The lark's on the wing; HELPS TO STUDY Pippa, a poor girl who works in the silk mills, has only one holiday in all the year. On the morning of this holiday she tries to thin! who is the happiest person in the town, because she wants to imagine that she is that person for one day. But later she has a better thought than this and she says, “I will pass each and see their happiness, And envy none-being just as great, no doubt, So little Pippa goes down the street, singing this beautiful morning song and doing good to all who hear her. Notes and Questions What time of year is described | What do you notice about the in these lines? length of lines in this little To what is the dew on the hill song? side compared ? Can you think of any reason for What is the lark doing as Pippa the poet's choice of this kind of goes down the street ? line for such a song? Vi hat words tell us that Pippa is | Compare the lines in this poem contented? with the lines Sir Walter Scott Read the words which explain used in the "Lullaby of an In why she is contented with her fant Chief." condition in life. Can you give any reason for Sir What influence upon those who Walter Scott's choice of long heard her, would Pippa's song lines in the “Lullaby of an Inhave? fant Chief's? Words and Phrases for Study “The year's at the spring” "The snail's on the thorn' “Morning's at seven”. "The hillside's dew-pearled": TODAY THOMAS CARLYLE Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was a great Scotch writer of essays and history. He lived in Edinburgh and later in London. 1 Another blue day: Slip useless away? ful? The poet tells us in the first | What can we do to make a day stanza to “think'. What does useful he want us to think about? To whom should our days be useFind the same lines in another stanza. Read lines which you would like Why did the poet repeat these to commit to memory. words? Read the short story which fol. What do you think he meant by lows and try to tell it to some the words, “a useless day'' re one. Did Titus and the poet ferred to in the first and last have the same idea of a "usestanzas of this poem? less'' day? The Roman Emperor, Titus, won the love of all his people by his kindness and generosity to those who were in trouble. One night at supper, remembering that he had not helped anyone that day, he exclaimed, “My friends, I have lost a day!”. They look in every thoughtless nest Where birds are covered warm; HELPS TO STUDY Notes and Questions What signs of evening are men- | Read the words which tell that tioned in the first stanza ? angels come to the fields. To what is the moon compared ? What do the angels do for the Read the line which tells what buds and blossoms? the poet thinks the moon is do What do the angels do for the birds and beasts? To what does the poet say good What do they do for those who night? are sorrowful? Words and Phrases for Study PRONUNCIATION: de-scěnd'-ing bow'-er (bou' ēr) nìb'-bled (l’d) VOCABULARY: un-sēen'—not seen. fâre-wěll'--good-by. WORDS AND PHRASES: "bower” "happy grove'' "thoughtless nest”. "evening star" ing. THE NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES FRANCIS BOURDILLON Francis William Bourdillon (1852- ), an English poet, lives at Buddington, England. He attended college at Oxford. The night has a thousand eyes, The day but one; With the dying sun. And the heart but one; HELPS TO STUDY Notes and Questions What are the eyes of the night? | How many eyes does the poet say What is the eye of the day? the mind has? Read the lines which tell that the How many eyes does he say the thousand eyes of the night can heart has ? not take the place of the one | In which line are we told what eye of the day. the eye of the heart is? LULLABY OF AN INFANT CHIEF SIR WALTER SCOTT Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was born in Scotland. He was a famous novelist and poet. He learned the Scottish legends and ballads when a child. These he wove into his writings. 1 |