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In "A Psalm of Life" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, why is life not an empty dream?

The narrator of the poem "A Psalm of Life" is adamant that life is not an empty dream, but is instead real and earnest.  He begs the psalmist not to tell him "in mournful numbers" about the emptiness of life.  Instead, he encourages the idea "that each to-morrow, Find us farther than to-day."  He believes in life as a journey.  The narrator also encourages a heroic approach to life.  His approach to life is a positive one, and one which is full of hope and valor.  He does not see any emptiness in life.  Instead, he sees it as being full of possibility.


Leaving behind a great legacy is also important to the narrator.  One who lives life as if it is empty will not leave behind such a legacy.  Though bodies will turn to dust, souls will live on.  Legacies will also live on.

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