A Psalm of Life / The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A Psalm of Life

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1. Reading Strategy: Discuss the metaphor of tomorrow finding us "farther than today." What does the speaker mean? What is the poet's opinion of the purpose of people's actions?

2. Connect: Explain how lines 14-16 relate to the idea expressed in line 13.

3. Critical Viewing: What do you associate with the image of footprints in the sand?

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4. Analyze: Look at lines 19-24. Explain the effect produced by the exclamation points.

Check Your Comprehension

5. What attitude or idea does the speaker challenge in the first two stanzas?

Critical Thinking

6. Describe the speaker's attitude concerning individuality and self-reliance.

The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

P. 252

7. Critical Viewing: Which lines of the poem does this painting suggest to you?

P. 253

8. Identify the rhyme scheme in the first stanza.

9. The little waves are described as having "soft, white hands." What literary device is this an example of?

Check Your Comprehension

10. What is the implied fate of the traveler?

Critical Thinking

11. What does the poem suggest about the relationship between humanity and nature?