The Ladder of St. Augustine

Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Read my message, then visit the poem below or click on links provided throughout this blog.

This is a poem that uses the metaphor of a ladder to convey the idea of personal growth and moral improvement.

The poem suggests that every challenge we encounter can be transformed into a step on the ladder towards higher virtues and achievements. I love the line about ‘footprints on the sands of time.’

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44636/the-ladder-of-st-augustine

Here are some key themes and meanings from the poem:

1. Transformation of Vices: Longfellow emphasizes that our vices and mistakes can be used as steps to climb towards betterment if we learn from them and rise above them
2. Gradual Progress: The poem highlights that significant achievements are not attained suddenly but through persistent effort and gradual progress. This is encapsulated in the famous lines: “The heights by great men reached and kept / Were not attained by sudden flight; / But they, while their companions slept, / Were toiling upward in the night”
3. Hope and Perseverance: Longfellow encourages readers to persevere through difficulties and to view each day’s events, whether pleasurable or challenging, as opportunities for growth
4. Moral and Spiritual Ascent: The ladder symbolizes the ascent towards moral and spiritual enlightenment, suggesting that every action and thought can contribute to one’s higher purpose

This poem can be particularly inspiring for those who value personal development and mindfulness, much like the principles I teach in yoga classes.

How do you think this poem resonates with your own experiences and teachings?

Enjoy,

🌺debie lee

Saint Augustine! well hast thou said, 

      That of our vices we can frame 

A ladder, if we will but tread 

      Beneath our feet each deed of shame! 

All common things, each day’s events, 

      That with the hour begin and end, 

Our pleasures and our discontents, 

      Are rounds by which we may ascend. 

The low desire, the base design, 

      That makes another’s virtues less; 

The revel of the ruddy wine, 

      And all occasions of excess; 

The longing for ignoble things; 

      The strife for triumph more than truth; 

The hardening of the heart, that brings 

      Irreverence for the dreams of youth; 

All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds, 

      That have their root in thoughts of ill; 

Whatever hinders or impedes 

      The action of the nobler will; — 

All these must first be trampled down 

      Beneath our feet, if we would gain 

In the bright fields of fair renown 

      The right of eminent domain. 

We have not wings, we cannot soar; 

      But we have feet to scale and climb 

By slow degrees, by more and more, 

      The cloudy summits of our time. 

The mighty pyramids of stone 

      That wedge-like cleave the desert airs, 

When nearer seen, and better known, 

      Are but gigantic flights of stairs. 

The distant mountains, that uprear 

      Their solid bastions to the skies, 

Are crossed by pathways, that appear 

      As we to higher levels rise. 

The heights by great men reached and kept 

      Were not attained by sudden flight, 

But they, while their companions slept, 

      Were toiling upward in the night. 

Standing on what too long we bore 

      With shoulders bent and downcast eyes, 

We may discern — unseen before — 

      A path to higher destinies, 

Nor deem the irrevocable Past 

      As wholly wasted, wholly vain, 

If, rising on its wrecks, at last 

      To something nobler we attain.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Explore

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow has written many remarkable poems. Here are a few that you might enjoy:

1. “Paul Revere’s Ride”: This narrative poem recounts the famous midnight ride of Paul Revere during the American Revolution
2. “The Song of Hiawatha”: An epic poem that tells the story of the Native American hero Hiawatha and his love, Minnehaha
3. “Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie”: A long narrative poem about an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love
4. “The Wreck of the Hesperus”: A ballad that tells the tragic story of a shipwreck
5. “My Lost Youth”: A reflective poem about Longfellow’s memories of his childhood

These poems showcase Longfellow’s versatility and his ability to capture different themes and emotions. Some of these titles may resonate with you or even pique your interest…happy exploration! 😘