The poem "A Psalm of Life" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow urges readers to act with urgency in life instead of wasting time. It uses a driving rhythm to emphasize that we only have the present moment and should strive to accomplish great things that will inspire others, even if our impacts are as fleeting as footprints in the sand. While the poem does not provide clear reasons for why we should work so hard given our inevitable death, it resonates with the idea that we can fight against problems in the world and leave positive models for others through our labor and striving, even as our souls live on eternally.

1. A Psalm of Life By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

2. A Psalm of Life Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, his wife Frances and their two sons, circa 1849. http://www.anes.uab.edu/aneshist/longfellow.jpg "A Psalm of Life" was first published in the Knickerbocker Magazine in October 1838 when Longfellow was 37 years old. It also appeared in Longfellow's first published collection Voices in the Night .