5 A sudden rush from the stairway, 6 They climb up into my turret O'er the arms and back of my chair; If I try to escape, they surround me; They seem to be everywhere. 7 They almost devour me with kisses, 8 Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti, Because you have scaled the wall, Such an old moustache as I am Is not a match for you all! 9 I have you fast in my fortress, But put you down into the dungeon 10 And there will I keep you forever, Till the walls shall crumble to ruin, And moulder in dust away! HELPS TO STUDY Notes and Questions What is the time "Between the To what does he compare the dark and the daylight" usually called? rush made by the children in stanza five? What does he call them in the eighth stanza? What wall did they scale in order to reach him? Where does Longfellow say he will put the children now that he has captured them? How long will he keep them there? How could he keep the children so long? Which stanza of this poem do you like best? Tell what you know about the life of Longfellow. Words and Phrases for Study "Bishop of Bingen"-referring to the legend that Hatto, Archbishop of Mainz, was eaten by mice in the Mouse-Tower on the Rhine, near Bingen. The story has been told in poetry by the English poet, Southey, but is without foundation in history. THE SONG OF HIAWATHA HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW INTRODUCTION Should you ask me, whence these stories? With the dew and damp of meadows, I should answer, I should tell you, I repeat them as I heard them From the lips of Nawadaha, Should you ask where Nawadaha I should answer, I should tell you, If still further you should ask me, Tell us of this Nawadaha," "There he sang of Hiawatha, Ye who love the haunts of Nature, Love the shadow of the forest, And the thunder in the mountains, Listen to this Indian Legend, Ye whose hearts are fresh and simple, |