One of the most quoted verses of Longfellow, the seventh verse packs a punch that is hard to beat. It is simultaneously awe inspiring in its articulation, the depth of its philosophy and the breadth of its impact.
Lives of great men all remind usWe can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time ;
Longfellow weaves a strong common thread across continents, the centuries, the human race since eternity and the present moment, by comparing the lives of the great men who have shaped it and insightfully professes them all to be SUBLIME. The coup de grace of that verse is a masterpiece - when he points out that the passing away of all great men are actually milestones that provide us the beacon for generations to come.
The poetic beauty of the last line of the verse is the clarity with which he paints a picture of the sands of time and the endless footprints on it. Time is so abstract a concept to visualize but with the quaint usage of Footprints, Longfellow suddenly provides us a near three dimensional view of it.
It is for us to draw inspiration from those many Great Lives- our heroes, our idols and our Gods. We need to mould ourselves on similar lines but using our own self as the mould and then let our own LIFE be as unique as our Signature !
Action Points :
- Work on your personal vision and mission statement.
- Appreciate your own uniqueness- see yourself in the mirror, check out your picture in group photographs, look at your handwriting and don't forget to check out the uniqueness of your signature.
- If you have the daring - write your own epitaph !
Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.
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