How does Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem "The Cross of Snow" and the "Psalm of Life" relate to the Romantic time period?

1. Both poems are didactic,
meaning that they strive to teach the reader something. For the Romantics, it was
important that their works featured morals and lessons. In "Psalm," Longfellow discusses
the importance of living life wisely because of its brevity and so that we can set an
example for future generations. "Cross" uses a natural element (another trait of
Romanticism) to demonstrate how grief over the loss of a loved one can scar the heart.
The poem discusses a real cross of snow ingrained in a mountainside out
West.

2. Romantic Poets also rely on strict
rhyme schemes, meter, and theme. "Psalm" exemplifies this characteristic
by using quatrains (four-line stanzas) throughout with an ABAB CDCD . . . rhyme scheme.
"Cross" is even more structured because it is an Italian sonnet, meaning that it has to
have 14 lines with the first 8 lines containing an ABBAABBA rhyme scheme, and the last 6
lines using a CDECDE rhyme. The theme of making life count for something worthwhile is
present in both poems which fit well into the standard Fireside Poet
repertoire.