1. Preparation

This poem gives a different picture of the Pilgrims from the one you studied at the beginning of the book. It will be interesting to you to see how many new thoughts you gain from the poem.

2. Reading Lesson

The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in New England

The breaking waves dashed high

On a stern and rockbound coast, And the woods against a stormy sky

Their giant branches tossed. • And the heavy night hung dark

The hills and water o'er, When a band of exiles moored their bark

On the wild New England shore.

Not as the conqueror comes,

They, the true-hearted, came; Not with the roll of the stirring drums,

And the trumpet that sings of fame.

Not as the flying come,

In silence and in fear; - They shook the depths of the desert gloom

With their hymns of lofty cheer.

Amidst the storm they sang,

And the stars heard, and the sea: And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang

To the anthem of the free !

The ocean eagle soared

From his nest by the white wave's foam: And the rocking pines of the forest roared, -

This was their welcome home !

There were men with hoary hair

Amidst that pilgrim band: - Why had they come to wither there,

Away from their childhood's land?

There was woman's fearless eye,

Lit by her deep love's truth; There was manhood's brow serenely high,

And the fiery heart of youth.

What sought they thus afar?

Bright jewels of the mine? The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?

They sought a faith's pure shrine !

Ay, call it holy ground,

The soil where first they trod: They have left unstained what there they found, -

Freedom to worship God.

- Felicia D. Hemans. 3. Study.

Stanzas 1, 2, Imagine the picture shown here. Should you like to see it painted? Why is the shore called wild?

Exiles are persons who are forced to leave their home.

Stanzas 3, 4, 5. Why had the Pilgrims not come to conquer? Why had they not come in fear? Was the singing gay, or was it glad and thankful? Why did the people feel as they did ?

Stanza 6. Do you think their welcome was a pleasant one? What other things may have welcomed them in the same way?

Stanza 7. What kind of men are spoken of here? Try to answer the question that is asked.

Stanza 8. Who besides the old men were in the band?

Stanza 9. If you think again why the Pilgrims came to America, you will understand this stanza. You may want to ask some question in class about it.

Stanza 10. What praise does the poet give to the Pilgrims?

4. Word Studies

1. Think of words that mean about the same as these: aisle hymns fearless sought.

isle soared wealth cheer.

Use the words in this list in sentences. See if the other words that you thought of would do as well.

2. Explain what these expressions mean: giant branches.

moored their bark.

band of exiles.

3. What does the word fearless mean? What part of the word means without?

Write what each of these words means: sightless.

endless.

wireless.

friendless cloudless changeless.

Find five other words to which less can be added in the same way.

5. The Apostrophe. Review.

What rules for using the apostrophe have you learned ? (Book I, pages 181, 207.)

Copy all the words in this poem which contain an apostrophe. Try to tell in each case why the apostrophe is there.