Views of life and death: changes as days go by!
..., mode, and imagery in his poetry can be seen in these two poems. The imagery used in these two poems is extremely profound. Longfellow’s imagery are very visual than auditory. The line “footprints on the sands” (psalm: 28, tide: 9) are seen in both poems with different meanings. In the “Psalm of Life” the line is used in an optimistic way. The poet says that as a person pass away; the memory of them still remains. While in “The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls” the very same line, is used grimly. Here the footprints fade away, leaving no memory of the person behind. In his poetry, Longfellow lets you see the footprints “left behind”(psalm) and effaced” by “the little waves , with their soft, white hands”(tides). The tones in these two poems are different. One contradicts the other. In the first poem “a psalm of life,” the poet is encouraging the reader to go on with the life and not think about what will face us tomorrow. In th...