Those captive kings so straight and tall, To feel the stress and the strain Of the wind and the reeling main, Whose roar Would remind them forevermore Of their native forests they should not see again. And everywhere The slender, graceful spars White, blue, and red, A flag unrolls the stripes and stars. Ah! when the wanderer, lonely, friendless, In foreign harbors shall behold That flag unrolled, 'Twill be as a friendly hand Stretched out from his native land, Filling his heart with memories sweet and endless! Then the Master, With a gesture of command, Waved his hand; And at the word, Loud and sudden there was heard, All around them and below, The sound of hammers, blow on blow, She starts she moves she seems to feel The thrill of life along her keel, And, spurning with her foot the ground, She leaps into the ocean's arms! How beautiful she is! How fair She lies within those arms, that press Of tenderness and watchful care! Through wind and wave, right onward steer! Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State! With all the hopes of future years, Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee, Are all with thee - are all with thee! 2. Study of Selection. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Explain the first four lines of the poem. Give the thought of this stanza in your own words. What does the poet say the flag of the ship will be to the wanderer in foreign lands? Have you ever seen the launching of a ship? If not, read the fourth stanza and then describe the launching in your own words. What comparison is made in the last stanza? Do you think "future hopes" may refer to the continuance of a democratic form of government? Name some of the "workmen" who helped to build our "Ship of State." Mention some of the "rocks" and "tempests" that have tried our "Ship of State" in recent years. Why is ship-building of importance to our country? 1. Compound and Complex Sentences. Review compound and complex sentences, pages 13 and 17. From the following simple sentences make compound and complex sentences: Examples: (1) The masts were made of pine trees and these were cut in the forests of Maine. (Compound) (2) The masts were made of pine trees which were cut in the forests of Maine. (Complex) 1. The masts were made of pine trees. 2. The pines were cut in the forests of Maine. 4. Longfellow compares the pines to captive kings. 7. The pines could still hear the wind. 8. The sound reminded them of their old home. 9. It reminded them of the forests. 10. They would never see the forests again. 2. Memorizing. Commit to memory the following stanza: Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, Leave thy low-vaulted past! Let each new temple, nobler than the last, Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea. Be prepared to discuss some current event of local or general interest, preferably one that relates to the building or the launching of a ship; or report upon the kinds of ships (wooden, steel, etc.,) now being built in this country. Make an outline to guide you in your talk. |