English Literature & Theology

                              "A Psalm of Life"  By  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow What The Heart Of The Young Man Said To The Psalmist 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. Life is real! Life is earnest!    And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou art, to dust returnest,    Was not spoken of the soul. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,    Is our destined end or way; But to act, that each to-morrow    Find us farther than to-day. Art is long, and Time is fleeting,    And our hearts, though stout and brave, Still, like muffled drums, are beating    Funeral marches to the grave. In the world’s broad field of battle,    In the bivouac of Life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! ...

  There Will Come Soft Rains Sara Teasdale 1884 – 1933 (War Time) There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, And swallows circling with their shimmering sound; And frogs in the pools singing at night, And wild plum trees in tremulous white, Robins will wear their feathery fire Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire; And not one will know of the war, not one Will care at last when it is done. Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree If mankind perished utterly; And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn, Would scarcely know that we were gone. About poet,  Sara Teasdale (1884–1933) was an American lyric poet known for her delicate, emotionally intense poetry, often centered around themes of love, beauty, nature, and death. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Teasdale was the youngest of four children. She grew up in a well-to-do family and was somewhat sheltered due to frequent illness in her early years. Teasdale began writing poetry in her teens and was first publishe...

About  the writer, Alfred George Gardiner (1865–1946) was a prominent British journalist, essayist, and editor, best known for his essays that combine wit, insight, and moral reflection.  He wrote under the pen name "Alpha of the Plough." Gardiner's essays were widely appreciated for their engaging style, humor, and thoughtful exploration of social and ethical issues. "On Superstition" is an essay by Alfred George Gardiner, a renowned British essayist known for his insightful and often humorous essays on a variety of social and moral topics.  In this essay, Gardiner explores the concept of superstition, highlighting its prevalence in society and the irrationality that often accompanies it.   Summary of the essay,  Gardiner begins the essay by defining superstition as a belief or practice that is not based on reason or scientific knowledge but is instead rooted in fear, ignorance, or a misunderstanding of causality.  He explains that superstition is a deeply...