1/22/2014
Fireside Poets Writing Assignment
The Romantic Period lasts from 1800 to 1860 and is extremely popular in literature. The
Romantic period is also defined by five I’s: inspiration, intuition, innocence, imagination, and inner experience. This time period introduces the creation of the Fireside Poets. Poetry is a popular type of literature during this period. The Fireside Poets are a group of nineteenth Century American poets. The Fireside Poets consist of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and James Russell Lowell. Longfellow is greatly known for his poems “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls”, and “A Psalm of Life” and Lowell is known for his poem “The First Snowfall”, the poems show different perspectives on death.
“The First Snowfall” by Lowell aspect regarding death is done through nature purely.
Nature brings out the beauty of death. In “The First Snowfall”, the persona suggests that:
I remembered the gradual patience That fell from that cloud like snow, Flake by flake, healing and hiding The scar that renewed our woe. (29-32)
Although the persons is going through hard times concerning the death of a loved one, the snowfall is helping with grievances by creating such a beautiful scene for the persona to remember. Life continues on after death. It becomes hard for the persona to forget the death:
I thought of a mound in sweet Auburn Where a little headstone stood; How the flakes were folding it gently, As did robins the babes in the wood. (17-20)
The persona is having a constant reminder right outside the window and since life continues, the snow becomes a temporary void. When something is out of sight, it is often out of mind. The first snowfall of the season is a significant experience in the persona’s life:
I thought of a mound in sweet Auburn Where a little headstone stood; How the flakes were folding it gently, As did robins the babes in the wood. (17-20)
The snow covering the grave brings a sense of happiness because in that one moment, the persona is not melancholy. Throughout “The First Snowfall”, the persona is extremely mournful and it is not until the end of the poem that the persona shows a different emotion.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow the author of “A Psalm of Life” shows a different take on
death, instead of completely through nature it is done through life advice. It is said to live in the now because the future is not guaranteed. Longfellow states that it is wise to not look toward the future “Trust no future, howe’er pleasant!” (21). A person should not have to constantly live in the future, it makes the present seem not so enjoyable and life should not be that way. Do not look behind in life, just keep moving forward. In “A Psalm of Life”, Longfellow simply expresses to just live life:



Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait. (33-36)
Don’t let the worrying of death stop life from continuing, but rather enjoy what time is left. People should leave a legacy behind, something to be remembered by. Death should not be seen has fearful, but rather as a way of saying farewell to a life well fulfilled. Longfellow states that by saying:
Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time; Footprints that perhaps another, Sailing o’er life’s solemn main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again. (25-32)
Leave this earth with memories of life that make it seem as though the journey is complete. Overall, life is something to cherish and is should be enjoyed each and every day.
“The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” is also written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and
although the previous poem focuses mostly on advice, this one focuses more on the nature aspect. Death is a part of nature. The cycle of life and death is continuous “The little waves, with their soft, white hands. / Efface the footprints in the sands” (8-9). The cycle of life works in predictable ways and once someone dies another is born. After the death of a person, the only thing left will be a recollection. Longfellow compares those memories to “Efface the footprints in the sands” (9). Those footprints sadly wash away at some point, but at least something compelling is left behind. Longfellow also states to leave a mark on earth or else everything done in life won’t even matter. Without leaving anything behind to be remembered by, the mere existence of life will just be washed away:
The morning breaks: the steeds in their stalls Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls: The day returns, but nevermore Returns the traveler to the shore, And the tide rises, the tide falls. (11-15)
The only thing left behind after deaths are moments in time. Clearly, it is important that life is lived to the fullest and leave a staple.
All in all, after reading all three poems concisely, I learned that life is a joyous thing and
that it can be enjoyed. I also learned that through motivation and the right mind set, a mark can be made from your life especially if you have made a difference. Death will come for everyone eventually, but until then appreciate what you have now in the present. Through these three poems written “The First Snowfall” by James Russell Lowell, and “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls”, “A Psalm of Life” both written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, you can read their opinions concerning life and death.