2 Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow; 3 Ring out the grief that saps the mind, 4 Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. 5 Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes, But ring the fuller minstrel in. 6 Ring out false pride in place and blood, Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring out old shapes of foul disease, Ring out the narrowing lust of gold, Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. 8 Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be. HELPS TO STUDY Notes and Questions For what were the bells described in this poem ringing? How are the bells described in the first stanza? How is the sky described in this stanza? Read the words in the second line which tell what gave this appearance to the sky. How can you explain this description of the bells? How does the poet describe the bells in the second stanza? Read the line in the second stanza which tells what the poet hopes will go with the old year. What does he hope will come in with the new year? How does the poet's beautiful hope explain his description of the bells in this stanza? Read the lines in the fourth stanza which tell what the poet hopes will come in with the new year. "party strife" What do you think the poet meant by "sweeter manners''? What does the mention of "sweet er manners" and "purer laws' in the same line tell you of the importance of manners? Read what Tennyson tells us about manners in another poem and see if this will help you to understand: "For manners are not idle, but the fruit Of loyal nature and of noble mind." How does Tennyson describe his own poetry in the fifth stanza? What does he mean by a “fuller minstrel''? What efforts are being made to end war? What is meant by the "darkness of the land''? How does the public school help to "ring out" this darkness? Words and Phrases for Discussion "nobler modes of life" "purer laws" "valiant man and free" “false pride” "common love of good" "'lust of gold” "larger heart” THE FIR TREE HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish novelist and poet. He is best known to children by his fairy tales, from which this selection has been taken. CHAPTER ONE IN THE FOREST Far away in the deep forest there once grew a pretty little Fir Tree. The sun shone full upon him and the breezes played freely round him. Near him grew many other fir trees, some older, some younger, but the little Fir Tree was not happy, for 5 he was always wishing to be tall like the others. He thought not of the warm sun and the fresh air, and he did not care for the merry country children who came to the forest to look for strawberries and raspberries. Sometimes, after having filled their pitchers, or made the bright berries into a 10 chain with straw, they would sit down near the little Fir Tree and say: "What a pretty little tree this is!" Then the Fir Tree would feel more unhappy than ever. "Oh, that I were as tall as the other trees!" sighed the little Fir; "then I should spread my branches on every side, and my 15 top should look over the wide world! The birds would build their nests among my branches, and when the wind blew, I should bend my head so grandly, just as the others do!" He had no joy in the sunshine, in the song of birds, or in the rosy clouds that sailed over him every morning and evening. 20 In winter, when the ground was covered with the bright, white snow, a hare would sometimes come running along, and jump right over the little Tree's head; and then how sad he felt. However, two winters passed away, and by the third the Tree was so tall that the hare had to run round it. “Oh, if I 25 could but grow and grow, and become tall and old!" thought the Tree. "That is the only thing in the world worth living for." The woodcutters came in the autumn and felled some of the largest of the trees. This took place every year, and our young Fir, who was by this time a good height, began to shake when he saw those grand trees fall with a crash to the earth. Their branches were then cut off. The stems looked so naked and 5 lanky that the Fir Tree hardly knew them. They were laid one upon another in carts, and horses drew them away, far, far away from the forest. Where could they be going? What would happen to them? The Fir Tree wished very much to know, so in the spring, when 10 the swallows and the storks came back, he asked them if they knew where the felled trees had been taken. The swallows knew nothing. But the stork thought for a moment, then nodded his head and said: "Yes, I think I have seen them. As I was flying to this country I met many ships. 15 They had fine new masts that smelt like fir. I am sure that they were the trees that you speak of. They were tall, very tall, I can tell you." "Oh, I wish that I too was tall enough to sail upon the sea! Tell me what is this sea, and what does it look like ?" said the 20 Fir Tree. 25 "That,” said the stork, "would take too long a time to tell," and away he went. "Be glad that you are young!" said the sunbeams. "Enjoy your fresh youth, and the young life that is within you!" The wind kissed the tree, and the dew wept tears over him, but the Fir Tree did not know what they meant. When Christmas drew near, many quite young trees were felled, some of them not so tall as the young Fir Tree who was always wishing to be away. Their branches were not cut off. 30 They too were laid in a cart, and horses drew them away from the forest. 35 "They are no Why do they "Where are they going?" asked the Fir Tree. taller than I; indeed one of them is much less. keep all their branches? Where can they be going? "We know! We know !" chirped the sparrows. "We peeped |