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APsalmofLifeByHenryWadsworthLongfellowHenryWadsworthLongfellow(1807-1882)I.HisLife1.LongfellowwasbornonFebruary27,1807,toStephenLongfellowandZilpah(Wadsworth)LongfellowinPortland,Maine,andhegrewupinwhatisnowknownastheWadsworth-LongfellowHouse.2.Henrywasenrolledinadameschool(anearlyformofaprivateelementaryschoolinEnglish-speakingcountries.)attheageofthreeandbyagesixwasenrolledattheprivatePortlandAcademy.3.Inthefallof1822,the15-year-oldLongfellowenrolledatBowdoinCollegeinBrunswick,Maine,alongsidehisbrotherStephen.4.Aftergraduatingin1825,hewasofferedajobasprofessorofmodernlanguagesathisalmamater.5.ThenhewenttoEuropetostudylanguage,againstthewishofhisfatherwhothoughthissonshouldbecomealawyer.For4years,hestudiedlanguagesinFrance,Spain,Italy,GermanyandEngland.6.InMadrid,hespenttimewithWashingtonIrvingandwasparticularlyimpressedbytheauthor'sworkethic.IrvingencouragedtheyoungLongfellowtopursuewriting.7.HeservedasaprofessorofmodernlanguagesatBowdoinCollegefrom1829---1835.8.HetaughtmodernlanguagesatHarvardfrom1836to1854.9.Hisfirstmarriageendedin1835,whenhiswifedied.In1843,hemarriedthedaughterofawealthyindustrialistwhogavehimwealth,anddomestichappiness.10.HespenthislastdaysinCambridge.11.HeistheonlyAmericanmanofletterstobehonoredwithabustinthePoet’sConnerinWestminster.MaryStorerPotterbecameLongfellow'sfirstwifein1831anddiedfouryearslater.II.ContributionandLimitation•Contribution•Heisthemostimportantoneofthe“NewEnglandPoets(otherpoets:WilliamCullenBryant,JamesRussellLowell,OliverWendellHolmesandJohnGreenleafWhittier).•BasedonhisknowledgeofEuropeanliterarytradition,hebecameamasterofsonnetsandreflectivelyric.•HedidagreatservicetoAmericanliteratureindomesticatingcertainformsfromEuropeanliteratue.•HissearchfornewformsandhiseffortsinconveyingdidacticisminpopularpoemsbroughthimapopularitywiththecommonreadersinAmericathathasneverbeenapproachedbyanyotherpoet.•Hewasalsoimportantasatranslator;histranslationofDantebecamearequiredpossessionforthosewhowantedtobeapartofhighculture.Healsoencouragedandsupportedothertranslators.InhonorofLongfellow'srolewithtranslations,HarvardestablishedtheLongfellowInstitutein1994,dedicatedtoliteraturewrittenintheUnitedStatesinlanguagesotherthanEnglish.•ContemporarywriterEdgarAllanPoewrotetoLongfellowinMay1841ofhisferventadmirationwhich[your]geniushasinspiredinmeandlatercalledhimunquestionablythebestpoetinAmerica.Limitation1.Hefailedtoreflectwhathefeltpersonally,insteadofwhatheattainedfromreading.2.HispoemslackofsuchdepthandinsightofagreatartistasthatofWhitman.Fortheabovereasons,Longfellow'spopularityrapidlydeclined,beginningshortlyafterhisdeathandintothe20thcenturyasacademicsbegantoappreciatepoetslikeWaltWhitman,EdwinArlingtonRobinson,andRobertFrost.III.Works•1)VoicesoftheNight(1839)«夜吟»hisfirstcollectionofpoems•2)BalladsandOtherPoems(1841)«歌谣及其他»•BalladsandOtherPoemcontains:(1TheVillageBlacksmith《乡村铁匠》(2APsalmofLife《人生礼赞》(3TheSkeletoninAromor《铠甲骷髅》•3)Evangeline«伊凡吉林»•4)Hiawatha,basedonAmericanIndianlegends.«海华沙之歌»•5)TalesofaWaysideInn«路畔旅舍的故事»•6)HistranslationofDivineComedy《神曲》ofDante人们在临死前通常要给后人留下遗嘱,可一位在克里米亚作战的英国士兵临死前却在背诵《人生礼赞》。诗的作者就是美国历史上最伟大的诗人之一亨利•华兹华斯•朗费罗(HenryWadsworthLongfellow)。朗费罗继承了浪漫主义的传统,主张“为人生而艺术”。他的优秀诗作号召建立功勋,谴责战争和奴隶制度,表现了他对人们的热爱和尊重。《人生礼赞》写于1839年，诗人爱妻波特1835年因流产而病故，他一度陷入悲痛之中，而当他追求阿普尔顿（五年后成为他第二任妻子）时，又遭遇颇多波折。于是他感到百感交集，觉得人生充满挫折，内心不免伤感，但在诗文中，他则勉励人们在人生道路上不懈努力，不断进取，不断追求。全诗一气呵成，感情强烈，为世人传诵。郎费罗的《人生礼赞》匿名发表的时候，正是美国资本主义蒸蒸日上的发展阶段。它以饱满浓郁的激情，乐观向上的态度，唱出了对人生的热爱，对美好生活的追求，肯定了积极进取、奋发向上的人生态度，批判了人生如梦的悲观情调，富有强烈的感染力。这一精神是与当时的时代脉搏紧紧连在一起的，因而得到了多数人的共鸣，被誉为“真正美国心脏的跳动”。当时的著名诗人惠蒂埃（John.G.Whittier）读了此诗后赞叹说：“我们不知道作者是谁，但他或她绝不是等闲之辈。这九节单纯的诗，比雪莱、济慈和华兹华斯等人所有的梦想加在一起有价值得多。这首诗是呼吸着、充沛着我们今天的时代精神的——它是一个有为的世纪的精神蒸气机。”且不管这评论客观与否，但从中至少可以看出此诗在当时所引起的轰动。APsalmofLifeByHenryWadsworthLongfellowTellmenot,inmournfulnumbers,Lifeisbutanemptydream!forthesoulisdeadthatslumbers,Andthingsarenotwhattheyseem.Lifeisreal!Lifeisearnest!Andthegraveisnotitsgoal;Dustthouart,todustreturnest,Wasnotspokenofthesoul.Notenjoyment,andnotsorrow,Isourdestinedendorway;Buttoact,thateachto-morrowFindusfartherthanto-day.Artislong,andTimeisfleeting,Andourhearts,thoughstoutandbrave,Still,likemuffleddrums,arebeatingFuneralmarchestothegrave.Intheworld'sbroadfieldofbattle,InthebivouacofLife,Benotlikedumb,drivencattle!Beaherointhestrife!TrustnoFuture,howe'erpleasant!LetthedeadPastburyitsdead!Act,-actinthelivingPresent!Heartwithin,andGodo'erhead!LivesofgreatmenallremindusWecanmakeourlivessublime,And,departing,leavebehindusFootprintsonthesandsoftime;Footprints,thatperhapsanother,Sailingo'erlife'ssolemnmain,Aforlornandshipwreckedbrother,Seeing,shalltakeheartagain.Letus,then,beupanddoing,Withaheartforanyface;Stillachieving,stillpursuing,Learntolaborandtowait.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。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。Tellmenot,inmournfulnumbers,Lifeisbutanemptydream!forthesoulisdeadthatslumbers,Andt