3 Significant Psalms

Psalm poetry is a form of religious or spiritual verse. The term “psalm” comes from the biblical Psalms of the Old Testament, which are lyrical poems intended to be sung.

Psalm poetry is characterized by its focus on spiritual themes such as faith, worship, lament, and praise. These poems may express a deep connection with the divine, grapple with questions of faith, or seek to inspire and uplift the reader.

While rooted in religious tradition, psalm poetry can be a way for poets of any faith—or even those exploring doubt or disbelief—to engage with spiritual themes.

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A Psalm of Life

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

‘A Psalm of Life’ by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes life’s purpose and struggles and the best way to confront them daily.

This poem fits the genre of a psalm because it is written like a spiritual or moral message. Just like traditional psalms found in religious texts, it speaks directly to the reader and offers encouragement, strength, and guidance for how to live a better life. It talks about the soul, purpose, faith, and action, all in a way that feels like a personal reflection or prayer. The tone is both uplifting and serious, like a moral reminder.

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty dream!

For the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem.

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The Easter Flower

by Claude McKay

‘The Easter Flower’ by Claude McKay illustrates the differences between the speaker’s pagan worship of nature and the more traditional theology surrounding the holiday.

Given the themes and subject matter of McKay's poem, it makes sense to view it as a pagan psalm of sorts. The speaker describes the flower in spiritually reverent terms and regards it as worthy of worship, which is exactly what they start doing in the last stanza. This contributes to the poem's juxtaposition of different types of spirituality.

Far from this foreign Easter damp and chilly

My soul steals to a pear-shaped plot of ground,

Where gleamed the lilac-tinted Easter lily

Soft-scented in the air for yards around;

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All Things Bright and Beautiful

by Cecil Frances Alexander

‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ by Cecil Frances Alexander describes how God is responsible for creating all things, positive and negative, big and small, in the world.

The most suitable genre for the poem, aside from a Hymn, would be Psalm. This genre is characterized by its lyrical nature and spiritual or religious content, often used in worship to praise or express devotion to God, aligning well with the themes and style of Alexander's poem.

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

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3 Significant Psalms

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3 Significant Psalms

A Psalm of Life

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Easter Flower

by Claude McKay

All Things Bright and Beautiful

by Cecil Frances Alexander

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