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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 6 J^cconl) Series LESSONS IN LITERATURE FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS 1894 A. W. BURT, B.A, ; GERTRUDE LAWLER, M.A. ; E. J. MoINTYUE, B.A. ; A. M. Mac MEGHAN, B.A., Pii. D. ; NELLIE SPENCE, B.A. A. STEVENSON. B.A. ; F. H. SYKES, M.A. ; W. J. SYKES, B.A. EDITED BY F. H. SYKES, M.A. THE COPP, CLARK COMPANY, LIMITED 1898 1 Z^ K*! '^°* "' "" ''""*■"»' <" ^''^. » the year one thou«u.d eight hundred a.,d ninetythree, by Th. Corr 01^ Co«P^W, LuuTK., in the Office of the MinUter o£ Aglulture PREFAOE. The favorable reception accorded the first series of Lessons in Literature for Entrance Examinations (1892-3) hus induced the editor to undertake the preparation of a second series of Lessons intended to meet the needs of pupils taking the Entrance Examination of 1894. The plan of the second series of Lessons varies scarcely at all from that followed in the fii*st. These Lessons will be found to cover the Selections prescribed for special study for 1894, and to contain : ( 1) Introductions that will put teacher and pupils €71 rapport, when the class is about to study the selection. (2) Explanatory Notes, covering all difficulties that lie in the way of a full interjjretation and appreciation of the selections. (3) Questions and Exercises, such as the practical teacher would ask and give in his every-day school work. (4) Biographical Sketches of authors, wherever needed. (5) Portraits of Authors, which will, it is hoped, add a livelier human interest to the cold details of biography. (6) Entrance Examination Papers in Literature of the Department of Education of Ontario. Nothing consequently has been omitted that would aid in the preparation of the prescribed selections, in accordance with the regulations of the Depai-tment of Education respecting the teaching of Literature, which may here with propriety be quoted : — '* The object of the study is to secure the pupil's intelligent compre- hension of and familiarity with the lessons in the Reader. To this end, he should be taught to give for words or phrases meanings which may be substituted therefor, without impairing the sense of the passage ; to iUuatrate and show the appropriateness of important words or phrases ; PREFACE. to distinguish between Bynonyms in common nse ; to paraphrase diflScnlt passages 8u as to show tlie meaning clearly ; to show the connections of the thoughts in any selected passages ; to explain allusions ; to write explanatory or descriptive notes on proper or other names ; to show that he has studied the lessons thoughtfully, by being able to give an intelligent opinion on any subject treated of therein that comes within the range of his experience or comprehension ; and especially to show that he has entered iiitc the spirit of the passage, by being able to read it with proper expression. He should be required to memorize passages of special beauty from the selections prescribed, and to reproduce in his own words, the substance of any of these selections, or of any part thereof. He should also obtain some knowledge of the authors from whose works these selections have been made." The editor i*egrets that the pressure of school work has prevented one or two valued contributors to the first series from writing lessons for the present series. Nevertheless, the corps of contributors will be found representative of our best English teaching. The preparation of lessons by various hands will place at the command of teacher and pupil a harvest of methods of teaching and studying literature which cannot fail to be suggestive, stimulating, and helpful ; in the certain hope of which, the editor commends the volume to the attention of teachers and pupils of Fourth Book Classes. INDEX. IV RMiHor Literature Lesson. **• »««'«'• LeHSons. Ill, Loss of the Birkenhead 23 1 XI. The Evening Cloud 46 9 XII. The Truant 46 13 XVI. The Humble Bee 60 18 XXIV. The Face Against the Pane 74 28 XXVII. The Battle of Bannockbum 84 81 XXVIII. The Skylark 99 36 XXXIV. Death of Little Nell 100 39 XXXIX. A Psalm of Life 119 46 LI. The Heroes of Long Sault 155 54 LVI. The Honest Man 177 60 LIX. Yarrow Unvisited. . 186 67 LXIII. The Exile of Erin 192 74 LXIV. Ye Mariners of England 193 80 LXIX. The Changeling 205 86 LXXIX. The Capture of Quebec 233 92 LXXXV XL The Song of the Shirt 263 96 XOV. A Forced Recruit at Solferino. 287 103 Examination Papers 109 ENTRANCE EXAMirATTON IN LITERATURE. " The examination in Literature will be based partly on prescribed selections from the authorized Fourth Reader, and partly on the remaining lessons in the same Reader. In addition to selections specially prescribed for memorization, the candidate will be expect- ed to have memorized passages of special beauty from the other lessons of the Fourth Reader." — RegvlaUanB. LESSONS IN LITERATURE FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. Ill— LOSS OF THE BIRKENHEAD. Sir Francis Doyle. I. — The Facts op the Case. To understand this piece of verse, we must pick out the historic kernel of fact from the poetic invention. In order to do so, the following extract is made from The Antiuai Register of 1852, pp. 470 to 471 : and anotlier version of the san.e incident is printed in this place. The poem itself does not bring out the essential facts with sufficient emphasis : — " — The Birkenhead was ordered to take out dutachments to reinforce the several regiments serving at the Cape. She sailed from Queenstown on the 7th of January and arrived at Simon's Bay on the 2;^rd of Febru- ary." The troops on board were details of the 12th Lancers, the 2nd, the 6th, the 12th, the 43rd, the 45th, the 60th IJifles, the 73rd, the 74th and the 91 st Kegiments : in all, 488 officers and men, 20 women and children, and 130 of a crew. " The Birkenhead sailed on the 25th, about 6 A.M., for Algoa Bay. At 8 p.m. the ship's course was duly pricked off on the chart, within False Bay ; and the man at the helm received direc- tions how to steer. A leadsman was on the paddle-box and look-out men were placed ; the night was tine, starlight, and calm, but a long swell setting in on shore ; the land was distinctly visible on the port bow. About ten minutes before two a.m., the leadsman got soundmgs in 12 or 13 fathoms, the ship then going at 8 knots ; before he could get another cast of the lead, the ship struck on a precipitous rock with two fathoms under the bow and 1 1 under the stern. The Master-Commander of the ship, Mr. Salmond, rushed on deck, ordered the small bower anchor to be let go, the quarter boats to be lowered, and to Ue off alongside the ship ; the paddle-box boats to be got off, and a turn astern to be given to the engines. This last seems to have been a fatal measure, for as the ship backed from the rock, the water rushed into the large orifice mule by the concussion, and the ship striking again, the whole of the plates of the foremost bilge were "buokledup' and the partition bulkheads torn asunder. The conse- B 2 LESSONS IN LlTKKATirKE queuce wati, that in n very few minutes the forward ooinpartinents and engine-rooms w»re tilled with water and a great aundjtr of the un- fortunate Holdiers were drowned in their berths. In the meantime Mr. Sulmond and hiu officera and the commanders of the military were doing their duty on deck with heroic composure. . . '* No more than three boats which were deeply laden with 78 persons were all that were actually available for 680 persons. In ten minutcR after the first concussion, and while the engines were still turning astern, the ship, as stated, struck again under the engine-room, bilging the side several feet, and tearing open the bottom. Instantly the ship broke in two abaft the main mast ; the bowsprit eprang up into the air towards the forctopmast ; the funnel went over the side, and the fore Sart of the ship sank nintantly*; the stern part, now crowded with men, oated a few minutes longer and then sank, leaving the maintopmast and topsail yard only visible above the water. To this awful moment the resolution and oo,,»lnes8 of all hands were remarkable — " far exceed- ing," says Captain Wriglit, " anything that I thought could be eflFccted by the best discipline ; everyone di(i did the "still."] -ed Jight 1 to the '• kind of peace, [It was le west, e? [It 5n wlien BXercise *ing no of the I " as it ow and ive the neying ig sun the flag, rose, maple leaf are purely suggestive terms, not in the least like the objects suggested.] Explain "methought." [It is a compound word — me + thoiujht, an impersonal verb, and really means '(it) to me seemed.' It is not to bo confused with the more com- mon verb to think.] Explain " departed." What color does "gleam " imply ? Whence does the gleam come ? How does the cloud suggest this gleam? What is 1I10 "breath of mercy" that brings the soul nearer heaven ? [Read Titus iii. 5, etc.] What is there in the evening scene emblematic of this mercy? Explain "roll." [Here simply ** move forward," just as when we say, "The river rolls its waters to the sea."] What are the "gates of heaven"? [Read Revel, xxi. 12, 13, 21 and Matt. xvi. 19.] What is there in the evening scene emblematic of " the golden gates"? Explain "eye of faith." [The understanding and believing man. Read especial- ly such verses as Eph. i. 18 and Heb. xi. 3.] What corresponds in the evening scene to the "eye of faith"? Explain "destinies." What "glorious destinies" does this view of the departed soul reveal to the believer ? Select the words in the poem that would scarcely be used in prose. Select the words that would have a slightly different form in prose. [Note that in poetry one is able ( ' poetic license ' ) in a certain sense to violate the laws of grammar (cf . ' slow ' for * slowly '). ] Select the line or lines that you like best. III. — The Form op the Poem. The class will read aloud the poem, marking the accents by beat- ing with the hand as in music, till they notice (1) That the syllables run in groups, each gr. up in general having one unaccented syllable (x), followed by one accented syllable ('), — each group or "foot" being called therefore ;in Iambus and the metre Iambic metre. (2) That each line has Jive of these groups, or is Pentam'eter (Gk. penta, five). (3) That there are fourteen lines. [These are three characteristics of the Somiet.] Thej' will note in addition (4) that the rimes of the lines are ababbcbcdedeff, which was almost the form Shakspeare used in his sonnets, and which make this form (or almost this form) to be called a Shaksperian sonnet. Compare the rimes with those in the sonnet of the common and usual form on page 302 of the IV. Reader. 12 LESSONS IN LITERATURE IV. — Biographical Note. John Wilson (1785 — 1854), better known by the name of " Chris- topher North," with which he designates himself in the Nodes Ambrosiancje, was the son of a rich Scotch manufacturer. He gi-aduated from Oxford, excelling in essays, poetry, and in all sorts of athletic sports. His love of the poet Wordsworth took him to Westmoreland, where he lived for eight years in the brilliant society of not only Wordsworth but also Southey, Coleridge, and DeQuincey. But his fortune was dissipated by his uncle, and forced to adopt a profession Wilson became an Edinburgh lawyer. Law was not so congenial as letters ; so that when in 1817 Bkickwood'a Magazine was frunded, he became a constant contributor, and for many years was its chief intellectual force. In 1820 he was appointed professor of moral philosophy in Edinburgh university. His works are chiefly Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life (1822), ITie Trials of Ma/rga/ret Lyndsay (1823), The Foresters (1825), and Nodes Atnhros- ia/>uB (' Ambrosial Nights '), which are imaginary dialogues of him- self, his uncle, and the poet Hogg (see note to The Skylark) during nights spent at Ambrose's Tavern. His poetry is scarcely read to-day ; but the memory of the author as a true-hearted, noble, manly character is still cherished. POR teNTRANOE EXAMmATlONS. 13 Of " Chris- |fche Noctea irer. He all sorts took him e brilliant bridge, and [and forced er. Imw lackwood's r, and for appointed His works Trials of ' Ambros- es of him- 'k) during ^cely read 5d, noble, XII.— THE TRUANT. ^*«Vw -^*««— C/>* '^^ I. — Introduction. This lesson is an abbreviated sketch from the second series of the Twice Told Tales. Besides the minor omissions, the com- pilers of the reader have loft out the experiences of the boy and his companion with a group of carpenters and a band of soldiers, whose occupations attracted and delighted the boy till he discovered the likeness of his old master among them. It would be well for the teacher to provide himself with a copy of Twice Told Tales, of which cheap editions abound, not only for comparing the extract with the original, but for acquainting the class with other pieces from Hawthorne. Several of the sketches are admirably adapted for such class- work. David Swan, Little Annie's Ramble, The Town Pump, The Snow Image, may be mentioned. Children cannot fail to become interested, and will obtain as well a glimpse of the deep moral truths embodied in them. This teaching and reading of choice ■I; h- 'l K lii Is ■'I k \i LESSONS In LiTERAtURl! lituruture is the only direct meHUS of culture availa1)le for scho4. Hawthorne is one of the great masters of English prose. A gentle delicacy characterizes everything he writes ; and a pleasing choice of flowing language makes liis s^yle jxculiarly charming. Unaffected, free, dignified and singularlj lucid, liif^ (v.mpopitions are suitable for the enjoyment of all classes of readers. B. J. If. 18 LRSSONS IX LITKRATURK XVI— THK HUMBLE BEE. !M T, —Introduction. The study of Emerson's works roijuiro greater intollectul maturity than can be expected in an Entrance Class. Accordingly, it would not bo advnsal)lo to follow tlie pl.in indicated in the lesson fioiii HaAvthorne. But before beginning this lesson at all, the teachiT is strongly urged to provide himself with all possil)le information about the humble-bee, and interest the pupils in its habits and life. The poem cannot be fully ap[)riHnated without such study. There are many different species of bees. The best known to us are the humble-bee, or l)umble-bee, and the honey-bee. Humble- bees are among the most widely diflfused of insects, and are found in greatest abundance in the temperate zone. They gather honey and FOR ENTKANCE EXAMINATIONS. 19 wax like the honey-bees, but do not hibernate. Their store- houses, — woolly-hjoking, egg-shaped cells, familiar to every country school-boy— are the abandoned cocoons of the grubs. The honey-bee is a much more valuable variety. It is not a native of .America, though it is found now, both domesticated and wild, everywhere throughout the United States and Canada. A manual on bee-keeping is recommended, and if there is a bee- keeper in the section, he should be consulted. The organization of the hive — the queen-bee — the drones — the workers — the rearing of the larvae — swarming — the gathering of honey — varieties of bees — the care of bees through winter, are some of the many topics of in- terest and study. Apart from the literary necessity of such work in connection with this lesson, encouragement will be given to an im- portant and valuable industry, the details of which are not difKcult to learn. Pupils should be instructed to bring, as in other lessons, specimens of the flowers mentioned in the poem. II. — Explanatory Notes. 1. 1. — Fine hii/nihle-bee. 'Fine' is here opposed in meaning to coarse, and implies that the bee is choice, cleanly and dainty in its habits and life. The word * humble' as applied to the bee is a different word altogether from the one that means 'lowly.' The former is from the verb 'hum' ; and the humble-bee is the bee that keeps humming. The ending 'le'is- frequentative, and 'b' is in- trusive, as in 'timl)er' (compare the German zimmer), and 'number' (cf. Latin nunter-iis). 1. 2. — clirne. A poetic word for climate ; a tract or region of the earth. " Clime for me," the region I prefer above all others. 1.3. — them. Indefinite in meaning; others; opposed to 'I' in line 5. Porto JRique. Put, >)y poetic licence, for P(»rto Rico, the smallest and most easterly of the Greater Antilles ; it belongs to Spain, and with its dependencies, has a population of (>25,000. -Consult the map. 1. 4. — heats. Hot air or weather, high temperature ; with thia meaning the word admits of a plural. •20 LESSONS IN LITERATURE 1 1 '''i 1. 16. — Joy of thy dominion. 'I wish thee,' is understood. 1. 20. — E])irui'eau. One wlio delights in natural and seltish pleas- ures; from Epicur'us, an ancient A thenian philosopher who taught; that the chief end of existence is pleasure. 1.21. — I prithee. 'I pray-thee.' 1. 30. — colw of romance. With spring the human face appears brighter and the spirit more animated. Life takes on a freshness and charms characteristic of the ideal life of the romantic fancy. 1. 37. — crone. Literally * old woman,' but the poet is thinking of the mumbling garrulous converstition of crones — crooning, and uses the word to call up the humming of the bee, the darling of mid- summer. 1. 43. — Syrian peace. The quiet resting hours of the hot mid-day of such eastern countries as Syria. 1. 43. — immortal leisure. The life that the ancient poets ascribed to their gods. 1. 47. — bUherry-beUs. The bilberry is a variety of whortleberry or huckleberry. The corolla of its flower is bell-shaped. 1. 48. — daffodils. See note on preceding lesson. 1. 49. — catchfly. This is a name applied to several varieties of plants, among which are some of the most prized of our garden beauties; their joints are swollen and exude a sticky substance that catches flies and so protects the plant from insects that suck the juices. Chickweed or stellaria, the mouse-ear, soapwort, carna- tions and pinks are catchflies. The tender tops of some of them are, at the proper season, excellent for table use. adders' s-ton^ue. In the dictionaries there are two plants of totally different kinds mentioned by the name of Adder's-tongue. One is a beautiful and somewhat rare fern that bears its seeds on a long thin sjjike. Tfiis is obviously not the plant referred to here, for ferns are flowerless and have no attraction for be68. The other is what is called in England the Dog's-Tooth- Violet, a very pretty woodlant^ ? 24 LESSONS IX LITKRATURE also what has almost the effect of a climax, the passing from the general to the particular, as in, " God pity wives and sweethearts, Who wait and wait, in vain ! And pity little Mabel, With her face against the pane." The particular is always of greater interest than the general, the concrete than the abstract. W^e are more interested in " little Mabel" particularly, than in " wives and sweethearts " generally. The whole poem, and indeed the best parts of every poem, should be committed to memory. II. —Explanatory Notes. 1. 3. — Beacon Light. An object visible for some distance and serving to indicate the presence of danger ; as, a signal-fire to give notice of the approach of an enemy ; a mark or objeco of any kind placed conspicuously on a coast or over a rock or shoal at sea, for the guidance of vessels ; hence, in general, anything serving a kindred purpose. [Various hills in England get the name of Beacon from the fact of signal-fires having been formerly lighted on them.] 1. 5. — A-tremhling. ^ as a prefix or initial and generally in- separable particle, is a relic of both Teutonic and classical particles. It often represents prepositions, especially on, as aback, amidst, aboard There is also the separable a- that is prefixed to verbal nouns, as in a- hunting, a- fishing. Another preposition represented by a is of, as in now-a-days. 1. 6. — Sea-bird. A general name for sea- fowl or birds that fre- quent the sea, e.g.y the curlew, the gull. " The night- winds sigh, the breakers roar, And shrieks the wil(J sea-mew." — Byron. 1. 7. — breakers. Waves breaking with foam against the shore, sand-banks, or rocks near the surface. 1, 8. — Making moan, makiiyj moan. Note the imitative harmony au^v I he alliteration in this line. FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 25 1. 8. — efwes. That part; of a building which projects beyond the wall and casts off the vrater that falls on the roof. Eaves-drop, literally to stand under the eaves or near the windows of s* house to listen to what is said within. 1. 10. — loillow. The willow, growing preferably near the water, naturally calls up the scene of the seaside cottage. Picture the scene. As it has long been regarded as symbolic of mourning, bereaveuKint, forsakenness, it suggests likewise the situation of Mabel alone in the storm. 1. 11. — to aiid fro. i. e., to and from; forward or toward, and backward or /rom-ward. 1. 12. — crone. An old woman ; connected with Irish, crion, dry, withered, old. Orony originally identical with crone, an intimate companion. 1. 17. — palsied. Stricken with paralysis, so that the muscles refuse to act and the limbs are more or less inert. 1. 24. — cabin. Here a hut or small house, especially one that is poorly constructed. I. 30. — a-stcepincj. Connected with ,s'iecp, adj., anc^ literally mean- ing to make fall or to drop down especially in water ; hence to soak in a liquid; to iiifuse; often used figuratively, as "a heart steeped in sellishnefis," (Thackeray), '■^steeped to the lips in misery." (Longfellow. ) 1.32, — staunch wnd tight. "Staunch," or "stanch," literally being stopped, (Fr. etancJter, to stop from running), tight, and as applied to a ship, not leaky ; strong, sound and firm. "Tight," having the parts or joints so close as to prevent tlie passage of fluids, hence s,ir-tl(jht, WAter-tight ; compactly built, as " 'tis a snug little island, A right little, tight little island." 1. 33. — reef. A mass of rocks in the ocean lying at or near the surface of the water. The water dashing against the reef is beaten into foam. 1. 39. — veined with fire. This lightning, commonly called chain- lightning, visible in the form of wavy or broken lines, like veins. 26 LESSONS IN LITERATURE hi' I* 1. 41.— In the Inllings. The church-bell is heard only when, at times, the howling of the storm subsides. 1, 44. — sexton. Sacristan (sacer, sacred), an under-officer of the church, whose business in ancient times was to take care of the vessels, vestments, etc., belonging to the church. The greater simi»licity of Protestant ceremonies has rendered this duty one of small importance, and now the sexton's duties consist in taking care of the church generally. 1. 44. — knell. The slow funeral bell for the dead ; for those dying at sea. 1. 45. — belfry. The bell-tower. In old French, from which we get the word, behfreit, berfreit means simply 'watch-tower'; so that tliu bel of the word beliry does not actually refer to the English word ♦bell' at all. 1. 46. — Unseen fingers. Apparently the bell sounds without earthly cause ; but the gale on the coast is sometimes strong enough to cause the tower to sway and the bell to ring. 1. 48. — tolls. Note the onomatopoeia here ; note also the pathos of the lines that follow. 1. 56. — A boom! A. deep, hollow noise, as the roar of the waves, or the sound of distant guns ; api)arently »n imitative word. Dis- tinguish from boom, meaning a beam or cable fastened to spars extended across a river to prevent an enemy's ships from passing, or to contain logs (in lumbering). 1. 58. — home-bound. Bound for home, t.e., approaching the coast. 1. 59. — shoals. Probably from or allied to shallow, a place where the water is shallow ; a sand-bank or bar ; more particularly, among seamen, a sand-bank which dries at low water. Compare sJwcd, (Anglo-Saxon scolu, a crowd), a great number, a multitude, as a shoal of herring, shoals of people. 1. 58. — rocket. A cylindrical tube of pasteboard or metal filled with a mixture of nitre, sulphur, charcoal, etc., which, being ignited at the base, propels it forward by the action of the liberated gases against the atmosphere. Rockets are used for various pur- poses, as (a) in war, when the apparatus generally consists of a ih^etr-iron case filled with a composition such as is described above, FOR KNTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 27 md a head which may be solid, or hollow and filled with a buistling jharge ; (h) life-rockets used for carrying a line over a wreck and thus establishing a communication between the sMp nnd the shore; (c) signal or ship-rockets, pasteboard cylinders, filled with nearly the snnie composition, but with a conical head containing stars )f various ingredients and colors, and a quantity of powder, which, rhen the rocket has attained its greatest height, bursts the cylin- ler causing the ignited stars to spread through the air and cast brilliant or colored light which may be seen at a great distance. ?hey are used in signaling or for mere display? I (ji — shaft. A dart, or arrow ; but ' shaft ' also means a * slender Ipillar.' Which image does the flight of the rocket suggest ? \^ (^3_ — golden furrows. The streaks of light made by the rocket [as the exploded fragments descend. 1. 75 —shoal of ruhies. The ruby is a crystalized gem next to the [diamond in value and hardness. It is found chiefly in the sand of [rivers in Ceylon, Pegu, and Mysore. It is of various shades of red, [but the most highly prized varieties are the crimson and carmine red. For 'shoal,' see note to 1. 59. The appearance of a morning sky, in clear cold weather — one mass of glittering crimson — would i justify the , metaphor used here. Or does the line rather suggest ' ' the sparkling waves at the horizon reflecting the color of the sky at sunrise " ? 1, 77. — Tlie angel on the village spire. It is not uncommon, on old village churches, to see the figure of an angel. In the province of Quebec, as one sails up the St. Lawrence, one catches a view of some of these quaint old churches, with the figure of a woman (in this case the Virgin Maiy) on the spires. 1. 79. — Fov/r ancient Jishermen. The distinction between "an- cient" and "old" should be noted. "Old" refers to the duration of the thing itself, "ancient" to the period with which it is associ- ated. An old dress, custom, etc. , is one which has lasted a long time, and which still exists ; an ancient dress, custom, etc. , is one which prevailed in a former age, but which may not now exist. An old-looking person is one apparently advanced in years, an ancient-looking person, one whose quaint appearance is suggestive pf bygone ages, We may apply either adjective to an object stil] 28 TyESSONS IN LITBKATURB ' ■■'' ill/: oxisting, as we regard its age or its associations. When the object no longer exists we more properly use ancient, as the ancient repub- lics of Greece and Rome. Ancient is opposed to modem, old to young, new, fresh. Antique is applied to style or fashion. An ancient temple is one built by the ancients ; an ardique temple is one built in the style of the ancients. Antiquated is old, opposed to whiit is in fashion, obsolete, old, out of use, opposed to what is now in use, correct, as obsolete words. 1. 83. — stark. This word may mean (1) stifif, rigid, as here used ; (2) strong, as " A stark, moss-trooping Scot was he." (3) entire, mere, as stark nonsense ; (4) wholly, (adv.) as s^rk mad. 1. 85. — sea-v)eed. A name given to any plant growing in the sea. 1. 87. — cot. This word is applied to (1) to a small house, as here ; (2) to a small bed. 1. 94. — eyes. . . .look. Compare Mabel's gazing through the storm at the Beacon Light before the cottage. The open staring eyes of Mabel now seem still to gaze at some far-oflf sight — the Beacon Light of heaven ; the haven of safety for her loved ones, towards which her own spirit has sped. IIL — Questions and Exbrcises. It is of first importance to realize as fully as the imagination can the scene and characters and incidents of the poem. Therefore the great stress in the teaching of the poem must be laid on these points. The teacher will first see that a detailed picture in words of the sea-side cottage is made by the class, and that the willow tree, the beacon-light, the belfry, the sea, etc., are included in the details. Second, the inhabitants of that cottage will be described, special stress being laid on the descriptive touches in the poem referring to Mabel. Third, the incidents of (a) the departure of father and lover ; (6) the coming on of the storm, and its eflFect at sea and on land, at both the lighthouse and the cottage ; (c) the morning after the storm, including the scene on the shore, followed by that at the cottage. When the teacher has carried the class orally over these points fully and sympathetically, he may call upon them to embody the FOR ENTRANCK RXAMfNATIONS. df various detailB in a composition, for which they will note down the outline as given above. Certain minor questions then* will arise. Why did the loss of father and lover kill Mabel ? la the poet false to nature here ? What other interpretation might the poem bear? Compare the two. Which do you prefer and why ? What instances of harmony of sound and sense do you observe in the poem ? Why, do you think, does the poet use such expressions as a-trembling and a-steep- inij instead of trembling and steeping ? [The teacher might here illustrate one of the diflFereiices between poetry and prose. In prose, archaisms are almost always objectionable ; in poetry, they add to the beauty, and, except when they are not easily understood or are used in excess, are more than allowable.] How can you speak of the mind as sohhirt^ and grieving ? What figure of speech ? [Hore the teacher might wshow the dififerent degrees of strength personification assumes, from the out-and-out personification, where a thing is actually represented as a person, to a case like this, where only some quality of personality is attributed to a thing, and where the figure is more properly called the personal metaphor.] Why the repetition of "To and fro"? Criticize the comparison of the willow tree with the old crone. What picture of the willow does the comparison suggest ? Is there a sufficiently close resemblance be- tween the two things compared ? Why the repetitious of " Looks out across the night, And sees the Beacon Light " ? Give examples to show that repetition is sometimes a source of strength and sometimes of weakness. Who is supposed to be the speaker in " Set the table, maiden Mabel," ? Explain the expressions, golden furrows the angel of the village spire, f'he Beacon Light, the sea-bird screech, sexton, belfry, boom, shoids. How many comparisons are made or implied in the poem ? Ex- amine each one carefully. IV. BlOGMlAPHICAL NoTE. Thomas Bailey Aldrich was born at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1836. His early life was spent in that old seaport, 'in New Or- leans and New York. He became a journalist and author before 30 LESSONS IN LITKItATURK his twentietli year. The BaU(ul of Bobie Bell, his first work, is an (.'xceedin^ly lirotty poeiii of child-death. After j)ul)lishing Hevoral HiiuUl volumes of verso, Mr. Aldrich in 18C6 collected his complete poetical works in one volume. A revision of these ai)i)eared in 1875 un v. J, I. — Introduction. In (iealini; with a selection like this the teacher's first care should be to lead his pupils to a clear understanding of the thought, obtaining by his questions all the explanation they are able to give, and supplementing their answers only when he finds it absolutely necessary to do so. 1'hey will better grasp the general meaning of the selection, if they, under the teacher's direction, draw a map show- ing the situation of Sterling, Dunbar, Falkirk, etc., and also a diagram of the battle field, marking the plain, bog, pits, spikes, Bann(jckbum, Sterling Castle, etc. Having thorouglily grasped the thought, the pupil may next be guided in a study of the plan of the work, and then in a very careful examination of the author's w m m 32 LESSONS IN LITERATURE If mode of e\})ressioii. In this part of the work, it is hardly necessary to 8ay thiit it is very uiulcsirable to give a list of the (jualities of sty]' J, etc., as enumerated ))y the rhetoricians, and then to require pupils to apply these names in the examination of the work before them. If this be done, a large proportion of the children will see clearness, force, beauty, etc., where the cidtured reader will alto- gether fail to discern them. Fourth Class pupils, however, should be generally capable of noting glaring faults in expression and sus- ceptible of being impressed, though it may be somgwhat vaguely, by the points of excellence in a writer's work. Of course in matters of criticism pupils may have to take something on trust from their teacher, but the wise teacher will keep the intellects of his pupils free and active by causing them to tjike as little as possible on trust. The questions given below are intended merely to suggest a mode of taking up the work ; questions 3 or 4, for exanii)le, leading to the conclusion that in the paragraph to which they refer, the diction is marked by some degree of carelessness and lack of precision. To make them appreciate the easy flow of Scott's narration and the vigor of his presentation of the theme, it might be well to have them write portions of the story in their own words, and compare their productions with that of the wizard of the north. II. — Historical Notes. Edward I. , taking advantage of a quarrel between John Balliol and Ilo))ert Bruce as to the priority of their respective right* to succeed to the Scottish throne, revived an old claim of England's feudal superiority over Scotland, and assumed the prerogative of deciding between the two rivals. Balliol, in whose favor Edward pronounced judgment, was afterwards induced by his countrymen to protest a;4ainst the arrogant pretensions of the English king. This rebellion, as it was styled by Edward, was made the pretext for an invasion of Scotland which ended in the 8u))jugation of that king- dom. English garrisons were placed in the fortified towns and the government of the country was carried on by a regent appointed by the English king. The Scotch, however, were not the people to submit tamely to such a violation of thtir liberties, and many a FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 33 patriot fought and died in a vain endeavour to re-establish the freedom of iiis native land. But it was not until Robert Bruce, the grandson of Balliol's rival, had killed the regent, Cronyn, and rallied around him the free spirits among his fellow-countrymen, that fortune again smiled upon Scotland's cause. The old warrior, Kdward I., gathered his forces and marched nortliwards to encounter iiruce, but died before he reached the Border, leaving the conduct of affairs in the hanus of his pleasuro-lovingson, Edward II. Robert I5ruce, making the best use of the respite afforded by this change in the rulership of England, strengthened his army and prosecuted the task of driving out the English garrisons with i^uch vigor and address that when Edward II. was at last roused to march against liim, Stirling Ciistle, almost the last stronghold to resist the Scots, was on the point of surrendering. III. — Explanatory Notfs. 85, 16. — Sterling. See introductory historical note. 85,31. — Bannockhnrn. 'Burn' is still the word used in the .Scotch dialect as the equivalent of the English ' brook.' 86, 7. — Mareschal. According to its derivation means ' horse- servant.' This word is still used in French in the two senses of a blacksmith and the commanding (officer of an army. Here it means the commander-in-cliief. 86, 9.— Falkirk. The scene of tiie defeat (1298) by the troops of Edward I., of Sir William Wallace, the most celebrated of the Scotch patriots. It is a burj^ii in the south of Sterlingshire, 80, 26. — chaplet. Wreath, the emblem of honorable distinction. See 11. 2-5 for the explanation (A the king's speech. 87, 15. — van. The advance body. 87, 33. — carc'.r. Rapid course. 88, 5. — aauaid. Notice the two senses in which thit word is em[)l<>yed. (See 86, 14.) 88, 15. — IVie Abbot, etc. In olden times clergvnum sometimes *'ven fought in Imttle. 88, 25. — on a Christmas Day. Why does Scott add this phrase ? 34 Lessons tN tiTESAtuRS 88, 2Q. -Falkirk. See note 86, 9. 89, 15. -with blankets displayed jrom poles. To simulate flags. 90, 23. — Wallace. (See note 86, 9). Was takr-i prisoner after the battle of Falkirk, and condemned to death. IV. — Questions and Exercises. 1. Analyze the thought of this extract, using complete statements to show (1) the general theme, (2) the themes of the main sub- divisions and the relation they bear t«) the main theme, (3) the sub- ject of each paragraph and the relation it bears to the theme of tho subdivision of which it forms a part. 2. What is the relation of thought between the first sentence of the paragraph beginning on 1. 13, p. 85, and the sentences follow- ing ? Select from these sentences those which describe the prepar- ations that may be most fitly designated strategic in the ordinary modern sense of the word, giving reasons for your selection. Which sentence of this paragraph bears least directly upon the m» n thought ? Justify the introduction of this sentence into tho paragraph. 3. What would be the eflfect of making the following substitu- tions : 'lacked,' for 'wanted,' (i)age 85, 1. 15) 'equipment' for 'strength,' (1. 16) 'to approach which from below,' for 'near which and beneath it,' (1. 21) ' was ' for ' were,' (1. 22) ' these pits ' for ' these,' (1. 24) ' smooth ' for ' plain,' (1. 26) 'all honeycombed' for as ' full holes, ' (1. 2G) ' driven into the earth in the parts of the field ' for 'scattered plain,' (1. 30) * terminated at ' for ' was ter- minated by,' (1. 33) ' nearly ' for ' near,' (page 86, 1. 2) * stationed ' for * posted,' (1. 3) ' near ' for ' near to,' (1. 6-8) 'despatched to survey ' for ' dismissed. , . .in order that they might survey,' (1. 8) * from a point as near Edward's army as practicable ' for ' as nearly as they could,' (1. 9) 'with the report' for 'with information,' (1. 13) ' on horse and on foot ' for ' on horse and foot * ? 4. Change the position of the phrase, " trusting. . . .horses " (page 85, 1. 28). What is the effect of the change ? FOlt ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 35 6. What ideas does Scott intend to call up by the use of the following words: (I. 15) 'this,' (1. 17) 'which,' (1. 19) 'whUe,' (1. 30) ' it,' (page 86, 1. 1) * this,' (1. 10) ' that ' (that vast host). 6. What is meant by ' beneath it ' (page 85, 1. 17), ' the bravest and most numerous host in Christendom ' (page 86, 1. 15). 7. Which part of the report given to Bruce by Douglas and Keith describes what is beautiful in the appearance of the English army, and which what is terrible ? Is the clause "that the bravest.... figainst them " a logical conclusion from the statement that the Hags of the English troops made a gallant show ? 8. Select from the paragraph words or phrases used in a sense or oruxettion in which they would not now be commonly employed. ,!. You are told in the introduction to this selection that Scott wrote the Tales of which this is one "for young people." Point out those portions of the selection where the style seems to be in any degree beyond the comprehension of "■ young people." V. — Biographical Note. The reader will find a full biographical note in the IV. Reader, page 84. . A. W. B. ewHSM 36 LESSONS IN LITEKATUKE XXXIII— THE SKYLARK. James Hfiao. T. — Introductory Remarks. The teacher should first try to make his pupils reahze the cir- cumstances under wliich the poem seems to have been composed. He should lead them to pictu ■'■ the shepherd poet, listening with delight, while his sheep are quiet. .uring around him, to the rich flow of melody of the skylark's hi j, and longing to share the joyous energy and freedom from cjire with which the bird seems to be gifted. Next, as far as possible from the study of the poem it- self, should be formed the conception of the flighl: and song of the lark. The pupils should picture the bird, as singing unceasingly it rises in spiral flight higher and higher till it becomes a mere speck in the sky, and finally disappears, while its rich, full, gushing song still makes itself heard from the heavens, seeming indeed more like the music of some celestial being than that of any mere creature of earth. Then the descent of the lark may be pictured, the volume of its song gradually increasing, until the bird again becomes visible and singing still, and still gazing upwards, comes slowly down as though loath to withdraw from the regions of brightness. At last it reaches a point from which it can hear the twittering call of its mate upon her nest ; then it ceases to sing, and with one glad swoop darts down to earth to rejoin its loved ones. In the same way the minot pictures should be realized ; the moor, the downy cloud, the sunrise sky, the rainbow, etc. Thus, poetry may be made to perform its proper function, the education of the im- agination and the heart. II. — Explanatory Notes. 1. 2. — cumberless. Free from the weight of care. The common adjectival derivatives from the word cumber are cumbrous, cumber- some. m .*!. FOR ENTRANCK EXAMINATIONS. 37 1. 3. — matfin. The morning service (of which music forms a part) in the Anglican or in the Roman Catholic church. Generally written ' matins ' when used u.s a substantive. 1. 6. — to abide. Note this use of the infinitive to express a wish. 1. 13. — fell. A hill or range of hills. ]. 15. — red streamer. The beams of crimson light emanating from the rising sun. 1. 19. — gloaming. A Scotch word for twilight. HI. — Questions and Exkrcises. 1. ^Vhat idea of the characteristics of the skylark do you form from this poem ? What does each stanza respectively contribute to this idea ? What the passages " o'er. . .lea " (1. 3), " Wild. . . .cloud " (1. 7-8), " Low ....be" (1. 20-21)? 2. The skylark is a bird not found exclusively, or perhaps even most frequently, amid wild and barren scenery. It usually selects for its nesting place meadow land, or the long grass in orchards or on the banks of stream&, or canals, or even by the road-sides, and its song may be heard in the vicinity of large towns. Why then does Hogg call it *' Bird of the wilderness ? '' 5. What personal feeling is aroused in Hogg by the thought of the skylark ? What words in the poem give expression to that feel- ing ? Why is he moved by it ? G. Why does he call the bird the ' ' Emblem of happiness "A 4- 22), a " cherub "(1. 18)? 7. State fully what ideas are conveyed to your mind by the ex- pressions 'cumberless,' 'matin,' ' downy,' ' dewy,' "red (lay," ' dim,' " thy lay earth," ' low.' 8. Explain the meanings of the words 'desert,' 'lay,' 'cloudlet,* 'gloaming.' 9. Shew in what respect the opening and closing stanzas are respectively fitted for the positions they occupy. T 38 LESSONS IN LITERATURE mf-xi 10. The Fourth Reader contains besides this poem by Hogg one by Shelley and one by Wordsworth on the same theme. Select from these three poems expressions similar in meaning. What points of resemblance and diflference do these poems present ? Give reasons why the theme should be so great h favorite as it is with poets. IV. — Biographical Note. James Hogg (1772-1835) is, after Bums, the most celebrated of the peasant poets of Scotland. The title by which he is commonly known, the " Ettrick Shepherd," tells us of his birthplace and of his calling. While watching his flocks on the moors near this beautiful Vale of Ettrick, Hogg taught himself to write and pro- duced poems, which by their melody and by the deep sympathy with nature with which they are imbued, made a powerful appeal to the hearts of those who read them. Some of his work came under the notice of Sir Walter Scott, who, filled with admiration for his untaught genius, employed him to assist in collecting examples of "The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border." Hogg soon gained recognition as a poet and made many influential friends. To assist him in money matters, the lease of a farm at Yarrow was procured for him, but he proved unsuccessful as a farmer, and removed to Edinburgh. For his subsequent means of livelihood, ho depended largely upon the generosity of Sir Walter Scott. A. W. B. FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 3tf ■A* ivtf XXXIV.— THE DEATH OF LITTLE NELL. I. — Introduction. Dickens, we all feel, has not as a rule successfully depicted women ; yet the sweet devotion, the grace and beauty of Little Nell show such fine sympathy with children that we wonder all the more at his. faihire. Little Nell is the heroine of Old Curiosity Sliop, which appeared first as a serial story begun in the fourth number of Master Humphrey'' s Clock, a periodical founded by Dick- ens in 1840. She is introduced to us when living in London with her grandfather, whose shop gave the name to the story. The 40 LESSONS IN LITKRATUIIE m grandfutlier through a mania for gaiuhliug — not to enricli himself but hifs grainU'liild b(u;;j;art'd himself, and was turned out of home by the malitniant dwarf Quilp. Hand in hand the old man and the little girl, with little mimey, dependent for an existence upon the kindness of people by the way, wandered from London. In their wanderings they were for a time with the Punch and Judy people ; they rested with the Old Schoolmaster ; they joined the caravan of Mrs. Jarley and her wax-works, the delight of the Nobility ; they journeyed in a canal-boat ; wandered hiMiieless in a manufacturing city till an iron-worker at the furnaces befriended them ; and again met the Old Schoolmaster going to a new and better position. This was an end of their wanderings, for in the village where the schoolmaster settled they found occupation, homo, and friends. Taking care of the church and churchyard, the grand- father and the little girl quickly won the love and esteem of all the villagers. But this lore was soon tii ged with pity, for in the cold and wet and hunger of their wanderings a mortal sickness had seized on Little Nell, and n\\ save the grandfather knew that she was dying. Meanwhile a younger brother of the grandfather had come home from abroad, and was making desperate efforts to find his relatives. At last he learned of their whereabouts, and accom- panied by Kit, who had been the errand-boy in the grandfather's shop, he hastened to the village ; but it was too iate. When they arrived Little Nell had been dead two days. ':m $. i I'iiJ-. II. — Explanatory Notes. Page 100, 1. 9. — iShe seemed. . . .life. Compare God's making of Adam, Gen. i, 26. 1. 14. — favor. Show a preference for. I. 19. — her little bird. When the grandfather and Little Nell fled from London, Nell's little bird was left behhid. It came into Kit's possession after a hard fight with Quilp's boy. When Kit and the " single gentleman " set out on their final journey to discover the fiigitives, Kit took the bird with him. 1. 24. — imaged in. Nell's figure, beautiful and full of repose, was, as it were, an image of peace and happiness, FOU ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 41 1. 27. — tJie old jiresUh. This seems to refer to the hearth in their village home. 1. 2^.—pa>ised, like a dream. Nell had come among the poor and wretched, without their knowing why ; she had stayed but a brief time, brightening their life, then passed away. 1.29. — the door of tJic pour schoolmaster. See introduction. The schoolmaster was sitting in his little porch with its honeysuckle and woodbine, when the wanderers passed and accosted him. 1. 30. — before the furnace-fire. See introduction. In the noisy city the penniless wanderers were worn out with cold and damp. Night had come on them croucliing in an old '^oorway, when a poor grimy worker in the furnaces took them in cliarge, carrying Nell as they went to the mills. Arrived there he gave them a warm bed on a mat before the furnace, and when they departed gave them money his poverty could ill spare. 1. 31. —the dying hoy. The favorite pupil of the schoolmaster. He was a clever boy who wrote a beautiful hand, and loved the schoolmaster as a son. He died while Nell made her first short rttay with the master. Page 101, 1. 2. — for warmth. The grandfather could not believe tint Nell was dead. i. 11. — waning, -in expressive word — gradually growing weaker 1. 11. — the garden. The churchyard with its shrubs and flowers ; tliey had plucked away the nettles, thinned the poor shrubs, cleared it of leaves and weeds. 1. 17 — 2ifot on earth that Heaven's jnstice ends. The death of Little Nell after suflerings never merited would be an injustice if there were to be no recompense in heaven. 1.23. — they heard. "They" mean the grandfather's younger l)rother, Kit's kind master, Mr. Garland, and Kit himself. They had arrived only when Nell was dead. 1.25. — iliey had all been. That is, the schoolmaster, probably the vicar of the village, and the grandfather. Page 102, 1. 15. — The child. "She had sought out the young children whom she first saw playing in the churchyard. One of these — he who had spokeu of his brother — was her favorite and aMum.ijuuiiiJii-i. ^ , .1,, ,l,liiii!WJ^^^»gWBHl ■■ 42 LESSONS IN LITERATURE friend, and often sac by her aide in the church, or climbed with her to the tower-top." 1. 37. — Made as tlu)uyh. Acted as if. Page 10.'}, 1. 5. — herries for her bed. The teacher should read to the class the pages of the narrations omitted here in the Reader. 1, 313. —Ea rlh to earth, etc. A quotation from the burial service of the Anglican Church. Note how well the words suggests the whole ceremony of the burial. Page 104, 1. 1. — dropped its little wreath. Au old custom of Eng- lish villagers is here introduced. 1. 6. — the pavement stone. As was a very common custom, Nell was buried within the church. A flagstone in the pavement was lifted, and when the body was placed in the ground beneath, it was replaced. 1. 29. — teem ivith assurances. Are alive with sure suggestions and hopes. III. — Questions and Exercises. Page 100, IT 1. — Tell in a short sentence what this paragraph is about. What verb is understood in the second sentence ? Fill out the expression "as fair to look upon as " What in Nell's appearance is signified by " She seeuieu . . death ? " What dis- position in Nell is indicated by her wish, " When I die. . . .always ? " IF 2. — Give briefly the substance of the paragraph. Why is the "She was dead" repeated? Why is her little bird referred to? Explain "Sorrow was dead .... peace and perfect happiness were born." Explain " imaged in .... repose." IT 3. — Tell briefly the substance of the paragraph. Explain " her former self," "in this change." What incidents in Nell's life are called up in the sentence, " '^he old fireside look V " So," in what way shall we know the angels 'I P^e 101, IT 1. — Give the substance of the paragraph. Who Wti8 " the old m.m 1 " Why did he hold " the languid arm in his for v\ .irmth i " Give another phrase for " e^'er and anon." IT 2. — "The ancient rooms," why not " old i" [The rooms were parts of an antiquated dwelling belonging to the church.] Disthi- guish between "waning" and "passing." FOR K> "RANL'E EXAMINATIONS. 43 IT 3. — Give the substance of the pani^Tuph. What prompts the schoolmaster's remarks, "it is not on earth .... ends," and "if (»ue deliberate wish .... utter iti" Com[)are the poem "Resig- nation," IT 4. — Distinguish the meanings of "they," as used here. [See notes.] IT 5. — Give briefly the substance of the paragraph. What do we learn of Nell's character in the sentence " They could tell .... fervor." Why does Dickens say there may have been music in the air ? Page 102, IT 1. — Give briefly the substance of the paragraph. IT 2. — Give the substance of the para^'raph. Explain " faded like the light upon a summer's evening." Who was "the child?" In wliat was he " a lesson to them all ? " IT 3. — Give the substance of this paragraph. What feelings were in the old man that he "had not spoken," that he "had not stirred," tliat he " burst into tears?" Why did the sight of the child do him j^ood?" IT 4. — Give the substance of the paragraph. — Express very briefly the clause " which must remove .... forever." Why does Dickens not say simply " on which she was to be buried ? " Why was the grandfather led away ? What pretext was given him ? Page 103, T 1. — Express briefly the substance of the paragra])h. Why should listening to the bell afibrd "solemn pleasure. " Ex- plain "almost as a living voice." Why is the toll described as "remorseless?" Describe the tolling of a bell. Describe the persons indicated by "decrepit age .... infancy." Show the appropriateness of "on crutches life'' to each phr^r-e of the preceding sentence. Explain clearly the "pride" of jii^'th, the "full blush" of promise, the "dawn" of life. What is peculiar in the expression "the living dead?'' How does it well describe those to whom it applies ? Why do they come to the bariai ? IF 2. — What does this paragraph describe ? Explain the " crowded " path. Why is " day " used and not " life ? " FJll out 44 LESSONS IN LITKRATUHE the expression "as fleeting as " Why "Heaven in its mercy V IT 3. — Give the substance of this paragraph. Distinguisli "musing" and "thinking." What feeling is indicated by " softly/ Explain " Some trembling, changing light." IF 4. — Give the substance of the paragraph. What ceremony is suggested by the words *' Earth to earth .... dust." Page 104, IF 1. — Give the substance of the paragraph. Explain the custom of her burial in the church. Why did one villager call to mind "her sitting .... sky ? " Would "brave " »iy as much as "bold" in the third sentence? Which may suggest a bad sense ;* What did the comments of the others suggest of Nell's disposition '. IF 2. — Give the substance of this paragraph. Explain "whun outward things .... immortality ; " " when worldly .... before them." How would the things mentioned in this clause give them tranquil and submissive hearts ? Explain " left the child with God." Group the paragraphs describing her death bed, her death, li burial. Show the different ways in which in the first six pa graphs Nell's death is described. Write a short account of Little Nell's life. Describe, in your own words, the funeral procession, the gathering at her burial, the burial, the place of burial, the feel- ings of the mourners, the scene when the child is left with God. What do you love in the character of Little Nell ? IV. — Biographical Note. Charles Dickens, one of the greatei^t novelists of the world and a writer dear to all who love hearty English humor, a manly nature sympathetic with the life of the people, and a blameless pen, was born at Landporfc, Portsea, Hampshire, on Feb. 7, 1812. His early life was one of great hardship, for he was obliged to earn the few shillings a week a boy could earn in a blacking factory, covering blacking pots. But a resolute mind showed itself early, and Dickens became an attorney's clerk, then a newspaper reporter, then a magazine writer, and thus found his vocation. His Sketches bv Boz were followed by a work that at once made his humorous FOK KNT RANCH EXAMINATIONS. 45 1 in its atinguisli •' softly r •emony is genius acknowledged — the Plrkir/ick Papers. Then came Oliver 'ruristj Nicholas JSiicklehy, Old Curiosity Sliojt, and Btirnaby ltudgi\ the last two intended to form parts of a series of novels entitled Master Hiimphrei/s Clock. In 1841 he visited America, which gave rise to American Notes and Martin Chuzdennt. Then fcUowed in (juick succession Dombey and Son, David Copperjield, Hard Timers, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, and Our Mutual Friend. But in the midst of his successes he was struck with apoplexy, dying June 9, 1870. On a slab in the Pf)et'H Corner in Westminster Al)bey and on the hearts of a grateful world is written the name of Charles Dickens. F. H. S. 46 LESSONS IN LITERATURE XXXIX.— A PSALM OF LIFE. } ! jA.VV. c>^ N^vyuiU*^ II ..-■V, r* I i ill? 1; (f.,,;.M I. — Introduction, The "Psalm of Life" is the greatest of Longfellows's early poems. It was written, he tells us, one brio;ht summer morning, hastily, upon the blank portion of an invitati(jn, and is dated July 2G, 1838. " Here was evidently a new strain in American poetry. It has perhaps grown too familiar for us to read it as it was first read. But if the ideas have bec(jme counnonplace, it has been well said that it is this poem that has made them so. Those who remembor its first appearance know well wliat W( >nderf ul freshness it had. It was copied far and wide. Young men read it with delight ; tlieir hearts were stirred by it as by a bugle sununons. It roused thoni to high resolve, and wakened them to a new sense of the meaning and worth of life. They did not stop to ask critically whether or not it passed the line that separates poetry from preaching . . . FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 47 It was enough that it inspired them and enlarged their lives. I'hirty years later, a man high in the community for integrity and generosity, came to his old professor of chemistry . . . and added 'I feel that I can never repay you for the good you did nie that day in reading us the Psalm of Life. I grasped its spirit instantly and made it the inspiration of my life.' Mr. Sumner tells us of a classmate of his who was saved from suicide by reading this poem.' Life of Loiigfellow, ed. by Samuel Longfellow. I. 270 f. II. — Explanatory Notes. J^Hmt the heart ... .psalmist. "The question has sometimes been asked, Who is the 'Psalmist' to whom the heart of the 'young man' responds? As none of the Hebrew Psalms is remem- bered as containing the combated expression, it has been supposed that the word should have been "Preacher" in reference of Ecclesi- asies. But we have the author's own word, written in after years, that the "the 'Psalmist' was neither David nor Solomon," but simply the writer of tlie psalm. It was the young man's better heart, answering and refuting his own mood of despondency." Life of Langfellow, I. 272 f. 1. 1. — numbers. Used poetically for the metrical words of poetry. See Exile of Erin, 1. 16, and note. 1. 3. — soul. . . .slumbers. The man who thinks "life is a dream," who lives as if life were no reality but only a phantasy, is not truly living; he is "dead" to the real meaning of life. 1. 4. — things. . . .seem. Life may seem to be an "empty dream," for men die apparently like brutes, and the world knows nothing more of tbem; but the poet holds that life is not what it seems. Scan this line : And' things are' not what' they seem'. 5. — Life is real. This stanza shows why life, which seem a dream, is not what it seems. 1, 6. — goal. The destination and end, fulfilment of the object of life. 1. 7. — Dmt thou art. Gen. iii. 19. See also the Burial Service of the Book of Common Prayer, "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." 48 LESSONS IN LITEHATURE |i! 1. 8. — not spoken of the soul. The body perishes, but the sou^ does not die with it. 1. 9. — Not e)i,jo}^ment . . . .way. We are born neither to give our- selves entirely up to pleasure nor to make life a torment and misery. 1. 10. — destined end or way. The goal of life or the course of human life, determined by God. 1. 12. — farther. Farther on, higher up, in the journey of life; thinking more purely, living more nobly than before. 1. 13. — Art. .. .fleeting. It takes long to become peric many of the arts — long to become a perfect painter or musician or poet — and even as one is striving, time is passing away, lessening our opportunities for self-improvement. In another sense, thougli scarcely meant here, Art, as seen in the poetry and sculpture of ancient nations such as Greece, outlives all the attacks of passing time. This has been said centuries ago by Hippocrates in his first aphorism: "Arslonga, vita brevis," Art long, life short. 1. 14. — And our hearts. . . .grave. Though we live bravely in Hie midst of duty every heart-throb tells us that we are a moment nearer death. [Drums are muffled by passing a piece of cloth or a hand- kerchief between the strings of gut and the drum-head so as to pre- vent their vibration. The drums at a military funeral are always muffled. ] 1.18. — bivouac of life. This iterates the preceding line. "Biv- ouac {hiv'oo ah) is the temporary camp of an army. Life is well represented as a bivouac, since it is temporary, transient, and since all those who live are engaged in the warfare and struggle, it is hoped, for the right. 1. 19. — dumb, driven cattle. Duty is not beautiful when we do it reluctantly, when we are torced to it as the ox is goaded to drag the cart. 1. 21. — Trust no Future. Do not while away time in mere castle- building, in mere dreaming of future success. FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 49 ive our- jiit and >urse of of life; in any 3r poet — ning our , though ilpture of ►f passing his first ely in the mt neuver ir a hand- as to pre- n-e alwiiys |e. "Biv- fe is well and since ggle, it is In we do it led to drag here castle- 1. 22,- Fast (niry its dead. Luke ix., 60. Do not while away time lamenting for past errors and defeats. 1. 23.— iimtgf Frestnt. "Living," real, as distinct from the past that is dead and gone, .-ind from the future that is only fmcy. 1. 24. — Heart. .. .o'er head. Trusting in ourselves and in the |)rotection and aid of Grod. 1. 25. — Lives .... Time. Man have become great ; therefore in their lives there is a proof and reminder that we too can elevate ourselves. Then in our turn, when we are dead, we may leave traces of great and noble actions in the history of the world. 1. 29 — Footprints . . . .again. Traces that may inspire some des- paiiing fellow-man to renewed effort on the jsalm of life ? 2. Who is the " psalmist " ? 3. In what mood is he i 4. Who is the "yonng man " ? 5. In what mood is he ? (5. Is this the natural spirit of youth? 7. What lines of the "Psalm" best show this spirit ? Stanza I. — 1. Who is spoken to in 1. 1 ? 2. Who is si)eaking ? ;i. What are numbers? 4. What are the "mournful numbers" E 50 LESSONS IN LITERATURE m II lib ■1: ,a which have been addressed to the speaker ? 5. Why " mournful " ? 6. Why should one not say "life is a dream"? 7. What is the meaning, as used by the poet, of "dead " and " slumbers " ? Give a sentence showing that "sleep" and "slumber" sometimes mean " to be dead " (see Collins' poem, p. 291 of the Reader.) 8. Men- tion some " things are not what they seem." Stanza II. — 1. How does this stanza give answer to the first stanza ? 2. What is the goal of Life ? 3. Why is the poet's mean- ing more clearly expressed by writing " Life " rather than *' life " ? Discuss the use of capital letters throughout the poem. 4. From where is the quotation " dust. . . .returneth " ? 5. What was this saying applied to, if not to the soul ? Stanza III. — 1. How does this stanza help us to understand the preceding. [If Life has not the grave as goal, if it does not return to dust, what is its object ?] 2. Why is not " enjoyment" the end of life ? 3. Why not "sorrow " ? 4. What is meant by a destined (desftin'd) end or destined way? 5. Why does noble action satisfy our ideas of the aim of life ? 6. " Fiud us farther " in what direction ? Stanza IY. — 1. What bearing has this stanza on the precedinsj ? [Noble action is the aim of life, but life is short, so that we have but a short time in which to achieve greatness in human arts.] 2. Whose words is Longfellow using in 1. 13? 3. Explain their meaning. 4. What scene is called up in 11. 16, 16 ? 5. In what sense are our hearts " muffled drums " ? 6. What is the litej-al meaning of the term "muffled drums"? What suij. iJl Stanza V. — 1. How is the world a battle-field ? 2 gests this comi)arison ? [See 11. 15, 16.] 3. How is life a bivouac? 4. What is ignoble in being like " dumb, driven cattle " ? 5. How do U. 19, 20, bear out the object of life as described in 11. 11, 12. Stanza VI. — 1. How does this stanza bear out 11. 11, 12? [Acti. Explain, having a * ' heart for any fate." 7. Still ' ' achieving " what ? 8. Still "pursuing" what? 9. How is this stanza related to 11. 11, 12? 10. How does it sum up the teaching of the poem ? The poem should be memorized. The pupil will mark the lines that he especially likes. IV. — The Form op the Pokm. The class mark off" various lines till they can see that the pre- dominant measure is X X X X X X Each line has four accents ( ' ) each accent being followed by one unaccented syllable ( x ), except that in the last foot ( ' x ) of the 52 LESSONS IN LITERATURE 2nd and 4th line, of each st«inza the unaccented syllable is lackhig. The foot ' X is called a Troche,e (tro'ke). A line of four feet of any metre is called Tetra'rneter (Gk. tetra, four). Hence the measure is trocluiic tetrametre. The rimes are with 1st and 3rd and 2nd and 4th lines. The Ist and 3rd are double or feminine rimes ; the 2nd and 4th are single or mnscnline rimes. V. — Biographical Note. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the greatest of American poets, and with Tennyson, one of the two most popular poets of the English-speaking peoples of the present age, was born in Portland, Maine, in 1807, and died, after long years of happiness, honors, and great achievements, in Cambridge, Mass., in 1882. His success at college in translating an ode of Horace won him the position of pro- fessor of modern languages in Bowdoin College, which he left in 1834 to become professor in the same department in Harvard College, Cambridge. He became a poet at an early age ; at thirteen, verses of his appeared in tlie town paper of his native place : but it was not till 1839, when the success of " Psalm of Life " had given him faith in his powers, that he published his first volume of poems, "Voices of the Night." Thenceforth, every year or two, a volume came from his pen, sometimes a novel like " Hyperion, " sometimes a drama like the "Spanish Student," sometimes lyrical poems such as "Sea- side and Fireside," or stories in verse such as "The Tales of ii Wayside Inn," sometimes translations of foreign poems, — even of tli > great Italian epic poem " The Divine Comedy " of Dante. The sui- jects of his work he drew from all literatures, of which he had gainoil extensive knowledge as well by study as by frequent and long visits to the old land. Yet he did not neglect home subjects. The old legends of Indian life were transformed into the wonderful story of "Hiawatha''; the expatriation of the Acadians from Nova Scotiu gave rise to the pathetic and bt.iutiful idyl of " Evangeline" ; tlic story of his own ancestors among the Pilgrim Fathers of Massa- chusetts afforded the materials for " Miles Standish." Longfellow's name is a household word, which tells us at once the nature of his genius and the exten of his infiuonce. His worl FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 53 ,cki:ig. )f any leasure \:\ie Ist 3 single \ poets, i of till' •ortland, lors, and iccess at n of pro- Et in 1834 [ College, >n, verses Lt was not him faith "Voices jame from a drama las "Sea- ^ales of f" |ven of til J The sui - lad gaincil ]on«j; visits The old U story of Iva Scotia Ine"; the of M.'vssa- is neither very powerful nor very original, and adds very little to the real thought of the world. But no poet has embodied to such an extent, or in as graceful form as Longfellow, the domestic aflections, the simple, tender feelings of humanity. Children will never tire of " The Wreck of the Hesperus " ; bereaved parents of "Resignation" ; while "The Psalm of Life" will long continue to be for young America a trumpet-call to earncKt high-minded activity. For his skill as a story-teller Longfellow deserves a place among our L'reat masters, Chaucer, Leigh Hunt, Morris, and Tennyson are alone worthy of comparison with him. Simple, loveable, pure in character, Longfellow has imprinted his own character ronnnciation of 'bivouacked'? (There are two authorized pronunciations: hXv- Wtlkd and blv'-o-i'ikd When the soldiers pass the night in the open }iir without encamping, and are ready to fight ;it any moment, they art! said to bivouac. The 'k' in the past ten.se is an unnecessary letter.] 14. In what three dittercnt tongues did the followers of Diuilac pray ? [The Hurons did not sj)e; \ the same dialect of Indian : s tlie Algonquins] 15. " And when at siniset. , . .hynm." Select tliu most suggestive words in this sentence and show tlieir aptness, [liasked means bathed, but in the sunshine, not in water. We say, "Fussy basks in the sunshine, in the heat from the stove."] 16. Kxplain carefully 'scouts,' 'tidings,' 'ambush,' and 'valley.' Use eacli in a sentence. [A scout is a spy ; one who watches secretly the movements of the enemy. Tidings is used in the plural only. The word means news, intelligence. Tidings generally allay anxiety, while news gratifies curiosity. Tidings are always expected ; news is unexpected. Ambush means a place of concealment for troops, especially in a wood ; a hidden position from Avhich to surprise and attack the enemy. A volley is an emission of many shots at once.] Pack 15V. 17. Pronounce the word 'allies ' [al-liz]. 18. Show the fiiice of desultory. [Des'-til-to-ry means l)y fits find starts; hence irregular.] 19. What is a 'parley'? [The word means a talk but is used to denote a conversation between leaders, generally to secure peace.] 20. What is the difference between a row of stakes and a palisade? [PS,1 1 sade' is the name given to the row of stakes when they are fortified by nmd, earth, guns, etc.] 21. Who were the Sonecas? [Sen'-e-cas is the name of one of the Iroquois tribes.] 22. What does untoward mean [Un-tow'-a,rd. Un means not and hence untoward means not- toward ; therefore awkward, inconvenient.] Pace 158. 23. Tell the meaning of ' ensconced, ' [In a sconce or fort, hence sheltered.] 'cattle-pen,' 'digest the affront,' [Compare, digest food.] 'pent up together,' [Pent is the past participle of to pen, to en- close], 'pittance,' [a small allowance,] and t^antalized. [Tantalus was the son of Jupiter and Pluto and was punished by being afflicted with thirst and hunger. He was placed in water that always receded from him as soon as he attempted to drink, while over his head 3E 58 LRSSONS IN LITKUATURK m 4 1:4 I hi I hung fruit that he could never reach. What is similar in the state of the French and their allies ?] 24. When is a man a 'renegade'? [ When he is a deserter from the cause he has esp(jused he is scornfully chilled a renegade.] 25. What does * reinforcement ' mean? Page 159. 26. Pronounce and explain 'futile,' [ftl'-tll, trivial, uHeless,] 'concert,' [con'-cert, harmony; not cent the vacations of Harvard College in wandeHngs i hrough the forest and mountains of Vermont, Maine, and Canada. Gradually in those wanderings the work ho was called U) do became clearer to him, and gave dii'ection to his observation of the forest and its deni/cns. This work was the chronicling of the years of encounter between the Indians and the Europeans on this continent. In pursuit of this 'al he in 1846 went to the Rockies to live in the wigwams and join the hunting parties of the Dacotahs. So arose Tfie Oregon Trail. In i.851 began the first volume of his real work. The Con- spiracy of Pontiac. Year after year, ceaseless study in the archives of the old and new world has yielded fruit in a great historical series whose truth and picturesque style charm the historian and the general reader. These are : Thf Pioneers of New France^ 1865 ; Th'. Jamts m North America, 1867; La Salle, 1761); I'he Old Be- qime >h iJanada, 1874; Count FronteaaCy 1877, and Montcalm and Wolfe, 1884. 6. L. 00 LESSONS IN LirERATUltE lilt 4^.:.., i LYL—TRE HONEST MAN Geokge Herbert. I. — Biographical Note. This is an extremely difficult and rugged piece of verse. The style is much condensed, the transitions in tliought are abrupt and in souie cases violent; every line is packed with meaning. Young pupils cannot be expected to profit by it, without very patient and thorough explanation. In order to teach it as it should be taught, the teacher should know something of his other poetry, his life, character, and the literature of which Herbert forms a part. "The Poems of George Herbert," Camelot Classics Series, (Walter Scott, London and Newcastle, 1886,) costs about twenty-five cents ; and contains not only a good selection of his poetry but the invaluable life of the author by Izaak Walton. It will be found to be most helpful to the conscientious tencher or student. George Herbert (1693-1633) belonged to one of the most famous families in England. His eldest brother was Lord Herbert of Cher- bury, soldier, statesman and religious philosopher; his mother, like Goethe's, was one of those notn' 'e women to whom their talented sons owe so much. Herbert was educated at Westminister Scliool and at Cambridge, that home of English poets. In his youth he was a courtier, and received from James II. an appointment worth £120 a year. Disappointed of further preferment and urged by his mother, he entered the Church ; in 1626 he was made Prebendary of Layton Eeclesia, and in 1630 he became parish priest of Ben'.rton near Sali.s')ury. Before his induction, he married Miss Jane Dan- vers, on a very short acquaintance. His health had k)ng been weak and he was carried off while yet a young man, by consumpti(»ii. Herbert wiis a devout Christian and a zealous adherent of tlie Church of England. His poetry is denoted to the expression (»f distinctively Christian thought and to the |)raise of the Church lie loved so well. At Bemerton, he and his household spent much of FOR ENTRANCE ilXAMlNATIONS. 61 tlieir time in the devout practice of religious observanceti. He was piissioii.itely fond of music, and he was kind to the poor of his parish. Of his personal appearance Walton says : " He was for his pn'son of a stature inclining towards tallness ; his body was very straight, and so far from being cumbered with too much tiesh, that hf was lean to an extremity. His aspect was cheerful, and his s])ooch and motion did both declare him a gentleman ; for they were all so meek and obliging, that they purchased love and respect from all that knew him." Herbert is to be classed as an Elizabethan poet of the second period, when quaintness was beginning to characterize poetry rather than strong feeling. The antithetic turn in 1. 25, the repetition of the same word in two senses as in 1. 35, the ha})it of using meta- phors and figures — are all characteristic of the period. An under- standing of Shakspeare's diction will help very much in teaching this poem of Herbert's. The following characterization of his poetry by Mr. Saintsbury may prove helpful. "He expresses comnKtu needs, common thoughts, the everday needs of the Christian, just sublimated suf- ficiently to make them attvactive. The fashion and his own taste gave him a pleasing quaintness, which his good sense kept from be- [\vf ever obscure, or oftensive, or extravagant. The famous "Sweet day so cool, so calm, so bright," and many short passages which are known to every one express Herbert perfectly. The thought is obvious, usual, in no sense far-fetched. The morality is plain and simple. The expression, with a sufficient touch of the daintiness of the time, has nothing that is extraordinarily or ravishingly felici- tous whether in phrasing or versing. He is, in short, a poet whom all must respect, whom those who are in sympathy with his vein of thought cannot but revere ; who did England an inestimable service by giving to the highest and purest thoughts that familiar and a})i(l- iiig poetic garb which contributes so much to fix any thoughts in the mind, and of which, to tell the truth, poetry has been much more prodigal to otlier departments of thought by no means so well deserving." — ElizahetJum Literature, London, 1887, p. S73. 62 LESSONS IN LITERATURE lljfti*- II. — Notes and Comments. 1. l.^Who is the Itonest nmn? "Honest" means here much thu sume af "just" in the Bil)le; the man of perfect character, the ideal man. The poet seems to have had two models before his mind in writing, the xv. Psalm, which begins with a question "Lord who shall abide in thy tabernacle?" and contains as answei-, a description of such a man; "He that walketh uprightly, etc.": and second, the famous ode of Horace (Bk. iii. 3) ' Justum ac tenacem propositi virum Non civium ardor prava jubentium,' etc. ' Neither the tieneness of the mob insisting on evil deeds, nor th. face of the threatei, iug tyrant, nor the southerly storm, the turbulent master of the restless Adriatic, nor even the strong hand of Jove him- self with his thunder, can swerve from his fixed resolve the man who is just and constant in mind. Though the round world should crash to- gether the ruins would overwhelm him, still unfearing.' 1. 2. — good pursue. Possibly an unconscious modification of I. Pet. iii., 10, 11: "seek peace and ensue it." 1. 3. — himself most trvs. *' To thine own self be true ; And it must follow as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man," — Hamlet I., 3. 1. 5. — Unpin. The meaning is difficult. Johnson in his dic- tionary quotes this stanza to illustrate the meaning of unpiu = 'unbolt'. In old ballads, "pin" often means bolt of a door, 'i'jie ordinary meaning is to take out the pins, — of a dress: and so cjuiae disorder. Either will give sense. "Fawning, " servility and flathiy cannot "unpin," insidiously prevent — "force" cannot "wrench," violently prevent —the honest man from performing the duties he owcis to all. 1. 7. — so loose and easy. Metaphor from the wearing of the cloak ; in Herbert's time, a necessary part of msJe costume. He may have had the fable of the Traveller and His Cloak in his niiiul. His "honesty" (principles) are not readily departed from. "RufH- ing", boisterous ; a "rufller" at this time, was a bully. *. i FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 63 jation of I. 1. 8. — glittering look it blind. A sudden change of metaphor. The honest man cannot be blinded by the sight of splendor, into ignoring the difference between right and wrong. The idea of "look" is staring impudently "it" (honesty) out of countenance; or dazzling till "it" (honesty) loses its sight. 1. 9. — sure and even trot. Again a sudden change. Metaphor from riding in company. The "honest" man keeps his even pace ; the world does not. "He that believeth shall not make haste." ha. xxviii.^ 16. 1. 13. — the thing. The most general meaning of this vague word ; here, all the circumstances relating to each trial (1. 11); "w^eigh," consider, the honest man considers what will be the force of his ex- HiHple in every important act of his life. 1. 14. — into a sum All being summed up. The metaphor is taken from adding up accounts. The honest man is praised in this verse for avoiding rashness. 1. 15. — Wliat place or person calls for. Wlien all things are con- sidered fully, he discharges the duty binding on him, either on account of his own personal dignity or from his social position. "He doth pay" carrying out the idea of "sum ;" satisfies the claims made upon him by "place or person." "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it: for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou has vowed." — Eccles. v. 4- 1. 16. — v)ork or tooo. Force or persuade. This verse praises him for being straightforward : not doing anything underhand. Same idea as in 11. 4, 6. 1. 17. — sleight. Anything like a trick. Tn his poem "Nature,' Herbert rimes 'deceit' with 'straight,' as in this case. He does not always rime exactly: but liere "deceit" is pronounced "de- sate," and probably, 'sleight," "slate." The pronunciation of the (lay was like present day Irish. \. 19.— fashion. In its literal meaning of " make," outward ap- pearance. " By Heaven I will, Or let me lose the fashion of a man. " —Henry VIIL, iv., £. 64 LESSONS IN LITERATURE The very l(M)k, dress, etc., of the honest man is consistent with his actions and speech. I. 20.— All of a piece. Consistent, not piebald : metaphor from cloth : not patched of different colors and materials. 1. 21. — nidts or thaws. Yields, gives way. 1. 22. — temptations. Difl'ereut from 'trials' line 11, which are situations in which it is hard to know how to act. 'Temptations,' opportunities and inducements to sin; "close," not far away, but present, real, immediate. 1. 23. — in dark can rwh. Is active, effects its purpose. We say . of writs : they run. It is of course not literal darkness that Herbert means. The "honest man" man is virtuous, not only when the eye, of the world is on him, but when he might sin in secret, secure from observation. 1. 25. — And is their virtiie. This jingle on words is characteristic of Herbert's time. Again, "sun" is not to be taken in the litui.il sense ; it is the ordinary circumstances of life which regulate Mh everyday life of ordinary men ; public opinion, Mrs. Grundy. Pul)lic opinion is the virtue of ordinary people: that is, they are good only because they are afiaid of what people will say. The "honest" man's sun is "virtue." Virtue "writeth laws" for liiiu; i. e., regulates all his actions as the actual sun regulates the daily actions of mankind. 1. 26. — to treat. Deal with. Herbert considers that special allow- ance must be made for women. He classes them with sick and passionate persons, as not beinii; so open to reason as the rest of mankind. This idea is becoming obsolete, as far as women are con- cerned. 1. 29. — defeat. Bocaiiso otliers fail in their duty, or in their obli- gations towards him, the honest man does not, for that, come sliort in his duties or obligations. 1. 30. — part. Meta[)hor from the theatre. The character which an actor represents in a play is called his "part." 1.31. — procure. "Cause," "bring it about that." 1. 32. — bius. Metaphor from the game of bowling, still in use. The bowl being not perfectly round does not z'un on the grass m FOR ENTRANCK EXAMINATIONS. 65 with his »hor from vhich are iptatioiis,' away, but We say ,t, Herbert in the eye, icure from tracteristic the litcr.il tiulate th'i . Grundy. s, they iire say. The " for him ; |s the daily scialallow- sick and |the rest of ill are con- I their obh- 3ome short iter which till in use. the gi;is8 straight to the nuuk but makes a curve. "The wide world runs bias,'' AUairs in general do not go as he wishes them to go. 1. 33. — to writhe. To impotently fret under these vexing circum- stances. Impatience is shown by jerking or twisting mcjvements of the limbs. This interpretation reciuire the comma, not after ''l)ias," but after "will." Punctuated with a comma after "bias," as in the Reader, we interpret "to let his limbs or less worthy im])ulses and desires escape from the control of liis spirit or higher Nature." Nothing can make the honest man tamely share the evil* lie will try to remedy it. 1. 34. — The marksman. Another of Herbert's rapid changes. The "honest" man is the .SH-re marksman; he is certain of hitting the mark, i.e., of fulfilling his purposes in life. That is the reward of constancy. " Justura ac tenaoem propositi viri;m." The just man who holds to his purpose. 1. 35. — Who dill. This fashion of jingling woi'ds is peculiar to Herbert's time. Seel. 25. The first "still "means "constantly," the second "in the future as now and before." III. QUKSTIONS. To mak(^ this lesson profitable, it should be taught most minutely. Every point should be discussed carefully; for the thttught is diffi- cult for young persons to grasp, Such questions as the following would serve to bring out the meaning of each verse. To whom is the question in 1. 1 put^ Who answers it? [Com- pare for similarity of structure Ps. xv.] What i;s the meaning of " honest T' What is the first mark of the honest man? What is the meaning of pursuing good'^ How can a man be true to himself I The meaning of true? What idea does fawning call up? The meaning of unpin? Of wrench? Write the Verse in prose order, ex})anding it in order to bring out the meaning. [This last exercise for each verse, will fix the thought in the minds of the class : but it ahoidd only be attempted after the most careful exposition Otherwise the pupils will be confirmed in error, not in right i^ioaa. C'i LESSONS IN LITERATURE m' 1 How can honesty be loose or ensy? The meaning of honesty' Wliat is a metaphor/ The meaning of " look it blind "^ What is the honest man praised for in this stanza? To how many things is honesty compared in this stanza? The meaning of trials? of stay? of thing? of sun? What is tin- metaphor in 1. 14, 15 ? What virtue is attributed to the honest man in this stanza? Does "work or woo" convey the same idea as "force nor fawning"? What is the difference between ' trick ' and 'sleight'? The mean- ing of 'fashion' here? How can 'words and works, and fashion' be sjiid to be 'all of a piece' i* and 'clear and straight'? To what is the honest man compared in 1. 21? To what is his goodness compared ? How can the sun write laws? Does virtue wj'ite laws for the honest man ? Does ' run ' carry out the idea of * sets not' ? How can the 'sun' be the ' virtue' of 'others' ! The meaning of ' treat ' ? of treat with ' ? of treaty ' ? What does the honest man 'allow for'? Is there any difference in the thougjit of 1. 29, and of 1. ^JO? What good qualities of the honest man uie brought out in this stanza? The meaning of 'procure'? of bias? 'on the bias'? Why is the world called 'wide'? The meaning of 'from his will'? The differ- ence between 'will' and 'wish'? What idea in " writhe " ? Pai-se 'share' and 'mend'. 'I'lie meaning of 'marksman'? of the two 'still's '1. 35^ In conclusion review carefully and point out the separate qualities which characterise the ideal Jwnest man. Show whether these ideas are embodied in the modem idea of honesty. This lesson might be used to show how language is constantly changing, or as an introduction to Elizabethan literature. A. M. M. FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS 67 LIX.— YARROW UNVISITED. ■fawning"? The meaii- fashion' be What does he th()u;j;lit 3st man are ^^t^yTT?^^ I. — Introduction. This poem is one of a series of three— Farrow Unvisited, Yarrow Visited and Yarrow Bevisited, —HuggGsted hy three visifes which Wordsworth made to Scotland. Coleridge and Wordsworth's sister Dorothy (the " Avinsonio Marrow " of this poem) were his compan- ions on his first visit. Of this tour his sister kept a journal showing tlio places they visited. Among these Were the grave of Burns, Loch Lomond, the Trosachs, the Pass of Killicrankie, and many other places celebrated in history or tradition, or for their natural beauty. On their return south they met Scott at Melrose. The 68 LESSONS IN LITEKATURE visit was remembered by bf)th poets with great pleasure. One of the places not visited was the river Yarrow, fainous in Scottish song. 'L'he thought expressed in the poem is not one of regret that they should omit visiting such an interesting spot, but rather of philosophic satisfaction that they should be able to keep the picture with which imagination had supplied them ; for in seeing places of which one has heard a great deal, disappointment is likely to come, as the expectations are often not realized, and then the ideal is forever destroyed by the real. Besides, it is wise to save some enjoyment for another occasion, for the more of earth's beauties one has seen, the less remains for future enjoyment ; and the blas^ individual is the most unhappy of all types. II. — Explanatory Notes. 1. 1. — Stirling Castle. Stirling, the county town of Stirling, is finely situated in the slopes of an isolated eminence overlooking the valley of the Forth. The castle crowning the eminence is of un- known antiquity, but from the time when Alex. I died within its walls in 1124 till James VT. ascended the throne of England it was intimately associated with the fortunes of the Scottish monarchs, and after the accession of the Stuarts it became a favorite royal residence. 1.3. — The mazy Forth. The river Forth is very winding in its course. From Stirling, for instance, a distance of six miles by land along the stream corresponds to twenty miles by water. " The links of the Forth " are often referred to ; e.g., see Sir Walter Scott. Clyde, Tay, Tweed. See the map of Scotland. 1. 5. — Clovenford. In Selkirkshire, not far from Sir Walter Scott's home, Abbotsford. 1. 6. — " wirmnne Marrow.'''' A quotation from an old Scotch poem. The Braes of Yarrow, by Hamilton. *' Busk ye, busk ye, my bonny, bomiy bride, Busk ye, busk ye, my winsome marrow." FOR KNTKANCK EXAMINATIONS. 69 One of Jcottibh regret b rather eep the L seeing ment is ncl then wise to ' earth's lit ; and irling, is )king the is of un- jrithin its id it was loiiarchs, ite roya] ng in its Marrow, possibly a c(jrru[)tion of ^r. mari, a husband, is an old Scotch and provincial English word meaning a sweetheart, a com- panion, one of a pair. * *' Your knife 's the very marrow of mine." 1. 8 — Ydrrow. A river of Scotland, county of Selkirk, joins the Ettrick. Scott resided in this neighborhood for ten years. The river is famous in old ballads. A brae is the side of a hill. 1. 17, — Gala Water. A river of Scotland, joining the Tweed close to Abbotsford. See Burns. 1. 17- — Leader Havyhs. The river Leader is another tributary of the Tweed, near Gala Water, joining the Tweed below Abbotsford. Haiighs ([)rovincial Eng. and Scotch) means low-lying ground, pro perl}^ on the banks of a river, and such as is sometimes overflowed. 1. 19. — DryhorotKjh. A town on the Tweed, below the junction ( »f the Leader and the Tweed. Dryborough Abbey is a beautiful ruin near Melrose, the resting-place of the great bard of romance, Sir Walter Scott, who was buried there in 1832. 1. 20. — lintivhites. Linnet- white, linnet, a small singing bird, frequenting open heaths and commons. It is very lively and cheer- fid and a sweet and pleasing songster. Lintichite and li7itie are provincial names for it. 1 10. — chiming Tweed — i.e. joining its music harmoniously with the song of the birds. 1. 21. — Teviotdale. A name applied to the County of Rox- borough. The Teviot is a river that joins the Tweed at Kelso, after a n.e. course of 34 miles. 1. 33. — holma. (1) An islet or river island ; in Orkney, a small island oft" a large one. (2) A low, flat tract of rich land by the side of ;i river. Holm is frequently joined with other syllables in names of places, as Hiepholme, Flatholme. 1. 37. — Strath. In Scotland a valley of considerable size, often liaving a river running through it and giving it its distinctive appel- lation, as Strathspev 70 LKSSONS IN LITKRATURE ■' 1 ■1- M 1. 41. — beeves. Animals of the bovine gonus, whether ox, cow, or bull, in the full-grown state. In this, which is the orii^dnal sense, the singular is obsolete. The singular is applied only to the flesh of the animal when killed, and in this sense it has no plural. 1. 41. — kine. An old plural of cow. 1. 42. — Burn-mill Meadow. "A local vale named from the mill- stream which winds through it." 1. 43. — St. Mary's Lake. A beautiful lake of Scotland, fifteen miles long, one mile wide. The Yarrow flows from its east end. 1. 60. — Tnelancholy. (Gr. md((s, black, and chole, bile), a mental disease, supposed by the ancients to be produced by a redundance of black bile. 1. 64. — honny. Doubtfully derived from Fr. bon, good ; mow probably allied to G. boh/nen, to rub smooth, to polish ; a Scotch word meaning handsome, fine, pret;^ . III. — Suggestive Questions. What suggested to Wordsworth the writing of this poem ? Wliut is the central thought expressed in it ? Com]»nre it with the poems Yarrow Visited, and Yarrow Revisited. [Tliese should be read l)y teacher to class in taking up this lesson.] Did the poet really tiiul when he afterwards visited Yarrow, his own words realized : *' For when we're there, although 'tis fair, 'Twill be another Yarrow." ? Explain the meaning of each of the folloAving expressions in tlie poem : " WOS1/ Forth wnraveMed " "with the Tweed," "winsome Mur- row," "braes," " Haughs," '' chiminxj Tweed," "lintv/liitos," "blithe," "strath," "We'll wander Scotland thoroiujh;' " Fluit double, swan and shadow,'' " freezing years," " bonny holms." Draw a map of Scotland showing all the places mentioned in the poem. For what reason is each one mentioned ? It is said that Wordsworth was one of the most devoted of nature-worshippers. What would this poem lead you to believe uii FOR KNTKANCK EXAMINATIONS. 71 tliis ^)oint ? What peculiarities in thouglit or oxproHsion do you observe in the poem ? What is the tirst figure of speech used ? Exphvin it clearly. IV. BlOCJKAPlIICAL NOTK. William Wordsworth, one of the greatest of English poets, was bom at Cockermouth, in Ciuiiberland, in 1770. His father was a clever, elocpient attorney, and his mother, who died when the poet WHS in his eighth year, was a woman of noble character and unusual wisdom. Of her five children slie was especially an lous about the future poet. He would be remarkable, she said, either for good or evil. The boy's education was gained at the Grammar School of Hawks- head, in Lancashire, and at Cambridge University, where, however, his course was not very satisfactory. In 1791), he, with a friend, made a pedestrian tour through France and Switzerland. Wliile in France, when the Revolution was in progress, his young and ardent mind was tilled with enthusiasm over the glorious principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity which the would-be reforniers boasted of as the foiuidations of the institutions whioh they pro- posed to establish. A sec(^nd visit the following year somewhat dispelled the illusions, as the excesses which culminated in the Reign of Terror were beginning to inspire disgust. He was provi- dentially compelled to return to England before the worst scenes were enacted, and, thcjugh for some time he clung to his old boyish ideal of republicanism, his political opinions gradually changed and he became a Conservative in politics. In 1793 his first poems appeared, The Ei'>enin(f Walk and Descri'ptim Sketches, but with the exception of Coleridge, the critics passed them by without notice. Wordsworth, however, had become convinced that poetry was his vacation, and being fortunately made independent through a legacy left him by a friend, he devoted the rest of his life to the service of the divine art. But it was uphill work to win over the English public. The polished, soulless, artificial literature of the age had become popular and seemed destined to remain so. Wordsworth, whose ideal of a poet's mission was an exceedingly lofty one, refused to pander to a depraved public taste, and wrote steadily on in spite 72 LKSSONS FN r.ITKKATUIlE I'll I I W f)f the ridiculu of critics. "Let the ;ige continue to love its own darkness,' he said, "I .sli.ill continue to write, with, I trust, the li^dit of IJuiiven U[»on nie." In time public feeling changid and men began to realize that the des[)ised Poet of the Laken was in reality a great geniuH. He was, in liiH latter day.s, revered as the great teacher of the i^iuie, and when he died in 1850, and the laureateship whiaid a visit to S(;otland, and on returning south met Scott at IMelrose. A second tour was made in 1814, and in 18^31 he made another visit to sec Sii Walter 8cott before the latter went otf on that last fruitless qm.st for liealth. These visits gave rise to tlie poems Yarrow UiidsiUd, Yarrow Visited, and Yarrow Revidttd. "^rhese trips and occasi(»ii;il visits to the continent scarcely broke in upon the peaceful mciotonj of the life at Rydal Mount, that place which has since become so famous, a most beautiful and romantic spot overlooking the lake of Windermere. His chief works are The Excursion, Ecclesiastical SketcJies, memo- rial poems of his trips in Scotland and on the Continent, some of the finest of English sonnets, and numerous miscellaneous potMiis, The service he did for English verse was indei d great. The artili- cial gave place to the natural, and men were shown that in tho commonest things there is a divine beauty. With gentlest and yet keenest satire he held up to ridicule the type of character to whicli only that which was uncommon was beautiful, the man to whom " A primrose by the river's brim A yellow prirmose was to him, And it was nothing more." FOR ENTRANCK KXAMINATIONS. 7:] To the really npprociative soul he taught that If Tl,nn,;i,t."« ">™n«»t H""erial I*arliament, we trust, will be distinguished by acts of mercy. The following most interesting and pathetic song, it is to be hoped, will induce them to extend their benevolence to those unfoitunate men, whom delusion and error have doomed to exile, but who sigh for a return to their native homes," II — Analytical. 1. Into what two parts (h>es this poem naturally divide itself i^ [Stanza i., and stanziis ii., in., iv., and v.] 2.* What 18 the subject of stanzii i.'^ 3. Give an appropriate title to stanzas ii., iii., iv., and v. 4. Stanza i. (a) What time of day is it? (b) Describe the place where the exile is wandering. (c) What feeling pervades this stanza? (d) Wiiat words convey the idea of the Exile's sadness/ fOk ENPRANCK KXAMINATIONS. 75 5. Stanzas ii., iii., iv., and v. (a) Show how stanza v. has a dis- tinctly different thume from stanzas ii., iii., and iv. (h) What is the connection in thought l)etween 1. 1, stanza ii. ("sad is my fate") and stanzas ii., iii., and iv.? [General statement fulLnved by de- tails.] (c) What are the particular causes of this exile's sadness? 6. Wh^ -'re the feelings of this Irishman so dilt(n-ent from those of the "band of exiles" described in "Landing of the Pilgrims" [p. 229, Fourth Reader]? III. — Explanatory Notes and Quesiions. First Stanza. Exile. After the Irish rebellion of 1798 had been suppressed, over four hundred of the insurgents were trans- ported or banished. Erin. A poetical name for Ireland. Compare Albion for Eng- land, Scotia for Scotland, etc. poor (1. 1), thin (1. 2). Wh.it effect have these words on the spirit of the passage? What is lost by striking them out? [By his use of epithets the pout brings out, again and again, the idea of the exile's misery and so arouses our sympathy on behalf of these suf- fering ones. ] rohe. Wliat does this word mean here ? What different shade of meaning has it in prose ? toi'iid-heaten hill. This epithet adds to the feeling of desolation and loneliness that th-i poet has infused into this description. Bat the day-slar aHracted his. .. .ocean. This is somewhat ob- scure. If thii exile is in America wandering by the sea-shore in the early morning he will see the morning-star to the east, over his native land. But Campbell tells us, it was in conseipience of meet- ing an Irishman one evening, wandering lonely and pensive on the banks of the Elbe, that he wrote this poem. Accordingly it is probable that the poet is thinking of the Continent as the place of banishment, and pictures the exile standing oii a beach in the even- ing. The evening star is always seen to the west and so would appear over "his own native isle of the ocean. It is best — though we cannot be absolutely cortiiin — to interi)rot the 'day-star' as loosely used for Venus, wiiich at one period is the morning star, at rtiiotlier the evening star. 76 LESSONS IN LITERATIJRK eyes' md devotion. Express more siin^)!}^ and at greater length. fire of his yoidlifu', enKjtion. His ardent love of native land that he possessed even as a youtli. Eriih-ijo-hnigh. An Irish expression meaning ' Ireland-for-ever.' Second Stanza. This picture of the exile's destitution and sad- ness of heart cannot fail to aw aken our syinj»athy. Lines 2 and '6 were evidently suggesteil by tlie passage in the (xospel of Matthew viii., 20. covert. A shelter ; from the same root as cover. refuge from fimine. An unusual form of expression. Para- phrase. A home and f time intervals, or of accented syllables, constitutes the line in metre, and thus by a kind of metonymy, the word numbers is ai)plied to metrical lines. Third Stanza, md and forsaken. What is the grammatical relation of these words ? In drexms I re-oisit. To bring this beautiful and pathetic passa-je vividly before the pupil, read " The Soldier's Dream " by Camp1)el!. The contrast between the "' sweet visions " of his dreams and the sad realities of his awakening, makes this passage \'ery etfective. sea-beaten shore. Why is sea bo i' en an appropriate term for tlie coast of Ireland? FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 77 ngth. Hid that )r-ever.' ui(l siid- 2 and ^ ►lattliew Para- 3 tells us iza iv. ady ; an ! particu- •d would ivi» is the ll ' coiu- llil, >. rerses oi r of time btre, and plied to atioid liiu [)as3a<.'e |uii])l )(-'!!. knd tlio btiv(\ for the far forei(i)i land. It was in North Germany near Ham})urg, on the banks of the Elbe, that Campbell met the exiles whose condi- tion prompted him to write this poem. replace. To place again ; used here with its radical meaning What is the general meaning of the word? 1)1 a mansion of jjeace. What does mansion generally mean ? How does this meaning agree with the " cabin fast ])y tlie wild wood"? Mansion (L. mane're, to remain) is here used with its pri- mary meaning of an abode or habitation. (7(((.sc. Not the most poetical word. It seems to have been chosen out of consideration for the rhyme. Where no perils can follow or come nigh me, is the meaning. Tliey died to defend me. After the main body of rebels had been dis|iersed at Vinegar Hill, the massacres and jnilitary executions were something frightful. It is estimated that the immber of in- suigents who perished either in the field, by military execution, or i>y popular vengeance did not fall short of fifty thousand. to defend me. Is this literally true? or was it in defense of their country they died? live to deplore. They deplore my sad fate as an exile. [Note the poetic art shown in the alliteration in this sumza ; the repetitions of s in 1. 1 and 2, of / and I in 1. 3, of m in 1. 4, of p in 1. 4 and 5, hr in 1. 7, d in 1. 8.] Fourth Stanza. In the preceding stanza the exile has spoken of his friends and his brothers; here he speaks c' his sisters, hie sire, his mother, and his " bosom friend dearer than all." Why has the pt)et chosen this order ? [A case of climax beginning with mere fri*, ads and ending with the one most dearly loved.] fast hy. Close by. • sire. Father, a dignified word now used chiefly in poetry. bosom-friend. Intimate, fond friend, probably the exile's Irish sweetheart. long abandoned hy pleasure. Express this idea in simi)le prose, dote on. To regard with excessive fondness. fast-fadin/j treasure. Thr " bosom friend," from whom he was 78 LESSONS IN LITKRATURK fl;'. h soon separated. Faat-fading moans here lasting only for a short time. In what sense was she a "fast-fading treasure :"' may fait vritlMid tneasure. Expres.s this idea in simple prose. rapture. The passion of love inspired by the "bosom-friend." beauty. Abstract for concrete ; the beautiful one, his "bosom- friend." Fifth Staj^za. Itn sad recollect lona suppressing. What is the grammatical relation of this phrase ^ Compare this line in meaning with "A sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier things.' draw. A peculiar word to use here, as if the wish were a breath. Paraphrase the line. bequeaths. What is tlu> difference between this word n.ud gives'^ Why is bequeaths an appropriate word to use liere ? my heart sfiU.s her motion. State, rather than, action, is what the poet means here. The clause is equivaleiit to ' wlien my heart's motion is stilled.' Gre:en be thy Jields. The special charm of the Emerald Isle. harp-striking barrU. liead Moore's "Dear Harp of my country," in the High School lu'dder. mavourneen. Irish for ' my darling.' After the poem lias been thoroughly taken up in class, it might be compared with "The Lament of the Irish Emigrant" as regjiids thought and expression. The pupil might be asked t(^ writi; a description of the scene pictured in Stanza i., adding any details he pleases that are in keeping with the spirit of the scene. "The exile's Irish home " is another theme that might be treated in a similar way. Or the whole might be narratetl by the pupils who would imagine themselves participants in the rebellion and sufferers in exile. IV. — Biographical. Thomas Campbell was born in Glasgow in the year 1777. [n 1791 he entered (Glasgow University, where his undergraduate" course was particularly brilliant. While at college he gave promise of future achievements as a poet, his elegant translations from the clasRicsand his prize poems winning for him the name of "the Pope of Glasgow. " After graduating he went to Edinburgh with the intention of studying hiw, but finding office work uncongenial lie FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 79 r a sh(»r1 jrose. •lend." " bosoiu- at is the I meaniii<4 ir things.' a breatli. and gives ? 3 what till' uy heart's Isle, country," s, it miglit as regui'ds to write a details he "The ■eated in a iipils who sufferers 1777. In h'gradiiato re promise from the leof "the irgh with returned to Glasgow and devoted himself to poetry. Shortly after, he completed his first long poem, " The Pleasures of Hope," and so great were its merits that its author found himself famous. In June, of the year 1800, he left Scotland for a tour on the Continent. He reached Ratisbon when the country round about was the scene of war. Heie he had to remain for some mimths, as he describes it, "fairly caged in Ratisbon in the midst of the French dragoons and greasy monks." Among the poems founded on his experiences in and around Ilatis])on, are " Hohenlinden," and "The Soldier's Dream." In October he was enabled to leave this place and took up his abode for a few montlis in Altona, a pleasant town in North Germany, near Hamburg. While here he wrote the " Exile of Erin," and " Ye Mariners of England." When, in the following year, the league of the northern powers rendered it unsafe for Campbell to remain longer at Altona, he returned to Scotland. The naval battle in which Nelson shortly after humbled the Danish powers inspired that stirring war-song, " The Battle of the Baltic." Most of his later life Campbell spent in London. He was the friend of such men as Lord Jeffrey, W;iltcr Scott, Mr. Roscoe, Thomas Mooro, Sydney Smith, and Lord Byron. In 1805 the king granted him a pension of £200 a year, in recognition of his poetic genius. In 1800, was published his seccmd long poem "Gertrude of Wyoming." Tliree years Liter he delivered at tlie Royal Tn.stitute a course of lectures on i»oetry. In 182(> he was elected Lord Rector of his Alma Mater, Glisgow University, an honor that became a flatttunng distinction when it was twice repeated in successive years. The last days of his life were spent quietly in London and in France. He died in 1844, and was buried in Westminster Abbey near the tombs of Addison and Gpldsmith. Not in the front rank of poets, he was, however, a man of no mean talent. In the finished form of his verse he shows fhe influence of the earlier school of Pope, while in his love of liberty he was in full sympathy with the democratic spirit of his own age. It is in his sht^er poems such as "Ye Mariners of England" and "The Battle of the Baltic,' that we sec Campbell's l>est work. ligenw al he ■« 80 LESSONS IN LITKHATURE it-: •'.ii' LXIV. -YE MARINERS OF ENGLAND. Thomas Campbell, I. — Tntkoduction. While Camp])ell was living in Edinburgh in 1799, he was particu- larly struck with the music of the song " Ye Uentlomen of Eng- land,"' and dotennined to write new words for it. He at once made a r(jugh sketch of the new song but left it for the time unfinished. About two years afterwards, wlion the armed neutrality (jf Russia, Denmark, and Sweden left England to contend single-handed against the ambitious schemes of Napoleon, Campbell, whose patriotism had been aroused anew by the prospect of war, finished this poem and sent it off to his publishers. It was printed in 1801 with the title "'Alteration of the old ballad 'Ye Gentlemen of England' coiu- pob>-^d on the prospect of a Russian war." No patriotic Englishman, even in times of peace, can fail to Ixj moved by this stirring song, but until we enter into the spirit of those days when the courage of the British seamen and the genius of their beloved commander were all that saved their island liome from invasion, we cannot appreciate the enthusiasm with which it was first received. The teacher would do well to talk to the class about the previous victories of the English sailors, touching on the defeat of the Armada, the stubborn naval battles with Holland during the time of the Commonwealth when " the defeat of the Dutch left England the chief sea power of the world," and tracing the victorious career of Nelson up to the year 1800. Thus the pupil will be in a position to appreciate the tone of pride and confidence in which the poet ad- dresses "The Mariners of England." TI. — Analytical. After reading the poem the class might be expectad to answer some general questions on r,ho subject matter. For example: Into FOR ENTRANCK EXAMINATIONS. 81 gparticu- . of Eng- nce made iitinished. )f Russia, ad against patriotism this poem I with tlie and' corn- fail to bu ) spirit of he genius and homo which it previous It of the 1 the thne England iis career position I poet ad- answer le : Into what form has the poet thrown liis song ' [An address to the Eng- lish sailors. ] What seems to be the occasion of this address? Why does the poet at this time think of the sailors rather than of the soldiers^ When a general addresses his troops before a battle, he would probably hold out to them certain motives for lighting bravely. Has the poet here held out any such motives^ Give special passages to illustrate your answer. Or this question might be put in easier form, thus: The poem is (me suited to stinmlate the courage and patriotism of the mariners by recalling their former trimnphs, by sliowing confidence that they will again be victors, and by pointing to their future fame. Show from particular passages in the poem that this is so. Stanza I. — (a) What is the main thought of this stanza? [Your glorious standard launch again.] {h) Show how at the outset, in 11. 23 ami 24, the poet makes us feel the dignity of his theme? [The mariners have in the past wc^n for us much glory and they are now our main defence.] (c) Call attenticm to the refrain 11, 9 and 10. Compare "Rule Britannia." The refrain is usually closely con- nected with the main thought of the poem, its repetition gives pleasure, and in such songs as these, arouses enthusiasm. Stanza II. — (a) What is the chief thought of Stanza ii ? {b\ What effect will the mention of "spirits of your fathers,' of "Blake " and " Nelson," have 'n\ the sailors'? [It will nmse in them the desire to emulate the brave deeds of their sires.] (c) Show the appropriateness of mentioning spirits of your fathers, be- fore Blake and Nelson. Which would a])peal liiost strongly to the sailors the general term or tlie particular names? [Compare with this stanza, Byron's "The Isles of Greece, ' h) which he appeals t(^ rhe modern Greeks to remember the glorious deeds of their ances, rs, and to make an eft'ort to regain their freedom.] Stanza III. ('0 Write in a prose sentence the thought of ±am stanza, {b) Why dot^s Britannia need no tower"; along her vimmbl Stanza IV. — {a) Express in simple prose the thouglit u€ ff. f-l^ a:id in an«^ther sentence the thouglit of 11. 5-10. (/)) Why does 1. A u\ Stanza iv diiter from 1. 8 of Stan/as i., ii. a,nd iii, ? a 82 LESSONS IN LITEHATUKK Pi I 4 TIT. NOTKS AND QUKSriONS. Yt. This is till! old iioniiiiativo furni ; you was objective. Tn present English you is either nominative or (objective, and ye is used only in poetry or elevated prose. Mariners (L. mare the sea.) A poetic word for sailors. tJtat. Is the relative here restrictive or descriptive ? Would ivli>> be correct here ? Would it make the line less melodious ? native seas. Seas and waters around Great Britain. flag has braved. Neither fierce battles nor stormy seas have daunted the courage of the sailors, and through all perils the Mag, the emblem of Britain's prowess, has continued to fly from the mast-head. a thousand years. Synecdf)che, in putting a definite for an in- definite number. A long time, is meant. It is interesting to remember that nearly a thousand years before, Alfred fitted out u fleet that drove the Danish invaders from the English shores. y(yii,r glorious standard. Why glorious ? your stfvndard laimi^h again. Put to sea ready for battle. What, is the usual meaning of the word launch? To match another foe. To engage in battle with one more toe What foe has the poet in mind ? sweep through the deep. Why would you consider sweep a betti^r word here than sail? What added meaning is there in sweep? [The word has been said "to indicate rapid and victorious progress."] Note also how in this line the sound is suited to the sense. start. An appropriate word; the spirits are eager to see how bravely their sons will acquit themselves. field of fame. Battlefield, place where they won glory in the fight. Oman. Used here as a proper noun. BloJce. Robert Blake wjis bom in Somersetshire in 15!»S *'Thus," says a biographer, " his birth falls in the year before that of Cromwell ; their lives ra^i parallel in the service of their country; their characters prese.it many points of likeness; and they died within a few months of each other." Upon graduat- It.ril-- FOR KNTKANC'E KXAMINATIONS. 83 e. In is used lid ivh(t sts have :he flag, :oin the r an in- sting to :ed out a ■es. What more foe 3 a better Q sweep! )ro;j;ress."] ise. see how »ry in the in iry.Ks jefore that of thoir ;ncss ; and in<5 from Oxford, he lived for a time the (juiet life of a country ji^fiitlemau. When the civil war broke out, Blako eiit(!red the l*arliameiitiiry army ami distinguished himself in several engage- ments. After the execution of Charles 1. he was appointed to the command of the fleet, and in a naval engagement in 1()51, he com- pletly crushed the Rcjyalist sea forces. In 1652 a war with Holland broke out, and after hard fighting he defeated both the Dutch admirals, Ruyter and Van Tromp. At this time, we must remem- ber, Holland Avas the strongest naval povve^ on the continent. His next exploit was to defeat the pirates of the Mediterranean, to bom- bard Algiers, their headquarters, and release the English cai)tives he found there. In 1656 he won a groat victory over the Spanish fleet in the harbor of Santa Cruz, right under the guns of the forts. S(j daring was the attack, and so complete the victory that the Spaniards came to the conclusion that devils and not men had destroyed thoir fleet in such a manner. He died in 1657. At the time of the Restoration, his remains were removed from Westminister Abbey by the Royalists, in a weak attempt to dishonor the Puritan leaders. "But," says Dr. Johnson "the re- gard which was denied his body has been paid to his better remains, his name and memory. Nor has any Avriter dared to deny him the praise of intrepidity, honesty, of contempt of wealth and love for his country." Nelson. Horatio Nelson, England's greatest sailor, was born in Norfolkshire in 1758. In 1770 he entered the royal navy, and as midshipman and lieutenant saw service in almost every division of the globe. At the age of twenty-one he was made post-captain, and the following years spent in cruising were for him years of growing reputation. When in 1703 th<3 war with France broke out, Nelscm was appointed captain of the Agamemnon, a ship of the line, "and though his vessel was the worst in the fleet he performed feats of daring and perfect seamanshii) that at once marked him out for a])[)lause and distinction," At the battle off Cape St, Vincent in 1706, the victory of the English was largely owing to his bravery, skill, and promptitude. For his services in this engagement he received the Order of the Bath and was niadii an admiral. Two years later be led the English fleet at the Mattlo of the Nile, in n graduat- 84 I.KSSONS IN LITRIlAT(rKK which the BVonch Meet was ahiiost {iniiihiliifced and by wliich Na|)<»K'.,n ,iiitl from roturn to Franco. As iiicogiiitiou of his nervicot* in this (jnj^agement, the title of liaron was couferred upon Nelson. In 1801 he defeated the Hi-otof Denmark, and broke up the coali- tion of the Nortli'irn Powers. When in the following years Napoleon formed tlie project of invading EnL,dand, he found it im- possible to c(»nvey an army across the Channel, so constant was Nelson's watch fuhiess and so great the terror of his name. In the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. the combined fleets of France and Spain were utterly defeated, and with this defeat the schemes of Napoleon for an invasion of Englan^l, fell to the ground. But the victory was dearly bought, for in the action Nelson was killed. Death came to him just when his life work was ended. "Nelson was inferior to several of England's naval chiefs in political siigacity and calm forethought. But he was the greatest of iier commanders at sea ; he was unrivalled in an eventful age of war, for resource, daring, professiinial skill, and the art of winning the hearts of men ; and on the whole lie was beyond comparison the first of the naval worthies of his country." Wlien this poem was written, Nelson was still living and the line read '' When Blake the boast of freedom fell ;" in a later edition this was changed to the present reading. Yonr mdnly IwAirbs shall glow. Shall be tired with enthusiasm. Stanza III. Beattie, in his life of CaiOpbell says: "The great work then in progress of fortifying every assailal)le point along the Straits of Dover westward with Martello towers, presented a feature in our warlike preparations of which the poet knew well how to take advantage. Nothing in poetry could have been better timed or nn)re forcibly expressed : ' Britannia needs i\o bulwarks, No towers along the steep.' " Britannia. The Latin name for Britain, used in poetry and ele- vated prose. Compare the use of Erin for Ireland. bulwark. What is the usual meaning of this word ? Here it means a land defence. Perhaps the coasts of Britain are thought of as sides of a ship ; thus the bulwarks would be coast defences. FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 85 steep. The stoep coast. An example of the use of an ej)ithet for the nonn. Compare the deep, for sea, the piire serene, for air. Her march is o'er the moimtnin wares. In the poet's imagination Britannia is a goddess moving proudly over her rightful domain. Compare the thought of liidc Britatnida. Her home is on the deep. Express the meaning in simple prose. thunders from her native oak. Broadsides from her war-ships. Why is oak used for ships? *S7tc (piells the Jloods below. The figure in this line is somewhat confused. The poet no doubt means, she subdues her enemies. The seamen contend with hostile fleets and angry seas and in this couplet he seems to have both in mind. In 1. 5 he is evidently thinking of the battle raging loud and long, while in 1. 6 he has in mind the stormy winds. As they roar on the shore. Note the imitative effect of this line. Stanza IV. meteor flag. Meteors or falling stars were in olden times regarded as a sign of danger, often of disastrous war. So will the flag of England become a source of terror to her enemies. This vv^as no exaggeration. So terrible to their enemies did the English seamen, when led by Nelson, become, that the bravest admirals of France and Spain were afraid to risk an engagement unless they had a vastly superior force. terriflc hnrn. The continued burning of a meteor would strike added terror into the hearts of the superstitious. So 'ne meteor flag of England, to her enemies. Till danger's tronbled night depart. In this and the following line the metaphor is continued. This night during which omens of danger are seen is the time of war. I'eace is represented as the morning. Notice how in the expression, danger's troubled night, the use of three words of kindred meaning to express the one idea adds force to the line. Star of peace. The morning star, herald of the dawn, and so figur- atively of returning peace. Our song and feast shrill flow. There shall be singing and feasting. fiery fight. Desperate conflict. For life of Campbell, see "The Exile of Erin." w. J. 8. ^^1^ t> ,%. ^> ^, S> ^ .0-. ^ O, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 7 /. .<^ / % fe' v^- f/u fA 1.0 I.I 1.25 *6J :i ii£ lllllio M 2.2 U III 1.6 V v] y ■IP Hiotogrdplil Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 873-4S03 ^ ^ 7x ^ 86 LESSONS IN LITEKATUUK LXIX.— THE CHANGELING. I. — Introduction. Then? seoms at first reading to be a little ambiguity in this poem. Doe.s the changeling refer to a second child that came to take the place and yet not the place of the tirst/ This interpretJition niiiy suggest itself, but a more careful reading shows how unsatisfacti »ry and even impossible it is. If a real child, it is absurd for the poet tt) say " I cannot lift it up fatherly And bliss it vipon nxy breast. ** Besides this interpretation robs the poem of all its poetry. The FOE ENTHANCE EXAMINATIONS. 87 only explanatioi. consistent with the spirit of the piece is that the changeling refers to tlie spirit-child. The child has died, but the father's love for it is sr great that he seems to see it still with him in its accustomed place, and in his fancy it develops as it would have developed if it had lived. (( r That seems like her bud in full blossom." It is a well-known scientific fact that with peculiar nervous t*rm- peraments the ideal is sometimes the real. Artists, tor example, can sometimes work as well after the model has ij;one, for ideally he is still sitting there, and any event which has powerfully affected any person may result in a peculiar nervous disturbance in which the ideal becomes as strong as the real. Huxley and Sully give many interesting illustrations of this. In this poem the father is represented as seeing ideally his child as plainly as he ever reall}' saw it. There are some exceedingly beautiful touches in the artistic work of this poem. In the first stanza, the similarity between the rela- tionship of the cliild to its earthly jjareiit, and that of mankind geneially to the All-Fnther, a well-worn idea certjiinly, is prettily put. The comparison in the second stanza is good, and in the third, the description of a child's responsive smile, that seems to take in its whole being, is jdeasingto «ibserversof child-nature, who cannot have failed to notice the ditlerence between this real kind of smiling and the artificial or at any rate less expressive smile of maturer years. The thought in the last two lines of this stanza, of the mother's love speaking through the child, is one of the prettiest touches in the poem. Then the reference to the Zingari stealing the child combines the idea of gypsies really stealing the child (a common enough practice, of course) with the old and beautiful representation of death as a taking away of the person by angels who bear freed mortals to the spirit-land. In the next stanza the comparison of the father, waking in the morning and seeing ideally the child that he knows has died, to a tiny violet (the frailest and most delicate of flowers) feeling itself all ak)ne and helpless, is, I think, decidedly the best thing in the poem. In the next stanza, the didactic tendencies of Lowell become maniT jst. Lowell preaches 88 LESSON'S IN LITKRATURE a good dccil and didacticism generally spoils poetry, but, to do him justice, his sermons are brought in elt'ectively and are made brief enough to escape ))eing tiresome. Just as not even the poor wee violet is left uncared for, but is looked after iis carefully as if thu whole ec(momy of nature were intended for its sole })enefit, so with helpless huuianity. Compare the Sermon on the Mount, "Con- sider the lilies, etc." The concluding stanza is marked l)y a greater degree of the touching pathos \\l)ich characterizes the whole poem. Though the child remains, it is yet only a spirit-child after all. The parent " —cannot lift it up fatherly," though he sees it still lying in its cradle. In the second stanza we are told that " — The liirlit of the heaven tiht come from here it is Still Uijgered and gleamed iu her hair. " " — The light of heaven (^he is i/one io Transfigured its golden hair. " Tba wc>rd "transfigured" suggests the idea of being glorified, made more beautiful. II. EXPLANATOKY NoTKS. The CliniujeUiuj. A changeling is a child left or taken in the place of another. It used to be a connnon superstition that the fairies often stole children and [»ut others in their places. 1. 3. — lead vie gently backivard. Bring me by the knowledge of my love for my child gradually to a knowledge of (iod'slove for me ; so that I might again be as a little child in love and obedience to (iod. [Note how beautifully this is suggested by "the heavenly Father's knee."] 1. ^.— force ofruitnre. By the strength of the natural love f)f the father for his child a love nature im[)laiits in all creatures. 1. 6. — H'we. Closely akhi to the adjective imse^ and perhaps lit- erally the known or skilful (/.«., wise) manner, fruke in the same word, having come to us from the German through the French, likt; FOR RNTHANCK KXAMINATIONS. 89 :anza we gvdle (cf. w'de\ ynard (cf. ivard), etc. As an indei)ondent word tuise (the noun) is obsolescent or poetical, except in such phrases as in any toise, in //(is vnse, and the like. " . . . . shall in no v)ise lose his reward." (Matt. v. 42.) It is used in conip(>siti<»n, as Vikeunse, otherwise, leugthioi'^e, having then much the sjune force as ways, I. 8. — way\ixivd. Originally a headless form of aweiwnrd. Thus wayward is away-tvard, that is, turned away, perverse. It is a parallel formation to fnnvard, i.e., fromivard. II. 11, 12. — And tJie light. . . .Juxir. Compare Ws- per a poor little violet." Show how all things do work together in creation so that each individual flower or creature shares the bene- fit of the mighty co-operation of the parts of the universe. Explain, " I cannot sing it to rest," etc., 1. 50 ; " Fatherly," 1. 51 ; " bliss it ", 1. 52. Show the sense the poet has in mind when ho says " It lies in my little one's cradle," etc., line 63. [He still re- members the dead child as she was in life, happy in its cradle or nestling in her father's arms. This meaning is so vivid that the child still seems to hiiii alive.] Pick out the comparisons that are made in the poem. Which do you consider the most beautiful, and why ? Write the stanza you like best in the poem. Memorize the whole poem. FOR WN'IRANCE KXAM I NATIONS. 91 stically lorified Sy what id child rom the I "back- •e." 1. 5 1 is called ed also," 141 "It heavenly ^ich do Exi)lain, lie never he scene 40. Ex- to pr«»s- ;ether in he bene- iniverse. -,» 1. 61 ; when ho |e still re- cradle or that the that are [tif ul, and Lorize the IV. — Biographical Note. The last years of the 19th century have seen so many of the world's great minds pass away that it would seuni ;is if few wlio have made the century remarkable were likely to survive it. The sweet singer of England has passed ;iway in singia^ ^Ipd over American song, too, a hush has C(mie. It was i Stadacona ? And tliure Champlain was disturbed in his newly found home by the English, who captured Quebec, But a treaty of peacx' sent Champlain back to Quebec, and the lily-flag of France waved over Quebec for one hundred and fifty years. The illustrious nanus of Richelieu, Cond^, Beaiiharnois, Montmorency, Laval, and Mont- calm furnish delight for hours. Montcalm suggests to our minds Wolfe, and what a spirit of con trast is evident even in the names. Montcalm— C'lm on the mount, foitilied in one of nature's strongest fortresses — a fortress that has been described as resembling an ancient Norman stronghold of two centuries ago ; a fortress that had been, as it were, encased in amber and transported by magic to Canada, and placed on the summit f)f Cape Diamond. And yet a Wolfe, a British Achilles, an English- man, wanted, longed, yearned to fight for this fortress, this almost impregnable stronghold, this key to Canada. The French general knew his advantageous position, and though harassed by Wcjlfe during the whole summer of 1759, he still refused to fight, believing that the English would wear themselves out. ** We need not suppose," wrote Montcalm, " that the English have wings." Again, " A hundred men posted here would stop a whole army." And in probably his last letter : *'I am overwhelmed with work. I give the enemy another month, or something less, to stay here." FOU ENTRANCR KX A. MI NATIONS. 93 In a letter t<> liis beloved inoMior, Wolfe wrote, "My utmost desire hikI Jimbition is to look steadily ufxtii dsinger.' His desire was accoin[)lished, his ambition attaiiieluck and English bravery; — then he needs no help in communicating his sentiments to his class, in making each little soul live over again the triumph of the Capture of Quebec, in inspiring all to do their duty or to die. "The spider up there, defied despair; He conquered, then why should not I ?** The following extracts from Wolfe's letters show what his char- acter was : I. " By frequenting men above myself I may know my true condition, and by discoursing with the other sex may learn some civility and mild- luiss of carriage." II. " All that I wish for myself is that I may at all times be ready and firm to raeel that fate we cannot shun, and to die gracefully and properly when the hour cnmes. " III. " That service is certainly the best in which we are the most useful. " IV. '•if I have health and constitution enough for the campaign, I shall think myself a lucky man ; what happens afterwards is of no great consequence. " II. — Notes and Exercises. Page 233. 1. Explain 'closing scene.' [Scene suggests a drama, a play. Compare Shakspeare'a well-km^wn lines, "All the world's a stage, etc."] 2. Define ' romance,' ' episode.' [These are also sug- gestive of literary works. An episode is a subordinate action, separable from the main action yet connected with it.] 3. How many soldiers had each general? [See page 23G.] 4. "France trusted Wolfe " Which words in these two sentences contrast the state of the different armies ? 94 LERvSONS IN LITKHATURK Pa(1E '.}34. 5. Explain tlie niojuiiiig of 'ideal beauty.' 0. Do you think t'le Holiliers notitvd tb<^ beauty of tlie oountiy / 7. How luuu, waN VVolfe before Quebec without discovering the narrow path ' [On the 2l,st of June tlie English fleet looked on Quebec] 8. Why was Wolfe's plan particularly dari)ig ? 9. Wjuj it usual for Wolfe U> lead in person? [Reinember that W(»lfe had been very ill ; but here he resolved to lead the dangerous way. " I know perfectly well you cannot cure me," he said to his physician ; "but pray make me up so that I may bo without pain for a few days, and able to do my duty : that is all T want. My i)lan is of too dangerous a nature to order others to execute."] 10. Why was it a necessity to keeji his ])lans secret? 11. "1000 strong." What is the meaning of strong/ 12. Tell the meaning of— "the tiotilla dropped down." 1,'i. W hy, do you su|)pose, did Wolfe think of Gray's Elegy (see i)age 331)? [Think of his failing health, the commands from Pitt, the whole sunnner apparently wasted, his desperate plan, his beloved mother in England, the portrait of Miss Katherine Lowther, that reminded him of his possible future, and above all his fidelity to his own ideal of the perfect soldier,] 14. Is the hero better than the poet ? I*AGE 235. 15. Tell in your own words how the English gained u footing on the Plains. 16. Did MacDonald do right in answering' "La France?'' [La France translated is 'The France'; the Frencli say 'the France' where we say simply France.] 17. Why was the sentry not more particular ? [The sentry was expecting a convoy of provisions, and hence did not ask for the password. To^revenl questions the cunning MacDonald said, "Hush! the English will hear us ! "] Page 236. 18. Distinguish 'embark' and 'disembark.' [To go on ships is the meaning of the former ; while the latter is to go from the ships on land.] 19. Tell what orders Wolfe gave his men with regard to forming in battalions. 20. Why was hb so careful? 21. When did Montcalm learn of Wolfe's success ? 22. Describe the battle ? F^AOB 237. 23. Why did Wolfe order his men to reserve their fire ? [It is said that some Indians posted in the bushes first attacked the English lines. Had Wolfe's men fired on them, the French army FOR KNTKANCR EXAMINATIONS. 95 could have attacked the English before the lattiT hjul reloaded.] 24. Kxpl.iiii ciiiefully 'mutchleHH endurance,' 't^luislly {,'apH,' [Notice the sound of tou8 ? [Mtmientous means important.] III. — General Questions. 1. Select the shortest principal sentences that you can find. Show why»*their shortness is a merit. 2. Select the longest sentence and see if you can tell why the author made it so long. 3. Can you tell why the story is so touching^ Does the author seem to feel what he says? 4. Imaghie you are a soldier that fought with Wolfe at Quebec. You are asked to tell to your classmates how Wolfe won Quebec. You are allowed ten minutes t<^ do so. 6. Relate an imaginary conversation between two Frenchmen when they learn that the English are on the I'lains of Abraham. Use English and write for ten minutes. 6. Select ten military terms. Use each correctly in a sentence. O. L. 96 LKSS.»N> IN LITKIIAIURE LXXXVII.^THK SONG OF TIIK SHliX Thomas Hood I. — Tfir Man and His Work. The little criticvs l.ui^hed conteinptiiously, when some one said that Tom Hood had written a pooni on a shirt. IniposHible, they exclaimed, for who ever ho.ard of such a topic for a p<»em ! Yet there it is and a j)oom no doul)t. ;» [)oem which will carry its author's name down the long ages. This very " unheard- of-ness," this originality and boldness in the title challenged attcn tion, and the world began to read from curiosity, and has ke[)r (ti reading froun admiration. The fame of this poem shows that no subject is essentially too common for [)oetry, if onl> there arise the right man to handle it. The most unpromising material may be moulded into forms of uuvlying beauty by master-hands. The Song of the Shirt, th(»ugh specially referring to seamstresses, is in general a plea for all the poor. That they need some one to plead for them still, we have but to look around to see. That they have always and everywhere needed some one to plead for them is no less evident. "Woe u''"^ • them that grind the faces of the poor," cried out the Hebrew t)rophet more than two thousand years ago, and the Founder of Christianity justified the everlasting punishment of lost souls, not on the mere ground of unbelief of any formal creed, but because '*I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat, I was thirsty and ye gave me no *lrink, I was a stranger and ye took me not in, naked and ye clothed me not, sick and in [)rison and ye visited me not." This poem, then, is essentially and entirely religious — a poetical sermon on the need for Christian justice and fair dealing with the poor. Hood's occu[)ation as a poverty-stricken journalist in Londoii, gave him that experience of the lives and sufferings of the poor there, which developed the overflowing sympathy of the "Bridge POK KNTRANCK KXAMINATIONS. 97 of SigliH,'' and tlio "Song of the Shirt." These Hhow what the luau wuH and wliat he couhl do. Yet he was not ahht tv» make a living hy such writing. His 8ui){M.rt came from liis hinnoroua verses. On this point Ste(hnan says, (Vict«)rian Poets, page 77), " His comic diversions . . . gave him notoriety a.s a fun-maker, and doomed him either to starve, or to grinvice for the national amusement during the twenty after-years of his toiling pathetic life. The liritisli will have their Sampson out of the prison-house, to make them sport." Yet after he was dead the people came round to appreci.ate him most for what was best in him. A j>ublic subscription was opened, and fmuls came in from all quarters for the erection of the beautiful monuiiit'nt that now stands over his grjvve. "The rich gave their giiuieas, the poor artisans and laborers, the needle-women an/* drosp-makoi ;> in hosts, their sliil- lings and pence." Beneath tiie imago of ihe })oet which rests upon the structure, are sculptured the wo- 'Is which he himself devised for the inscription : " Hk sano TnK SoNo of thr Stttrt." II. A.NATiYSIS OF THK PoKM. The " Sang" proper which the woman is represented as singing, ioes not include the first and last st^mzas of the poem. Stanza L — The poet's introduction to the song, describing the person and condition of the singer. Stanza ii. — Tho last one — a repetition of this descriptio i wiLh ^ variation to intensify the effect, on Ihe same principle that the repetition of similar sounds in verse (i.e., alliteration and rime) is impressive. The variation in this stanza from the first shows in a ^reat measure the moral motive of the poem, * ' Would that its tone could reach the rich," — an appeal to the rich on behalf of the jioor. Stanzas ii. and iii. — The shivish drudgery of the woman's work and its efiect upon her body and mind. Stanza iv. — She appeals to men for the sake of their women relatives to take some means to relieve her from the stress of work that is slowly killing her. 98 LESSONS IN LITERATURE Stanza v. — Her misery, however, is so great and so hopeless that she scarcely fears death. Stanza vi. — The scanty reward of all her labor. Stanza vii. — Her work is as a severe penalty though she has com^ mitted no crime. Stanzas viii. and xi.— She must stay in the city and work all the year through, though she longs to see the country in the summer. Stanza x. — The extreme measure of her misery. The song part of the poem is not entirely symmetrical and on a superficial examination this might seem a defect, due perchance to the hasty composition of the poem. For it was dashed off at white heat in one sitting, out of a full heart. It might seem that stanza iv. should come at the end of the song, and a strong ending it would certainly make. (This of course would require some alterations in stanza v.) But people in such great distress of mind as this woman was do not have their thoughts flow in logical order, and the poet prefers naturalness here to an artificial synuiietry. Compare "Take up arms against a sea " in Hamlet's soliloquy. III. — Explanations and Questions. 8 serve in the ranks. Solferino (sol fer e' no). Where and what is it? State briefly the historical event and the causes leading to it, that made Solferino famous. [See Introduction.] 1. 1. — the Austrian. — Collective term for the Austrians. Compare "the Gael," " the Saxon." 1. 1. — yo^L Who ? [See Introduction.] L h—him. Who ? 1. 1. — yo^i found him. Who, according to this, gained the victory? 1. 2. — died .... aU. Wh&t spirit does this show in the recruit ? 1. 4. — ]/ow hortor. In what way are honors patid to the heroiq FOR KNTHANCE EXAMINATIONS. 105 dead ? See the first stanza of the Burial of Sir John MowCj III. Reader, p. 214. 1 5. — Veiietimi,. Explain his being with the AuBtrian. [See Introduction.] 1. 7. — With a smile. What spirit does this show to have aniiuatod the recruit ? 1. 8. — mere soldier. A soldier by trade, and nothing more than that. What more was the recruit? What did the "tender lips'" show of his character ? 1. 9. — No stranger .... traitor. Explain. [See Introduction.] 1. 10. — alien (dl'yen). Foreign, belonging to another country. 1. 10. — cloth, i. e. the uniform made from \h\i cloth (compare tlie '* steel " for the sword, and " blazon the brass " 1. 32. below.) What uniform did the recruit wear ? 1. 12. — sent to rest. Explain in one word. What idea does the writer call up by the periphrasis ? 1. 14. — file. The line of private soldiers. Compare "the rank and file," meaning officers and men. 1. 15. — see ! What scene does this graphic touch call up '{ L 17. — (IS arphaiis. Why not simply " as children ?" 1.18. — patriot hands. Explain. [See Introduction.] 1. 19. — Let me die, etc. Explain " ottr Italy." What spirit does this show in the recruit ? Do you admire it ? 1. 20. — hy your lumds. Explain. 1. 21. — Aim straightltj, etc. Who is apparently speaking? 1. 23. — Delimr'. . . .away, etc. What feeling had the young soldier towards the Austrian, as shown by these lines ? 1. 23. — tear me. Strip away for me 1. 24. — badge. (Here) uniform. See 1. 10. What is the usual meaning 1 How would the bullet ' ' tear away the badge " ? 1. 26. — Wtiat then? Fill out the expression of the thought. [Why (you ask) should I (the poote«s) make so much ado about his death ? Biave patriotic soldiers have died in thousands ere now, why should 1 specially commend this young soldier ?] 106 LESSONS IN LITERATURE 1. 27. — Ay (I). Yea (I admit). Ifc is true that patriot soldiers have died before, but note the difference between their case and his. See 11. 27-32. 1. 29. —Oriie tricoior. The flag of Italy is a tricolor, namely a flag of three colors (green, >rhite, red, arranged perpendicularly). *' One tricolor" would symbolize that unity of Italy for which they fought. 1. 30.- 'mid. A contraction for? 1.30. — triumphant acclaim. "Acclaim," shout of praise. Hero read and compare, '^Hoiv sleep the broifoe^" p. 291 of the Beader. 1. 31. rescued. From what ? L 32. hUuuyii the brass, etc. To set forth, engraven on tombs, columns, and other monuments, the great deeds they accomplished. 1. 33. — Bvi he. Why was it easy for them to die ? Why hard for him ? 1. 34. — mixed. Construe: "mixed with (in the ranks of) the tyrants" and (consequently) "shamed." 1. 34. — country's retjaa-d. In the eyes of his countrymen. Why speak of country as if a person ? 1. 36. — tyrants. . . Jier. Explain. (8ee Introduction.) 1. 37. — vn a cruel restrktloib. By the hard restraints (of fate.) 1. 38. — guerdon of sons. The reward that her sons reaped. What reward ? l.39.—jUial obedience. " Filial " (L. ^iiits, a son). The obedi- ence a son yields. What " obedience " in this case? What " con- victions " ? 1. 41. — sovl kissed. . . .guns. Accepted death from the guns and blessed his countrymen who shot him. Why the "lips" of the guns? Whose are her guns? What feeling is suggested here by "kissed?" Study carefully each word in this line. 1.41. — That moves you. Were they not affected before ? [Read 1. 26.] What has been said after line 26 more affecting than the words before that line ? 1. 41. — Na/y, grudge not. What were the hearers doing? 1. 43. — says your poet. I am not certain what Italian poet is here FOR ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. 107 referred to. Carducci and other contemporary writers have ex- pressed similar sentiments. It is possible, too, as the Notes to the Header suggest, that Horace is meant. 1. 44. — glory a tea/r. What diflferent feelings towards the "others" as compared with the young soldier wcnild these indicate? Narrate in your own words and as fully as you can the story of the Forced Recruit, taking in (i.) the historical position of Italy about 1859. (ii.) The circumstances attending the recruit's join- ing of the Austrian ranks, (iii.) The ai>proach of battle, and the feelings that animated him. (iv.) His death and the finding of his body beside his uncharged musket, (v.) The feelings of his country- men towards him. III. Biographical Note. The county of Durham, England, was the birthplace of Elizabeth Barrett. Bom there in 1809, of wealthy parents, she passed her early years happily, loving the country, — how pleasantly she recalls those dtiys in her poem, "The Lost Bower" — but loving most her books. At ten, she wrote verses, her delighted father being her only "public and critic;" at seventeen she published a little book containing an Essay on the Mind and dedicated to this beloved parent, but without winning the applause of the greater public. Her translation of Prometheus Bound, however, did attract attention, and especially attracted attention as a trans- lation from Greek by a woman. It was discovered that this young woman knew the Greek authors, if not profoundly, at least with a sympathy and an intuition that gave her translation the spirit and melody of the original. The next year. Miss Barrett, never strong, became a prey to ill health. Until her marriage in 1846, she lived in almost constant suffering, spending seven years in a large darkened room, where lying much of the time on her couch she read and wrote. Fr* m this room the poetess sent forth to wake England the "C17 of the Children," an indignant protest against child-labor ; where, too, she composed her " Lady Geraldine's Courtship," containing words of praise of Browning, then a stranger to her ; words which lead to an acquaintance that was a prelude to marriage. It was in her 108 LESSONS IN LITKRATURE thirty-eighth year that Elizabeth Barrett was married to Robert Browning. They left England at once f«ir Italy, where the invalid partly regained health. It was the perfect union of congenial .spirits, and in the sunshine of Italy and her husband's love Mrs. Browning found her genins grow ever more mature. In 1851, appeared "Casa Guidi Windows," a tale of Italy 'is ■itruggle for liberty; in 1856, her last great poem "Aurora Leigh," r ally a novel in verse, was published. This poem is autobio- graphical in its record of thoughts and feeling.s, for Mrs. Browning has embodied in it her own highest convictions of Life and Art. A few more years and the frail body that held this noble soul released its tenant. In June, 1861, after a short week's illness, Mrs. Brown- ing died in her husband's arms, without pain and in perfect peace. Uniting purity of character, patience in suffering, ambition, and power of study, with an intense love, not only of her husband but of humanity, and a genuine poetic inspiration, Mrs. Browning be- came the greatest woman poet since Sappho, and indeed the greatest of all women poets. On the doorway of her Florentine home, Casa Guidi, the Italians whoiii she loved so well placed a white marble tablet, and on iii are graven these words : — ** Here wrotft and died Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who in the heart of a woman, united the science of a sage and the spirit of a poet, and made with her verse a golden ring binding Italy and England. Grateful Florence placed this memorial, 18ol." ENTRANCE EXAIHINATION PAPERS OF THE EDUCATION departm:]nt cf ontahio. 1890. Examiners:— J. E. Hodgson, M. A. ; Thomas Pearce. Among the beautiful pictures That hang on Memory'a Wall, Is one of a dim old forest, That seemeth l)est of all ; Not for its gnarled oaks olden, Dark with the mistletoe ; Not for the violets (jolden. That sprinkle the vale below ; Not for the milk-white lilies, That lean from the fragrant hedge, Coquettimj all day with the sunbeams, And stealing their golden edge ; Not for the vines on the upland. Where the bright red berries rest. Nor the pinks, nor the pale, sweet cowslips. It seemeth to me the best. I once had a little brother. With eyes that were dark and deep ; In the lap of that dim old forest. He lieth in peace asleep. Light as the down of the thistle, Free as the winds that blow, We roved there the beautiful suuiinera, The summers of long ago. But his feet on the hills grew weary, And on one of the Autumn eves, I made for my little brother A bed of the yellow leaves. 109 no LK8S0NH IN LITKHATUKE Sweotly his pale arms folded My neck in a iimek embrace, As tile liglit uf iiiiiiiDrtal beauty Silently ci»vereright, lie fell in hiu saint-like beauty, Asleep by the yaten of li on ti^ hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him ; he hates our Jewish nation ; he lends out money gratis ; and among the merchants he rails at me and my well-earned bar- gains, which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe if T forgive him.'"* Antonio, finding he was mtwingr within himself and did not answer, and being impatient for the money, said : " Shylock, do you hear, will you lend the money ? " 1. Who were Antonio, Bassanio and Shylock ? 2. Why did j.\.ntonio wish to borrow money / 3. What security did Antonio offer ? 4. What security did Shylock ask and receive ? State Shylock's object in making this request. 5. Explain the meaning of the italicized portions. FOU ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. Ill 6. *'()iny