those can not want to die, commit suicide. Life is life. It does not alter because of the saying of the people. It is real, it is practical. It is strugglesome. If you are heroic at heart, then life appears bright and joyous. If you are lazy life appears hard, diseased, puzzling. The decision of yours whether you will lead the life of king Ramachandra or the life of Ramia barber.
Summary of the poem "A Psalm of Life :
Don't tell me in a sorrowful tone that life is nothing but an empty dream. Life is empty for the lazy. The soul is dead and slumbers. But life is real and earnest for the laborious and determined people. The grave is not the goal of life as some say. Man is born not to die though death is certain. But between birth and death, there is a long interval which is exclusively yours. You can use it in a productive way. You should act and act so that each tomorrow will see that it is better than today.
Time is fleeting. Time is short.Time flies very fast. Time kills physical bodies. But art is long. Thus make beautiful art to defeat time. You are not born to go to the grave. grave is must why shouldn't you make beautiful things and leave behind your great art and architecture ?
The world is the temporary house of the soul. It has come to go. But should you go like the driven cattle ? Why should you be a coward and ridiculous ? Struggle hard and be a hero, Live like a hero and die like a hero. Trust no future and past because they can't help you in any way. Act in the living present.
Lives of all great men remind us that we should make our lives sublime so that when we die we shall leave behind good examples for others. After us, whoever will come and will face similar problems, will follow our footprints and get courage, He will not be ruined. Thus we should prepare ourselves for the worst conditions. We shall achieve more, and still pursue more. We should learn to labour and to wait.
Analytical Outlines of the poem a Psalm of life :
The pessimistic people say- life is an empty dream.
The soul is dead and slumbers.
Things are not what they seem.
Life is real and earnest.
Grave is not the goal of life.
Life comes from dust and goes to dust.
Soul is not dead. Soul travels from one form to another.
Life is an act.
Each tomorrow should be better than each today.
Art is long.
Time is fleeting.
Hearts are like muffled drums.
Physical body may die.
The great arts can't be perished by time.
The world is like a bivouac.
It is like a battlefield.
We have come here to fight against odds and evils.
We should not be like driven cattle.
We should be like heroes in the strife.
Future looks pleasant, but we should not trust it.
Past looks appealing, but it is dead.
Present is at our hand.
We should best utilise 'today'.
We should employ all our heart to do noble work.
Lives of great men remind us to do noble work.
We shall leave behind positive footprints on the land of time.
After us, other people might see it.
If they are harassed by problems, they will take courage and survive better.
We should be up and doing.
We should be ready for any fate.
We should achieve more and still pursue more.
We should learn labour and wait for the result.
Question Answer of the poem A Psalm of life ( Questions to be answered carrying 2 marks each )
Question.1. Does the title suggest what the poem is about ?
Answer. The title suggests that the poem is about 'life'. The poet has attempted to expound the real nature of life, its purpose etc.
Question.2. What does the poet say about life in the first stanza ?
Answer. In the first stanza, the poel says that life is an emply dream. It shows us many colourful dreams and most of them are not materialised.
Question.3. What does the poet mean by, "Live in real I Life is earnest I"
Answer. The poet says "life is real I Life is earnest" to counter the statement- life is an empty dream. He says that the goal of life is not death, is not grave, but to do some noble action.
Question.4. What is the poet's observation on 'soul' ?
Answer. The poet says that the physical body dies and mix in dust, but the 'soul' remains immortal. The fire can't burn it. Water can't drown it. Life is not body; life is soul.
Question.5. Quote the line which means - "death is not the goal of life" ?
Answer. "And the grave is not its goal." This line says that death is not the goal of life.
Question.6. What attitude does the poet challenge in the first two stanzas ? Is the attitude of the poet positive or negative ?
Answer. In the first two stanzas, the poet challenges the attitude of the pessimistic people who say, life is an empty dream. The poet's attitude is positive because he says, "life is real."
Question.7. "Dust thou art, to dust thou returnest." This expression alludes to the Bible. What are the other lines in the poem that make an allusion to the Bible ?
Answer. The other allusions to the Bible are - our hearts like muffled drums, are beating funeral marches to the grave. Again another quotation is - In the world's broad field of battle / In the bivouace of life / Be not like dumb, driven cattle.
Question.8. What does the poet say about the goal of life in stanza-3 ?
Answer. The goal of life is not grave. The goal of life is to act so that each tomorrow finds us farther than today.
Question.9. What is the poet's observation on "Art" ?
Answer. The poet observes that Art is long. Time can't destroy 'art'. It will exist even after the death of the artist.
Question.10. "Be a hero in the strife"- Is it an inspiring call of the poet ? What other things does the poet urge us to do ?
Answer. Yes, it is an inspiring call of the poet. The poet wants us to be up and doing, to act better, to leave behind footprints, to achieve and pursue.
Question.11. Why does the poet prefer the 'present' to 'past' and Future' ?
Answer. The poet says, future never comes in life. Past is dead and buried. Only the present is at hand. So we should make our present sublime.
Question.12. What do the lives of great men remind us of?
Answer. Lives of great men all remind us that we can make our lives sublime by doing honest labour, by dedicating life for mankind.
Question.13. How do the examples of great men help a person in distress ?
Answer. When a person is in distress, he follows the footprints of great men, gets Courage, hope and sails the boat of life more vigorously than before.
Question.14. How can we make our life sublime ?
Answer. We can make our life sublime by being up and doing, keeping heart ready for any fate. Learning to labour, achieving more and pursuing more.
Question.15. Do you find each stanza has four lines rhyming alternately at the end and each stanza has a recurrent rhythm pattern- 8 syllables, 7 syllables, 8 syllables, 7 syllables. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem ?
Answer. The rhyme pattern of the poem is a b ab.
Question.16. The poet uses depressing words as 'mournful', 'empty', 'dead', 'grave', What other such words does he use in the poem ?
Answer. The other such depressing words are "muffled drums", "funeral marches", "departing", "shipwrecked brother", "forlorn" etc.
Question.17. What is the tone of the poet - inspiring or despairing ?
Answer. The tone of the poem is inspiring, for it describes the true purpose of life.
Question.18. What other similes do you find in the poem ?
Answer. The other simili in the poem is - "Be not like dumb, driven.cattle."
Question.19. "Life is but an empty dream"- what figure of speech is used here ? Quote another line of the same stanza in which this figure of speech is used ?
Answer. "Life is but an empty dream". It may be a simili. Another such comparison in the same stanza is - And things are not what they seem.
Q.1 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
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 thou returnest,
was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Finds us further than today.
Questions:
(a) What do people say about 'life' ?
(b) What does the poet say about 'life' ?
(c) Explain -"Dust thou art, to dust thou returnest"
(d) How can we make life better ?
(e) What does he say about 'soul' ?
Answer
(a) People say in mournful numbers that life is but an empty dream.
(b) The poet says that life is real. Life is earnest.
(c) "Dust thou art, to dust thou returnest" means life is created from dust and life will go to dust after death.
(d) We can make life better by acting in such a way that each tomorrow will find us farther than today.
(e) The poet says that the soul is dead that slumbers. The body may die, but the soul remains
Q.2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
Trust no future, however 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 sand of life,
Questions :
(a) What does the poet say about 'Future'?
(b) What does he say about the 'Past' ?
(c) Why should 'present' be trusted ?
(d) What do the lives of great men remind us of ?
(e) What should we leave behind at the time of departing ?
Answer:
(a) The poet says that the future looks pleasant. But it is uncertain. It shouldn't be trusted.
(b) The poet says that 'past' is uncertain, dead It will never come back. It should not be trusted.
(c) Present is important, because it is at our hand and we can use it as we like.
(d) Lives of great men remind us that we can make our lives sublime.
(e) At the time of departing we should leave behind us footprints on the sand of time,
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