What season is described in the poem?

When did the events described

occur? What tells you this? Which of the evidences of spring,

here mentioned, have you seen? What is meant by "the vanguard

of the Spring''?

What does the poet say are its "banners''?

What are the "fluttering sig

nals' of the rivulets? Who does he say wrote "those lovely lyrics" the merle and mavis sing?

Read the prayer the crows utter incessantly.

What tells you the direction

from which the "birds of passage" came?

What alarmed the farmers?

For what purpose was a townmeeting called?.

What kind of man was the Squire? What lines tell you this?

Read lines that describe the Par

son.

Tell about the Preceptor. Read lines that describe the Deacon.

Who championed the cause of the birds?

Read the stanzas that contain

his speech.

What service does he say the

birds render to man?

What was the effect of his speech?

What action did the meeting take?

What resulted from the destruc tion of the birds? What comparison is made relating to Herod? To schoolboys! By whom were the birds restored?

How did the Preceptor celebrate the restoration of the birds! Memorize the last half of stanza sixteen.

Caedmon-An Anglo-Saxon who wrote a Bible poem called "Caedmon's Paraphrase." He was not a poet and when sometimes at entertainments it was agreed for the sake of mirth that all present should sing in turn, he withdrew and went home. On one such occasion he went to the stable and slept, and in his sleep a vision appeared

and said to him, "Caedmon, sing some song to me." He answered, “I cannot sing; for that was the reason I left the entertainment and retired here." The vision said, "How"" "What ever, you shall sing.' shall I sing?" said Caedmon. "Sing the beginning of cre ated beings," said the vision, whereupon Caedmon began to

sing verses to the praise of God. He remembered the poetry which he had composed in his dream and repeated it in the morning to the inmates of the monastery, who concluded the gift of song was a divine gift and had him enter the monastery and devote his time to poetry. sparrows-Holy Writ-See Matthew X, 29-31. Cassandra-the daughter of Priam, King of Troy, who was slain in the sacking of Troy. Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy, but afterward became angry at her and decreed that no one should believe her prophecies. See page 227. Jonathan Edwards-an American preacher, who wrote a book on the "Freedom of the Will."

Doom's-Day book-A book containing a digest of a census of England under William the Conqueror, so-called because its decision was regarded as final. "fluttering signals''

"all their fleet'
"jocund Spring''
"fabulous days'
"prognosticating"
"fluted columns'
"majestic tread''
"jargoning"

"melodious madrigals"
"feathered gleaners'
"fine-spun sentiment''
"vanquished"

"winged wardens''
"melancholy hurdy-gurdies"
"'ceaseless fusillade'
"his majestic look"

"satires to the authorities addressed"

"'a new heaven bent over a new earth'

What things are compared in each of the following figures of speech:

"steeples of the piny wood" "fusillade of terror"

"tongues of flame'