The Arrow and the Song

1. The Arrow and the Song Henry Wadsworth Longfellow(1807-1882)

2. The Arrow and the Song • I shot an arrow in the air, • 我向空中射了一箭， • It fell to earth, I knew not where; • 它已落到地面，我不知道其去向； • For so swiftly it flew, the sight • 因它飞得如此地快速 • Could not follow it in its flight. • 视力无法跟得上它的飞驰。

3. I breathed a song into the air, • 我向空中轻歌一曲， • It fell to earth, I knew not where; • 它已落地而停，我不知其去向； • For who has sight so keen and strong, • 谁有这么敏锐的视力， • That it can follow the flight of song? 能跟得上歌声的飞驰？

4. Long, long afterward, in an oak • 很久，很久以后，在一棵橡树上， • I found the arrow still unbroke; • 我发现它依然完好无损； • And the song, from beginning to end, • 而这首歌，从头到尾， • I found again in the heart of a friend. 我发现又深印在一位友人的心上。

5. About the Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow(1807-1882) was one of the greatest American romanticism poet in 19th century. He was born in a lawyer's family. He was also a classmate of Nathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864). After his graduation, Longfellow began to give language and literature lessons in Harvard University, which lasted 18 years. In the meantime, he gradually became one of the most influential figure among the literati.

6. Main Works • A Psalm of Life • The Arrow And The Song • My Lost Youth

7. Rhyming I shot an arrow in the air, • It fell to earth, I knew not where; • For so swiftly it flew, the sight • Could not follow it in its flight. • I breathed a song into the air, • It fell to earth, I knew not where; • For who has sight so keen and strong, • That it can follow the flight of song? • Long, long afterward, in an oak • I found the arrow still unbroke; • And the song, from beginning to end, • I found again in the heart of a friend

8. Arrow—hard • Song--soft

9. Understanding • The poet began his fantastic imagination with two simple things, arrow and song, and told us a sort of life experience cleverly. In his poem, he let go of these things, then he got no idea where they went. He never managed to catch up with his arrow and song cause they were too fast, or just because he didn’t care about them anymore. After a long time, when he almost forgot them, he happened to find them somewhere else. They were well-saved, as good as new.

10. This poem reminds me of a song which says, when you forget it , still I remember it. Sometimes we say something, or we do something, and after a long time, when even it is forgot by ourselves, we would find out, surprisingly, that it is still remembered by our friends. Only a true friend can be like this. Ones who love others shall be loved by others. We get friends by giving, and we always get moved by friendship.

11. Thank You!!