Ode to life

introduce

The poem expresses the poet's views on life in the voice of a young man, explores how to recognize the temporality of life, and points out that the goal and path of life lies in action and continuous self-transcendence. Because of its inspiring and upward fighting spirit in life, it is very consistent with the spirit of the times in the United States in the 40s of the 19th century, which makes this poem widely circulated in the United States.

Judging by the rhythm of the poem

In terms of rhyme, the poem adopts the traditional English poetic rhyme form, specifically the form of quatrain, and follows the rhyme pattern of alternate rhyme, that is, the rhyme pattern of ABAB. Among them, the foot rhyme is interspersed with the variation of single rhyme and double rhyme, that is, double rhyme is used for odd number lines, and single rhyme is used for even number lines. The former is graceful and bright, the latter is powerful and powerful, and the interplay of these two rhymes enhances the poem's melody and frustration. On the whole, the use of this form of rhyme and foot rhyme makes the rhythm of the whole poem harmonious and neat, and the rhythm is bright and smooth, so it reads catchy, sonorous and powerful, beautiful and beautiful, giving people a feeling of striving for progress.

Judging by the descriptive technique of the poem

In Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Ode to Life, the poet uses a variety of rhetorical devices to enhance the expressiveness and appeal of the poem.

In the 13th stanza of the poem, "Time is fleeting", the author uses the rhetorical device of personification to give time a "flying" characteristic, emphasizing the transience and preciousness of timeIt has the meaning that the light is gone.

Lines 1-2 of the poem "Tell me not, in mournful numbers, 'Life is but an empty dream!'".The author uses the rhetorical device of rhetorical question, which appears in the form of a question, but in fact strongly denies a negative outlook on life. The pessimism here is ostensibly rejected by young people, but in fact it is categorically denied by the author himself.

Verse 5 of the poem, "Life is real!" Life is earnest!”The author uses the rhetorical device of antithesis, through which the former emphasizes the authenticity and seriousness of life, while the latter denies the grave as the ultimate goal of life. This contrast emphasizes that the value of life lies not in its end, but in its process.

In the poem's 28th line, "Footprints on the sands of time", the words "sands" and "footprints" are both symbolic devices, representing the traces of time and personal history, respectively. The "beach of time" here symbolizes the history and the long river of life, while the "footprint" symbolizes the existence and influence of individuals in time. This symbol teaches us that our actions and lives can leave a mark that will inspire future generations.

Metaphor: "Art is long, and Time is fleeting" contains the conceptual metaphor of Time is a ship, comparing "art" with "time", metaphorizing the eternity of art and the passage of timeIt means that people should race against time, cherish time, and work hard.

Through the skillful use of these rhetorical devices, Longfellow successfully conveyed the theme of the poem, the preciousness of life and the meaning of life, while also enhancing the literary beauty and persuasiveness of the poem.

(4) Judging from the content of the poem

"Ode to Life" is a short poem. It unfolds in the form of a quatrain, but its context is clear, complete and rich. The whole poem is divided into nine stanzas, and it can be seen that the whole poem has four distinct stanzas.

The first level (vv. 1~3) shows the poet's fundamental view of life, that is, what life is. In verse 1, the poet first writes a negative argument, deliberately setting up a pessimistic "singer" as the object of criticism, expounding against the mortality of the flesh as the cause of treating life as a dream, so as to restore the spiritual dimension of life and maintain the practical meaning of life. Verse 2 deals with the opposite of the negative argument, in which the poet shows the materialist theory of life that "life is real". Life is not a false alarm, it is sincere and warm. The end of life is not the grave, and "you are dust, and you will return to dust" is only for the flesh, not for the human spirit. Thus verse 3 makes it clear that the path and goal of life is neither pleasure nor lamentation, but action, and that every tomorrow goes further than today, and every day goes upward. Based on this, it is wrong to lament and wait and see, and only by firmly grasping the time and giving full play to one's wisdom and talents is the right attitude.

The second level (verses 4~6) begins to explain the theme of the whole poem, starting with how to spend one's life, and how to spend one's life. This level consists of 4~6 sections. In these three stanzas, the psalmist tells people that if they want to live their lives correctly, they should seize the day, because time flies and life is too short. So don't rely on the future, no matter how good it may be; At the same time, do not cling to the past, let the past bury itself; The right attitude towards life is to take advantage of the living, and act quickly now. So how do you go about it? The poet also taught people that in the vast battlefield of the world, in the open-air camp of life, do not be a silent livestock and let others drive away, but should be a hero in the struggle. Since human life should be spent in this way, what is the value and significance of doing so?

The third level (vv. 7~8) turns to the interpretation of the value of life, and the poet believes that the fundamental meaning of life is that we can make our life noble and magnificent, and leave our own footprints on the quicksand of time and in the long river of history. In the poem, the poet answers the value and meaning of living life correctly. The word "departing" in verse 7 in "departing, leave behind us" can mean both separation and death, a pun intended, which makes the simple poetry have a richer meaning, and also provokes the reader to think. Verse 8 is a metaphor for the fact that life is the sea, and people will have a sense of awe for the sea, so they will also be full of awe for life. The poet believes that the fundamental meaning of life is to make one's life noble and magnificent, so that the imprint of life will always remain in the sand of history (i.e., the history of mankind) for people to admire and enlighten.

The fourth level (9 verses) is composed of a single stanza, and in just four lines of poetry, the poet makes the strongest note of the times, which can be regarded as the poet's strong appeal and enthusiastic call to call people to cheer up, put into action, and bravely face the challenges of any fate. "Keep forging ahead, keep pursuing / Be good at working, be good at waiting" is the conclusion of this reasoning poem.

summary

The whole poem progresses layer by layer, interlocking, starting and ending, which is very natural, reflecting the poet's extraordinary skills and ideas. Longfellow's poem is plain, fast-paced, and highly infectious, and the poem's uplifting spirit of life is very consistent with the spirit of the times in the United States in the 40s of the 19th century, which also makes it widely circulated in the United States.