A Psalm of Life | Question-Answer | Invitation to English 1 | +2 2nd Year | CHSE Odisha

 A Psalm Of Life

By Henry Wardsworth Longfellow

Text Book Question and Answer

1. Does the title suggest what the poem is about?

Ans: The title suggests that the poem is about 'life'. The poet has attempted to explain the real nature of life, its purpose, etc.

2. What does the poet say about life in the first stanza? 

Ans: In the first stanza, the poet says that life is an empty dream. It shows us many colourful dreams and most of them are not materialised. 

3. What does the poet mean by, "Live in real ! Life is earnest !" 

Ans: 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. 

4. What is the poet's observation on 'soul'? 

Ans: The poet says that the physical body dies and mixes in dust, but the 'soul' remains immortal. The fire can't burn it. Water can't drown it. Life is not a body; life is soul. 

5. Quote the line which means - "death is not the goal of life"? 

Ans: "And the grave is not its goal." This line says that death is not the goal of life. 

6. What attitude does the poet challenge in the first two stanzas? Is the attitude of the poet positive or negative? 

Ans: 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." 

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 bivouac of life / Be not like dumb, driven cattle. 

8. What does the poet say about the goal of life in stanza-3? 

Ans: The goal of life is not grave. The goal of life is to act so that each tomorrow finds us farther than today. 

9. What is the poet's observation on "Art"? 

Ans: The poet observes that Art is long. Time can't destroy 'art'. It will exist even after the death of the artist. 

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? 

Ans: 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. 

11. Why does the poet prefer the 'present' to 'past' and Future'? 

Ans: 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. 

12. What do the lives of great men remind us of? 

Ans: The lives of great men all remind us that we can make our lives sublime by doing honest labour, by dedicating life for mankind.

13. How do the examples of great men help a person in distress? 

Ans: 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. 

14. How can we make our life sublime? 

Ans: 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.

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? 

Ans: The rhyme pattern of the poem is a b ab.

16. The poet uses depressing words as 'mournful', 'empty', 'dead', 'grave', What other such words does he use in the poem?

Ans: The other such depressing words are "muffled drums", "funeral marches", "departing", "shipwrecked brother", "forlorn" etc. 

17. What is the tone of the poet - inspiring or despairing? 

Ans The tone of the poem is inspiring, for it describes the true purpose of life. 

18. What other similes do you find in the poem? 

Ans: The other simili in the poem is - "Be not like dumb, driven.cattle." 

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? 

Ans: "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. 

Additional Question and Answer

1. What does the poet tell us about the human soul?

Ans: H.W. Longfellow, the poet views that mortal body consists of five great elements such as air, water, fire, sky and dust. Human body mingles in the dust after death but the soul that is immortal can never be burnt in fire, drowned in water and blown by the wind or storm.

2. What is the significance of the image 'muffled drums'?

Ans: 'The muffled drums' signifies the sound of drums made dull by covering them with cloth. At funerals drums are muffled to match the solemn occasion.

3. Why does the poet ask the readers not to accept fate like 'a dumb driven cattle'?

Ans: Cattle, the dumb creatures in the creation of God, bear everything without any protestation for they lack the power of speaking. But man the supreme creature in the creation of God is blessed with the power of thought and expression. So, the poet wants us instead of surrendering before fate, we should fight against the odds of life courageously.

4. What does the poet tell us about life?

Ans: According to the poet, life is real and earnest. Grave is not the goal of life.

5. How does the poet distinguish between art and time?

Ans: According to the poet, art is long while Time has fleeting quality. Art or excellence requires a long period of time. Time itself can not wait for us.

6. What does the poet ask us not to be and what does he want us to be?

Ans: The poet asks us not to live like dumb animals such as cattle. On the contrary, he wants us to fight the battle of life like a hero or a courageous person.

7. What does the poet tell us about the future and the past?

Ans: According to the poet, the past is dead and should therefore be ignored while the future must not be trusted inspite of its pleasant assurance.

8. What do you mean by the expression "Is our destined end or way"?

Ans: H. W. Longfellow has clearly stated that joy and sorrow is not the goal of life. He has instructed the readers to act according to their potentiality in such a manner that we can add a new leaf to our success and each tomorrow finds us farther from today.

9. "Be a hero in the strife" Explain Is it an inspiring call of the poet? How?

Ans: Life is full of ups and downs and life cycle does not run on the smooth surface round the clock. H. W. Longfellow obliges the readers to challenge the difficulties of life boldly, just like a hero does in the battlefield instead of behaving like a coward. This expression is undoubtedly an inspiring call of the poet.

10. What does the poet mean by the expression "Bivouac of life"? What is it compared to?

Ans: Bivouac means the temporary camp made by the soldiers in the battlefield and it is compared to life. Just like bivouac, according to Longfellow, human life on the surface of the earth is transitory by nature. As soon as human being discharges his duty like an actor on the stage, he leaves for heavenly abode, hearing the last call of the creator.

11. Why has the poet compared the world to a broad field of battle?

Ans: Here for the poet, in the world like battle field, the struggle for survival is nothing but war and the human beings those who struggle are the brave warriors. Instead of surrendering before problems and difficulties, we should fight bravely and courageously in order to overcome all the obstacles of life.

12. What does the poet want to say through the line "sailing over life's solemn main, a forlorn and shipwrecked brother"?

Ans: The poet views that life is just like a vast ocean full of turbulent waves. The second line shows that the person who fails in the struggle for survival is distressed at his moral and material ruin.

13. What do you mean by the expression "foot prints in the sands of time"?

Ans: Here foot print refers to the great, noble and virtuous work in the history of mankind performed by the great men. Since man lives in deeds not in years, he should discharge all the noble and virtuous works that he leaves behind even after his death.

14. What do you understand from the line "Let us then be up and doing, with a heart for any fate?"

Ans: Man is said to be a slave of circumstance. Everything is preordained for him and fate plays a crucial role in his life. Since the course of life changes from time to time, he should get himself ready round the clock to face the problems or difficulties that destiny has stored for him.

15. What does the poet say about labour?

Ans: Labour is the only thing man should claim it to be his own. It is labour that crowns him with success and opens up all the opportunities to redeem the long-cherished dream. Above all, he views that there is no alternative to duty.