Boston University

OpenBU http://open.bu.edu
Theses & Dissertations Dissertations and Theses (pre-1964)

1957

Choral reading of poetry

Head, Arlene P.
Boston University

https://hdl.handle.net/2144/23918
Boston University
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BOSTON UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Thesis

CHORAL READING OF POETRY

Submitted by

Arlene Parker Head

(Ed.B., Keene Teachers College, 1950)

In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for

the Degree of Master of Education

1957

1
' 1Joston University
· 'S.chool o:f Education
.~ --~ Library_
 First Reader:
M. Agnella Gunn
Professor of English Education

Second Reader:
Louise Kingman
Instructor in Speech Education

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. INTRODUCTION 1

The problem 2

Statement of the problem 2

Importance·of the study 2

Scope and limitations 2

Definitions of terms used 3

II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE • • 5

The needs of today's adolescents 5

Meeting the needs of today's adolescents through

poetry . . . • 7

"Definitions" of poetry and appreciation 8

The need for new approaches to poetry 9

Purposes 11

Values and objectives of choral reading 12

Values . 13

Objectives 16

History of choral reading in the United States 18

The director of choral reading 20

Qualifications . . • 20

Choral reading skills 21

Teaching choral reading of poetry 22

General procedure 22

Division of the class 24

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CHAPTER PAGE

Poem selection criteria 24

Types of choral reading 26

Unison speaking 27

Refrain speaking 27

Sectional speaking 27

Sequential speaking 28

Cumulative speaking 28

Orchestration 28

Antiphonal speaking 28

Dangers to be avoided 29

Uses of choral reading 30

Summary of research 31

III. THE WORKBOOK .... 33

Letter to teachers 33

Poems arranged by types of responses 35

Unison • 35

Refrain •. 50

Antiphonal 58

Cumulative 71

Sectional 80

Sequential 102

IV. SUMMARY 110

Suggestions for further study 111

BIBLIOGRAPHY . ... . .... 112

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," At! PEND IX PAGE

v

A. INDEX OF AUTHORS 116

B. INDEX OF TITLES • 118

c. INDEX OF FIRST LINES 122

D. INDEX OF HUMOROUS POEMS 126

E. INDEX OF SERIOUS POEMS 12

F. INDEX BY SUBJECTS . . l3

G. INDEX FOR SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF POETRY l3

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I.
 CHAPTER I

INTBODUCTION

In a rural junior-senior high school in New Hampshire two years

ago, the writer had little evidence that she had helped her students to

enjoy and to appreciate poetry. The following year, exploration and ex-

periment with various methods and techniques for teaching poetry resulted

in some slight success with choral reading. Thus, that approach seemed

worthy of further study.

The National Council of Teachers of English vividly illustrates

the value of literature in the Language Arts program by stating:

Literature, as the term is used here, covers fiction and non-

fiction; prose and poetry. Literature meets an essential need
of man even in days of varied forms of communication. Because
it has the power to catch and hold the heart and mind of man,
literature has existed for thousands of years and has exerted
a marked influence. It has survived because of the depth of
humanity revealed in it, the vision, the insight, the eternal
truth.l

Literature which will extend the horizon of the reader's world and

enrich his life by a wide variety of experiences has a threefold purpose:

to help the student enjoy reading; to develop understanding; and to cul-

tivate a taste for good reading which will increase and expand through

the years.

1
Dora V. Smith (director), The English Language Arts, Prepared by
The Commission on the English Curriculum of the National Council of
Teachers of English, Vol. I (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc.,
1952), p. 374.
 ,,

The student's experience with literature must include an acquaint-

ance with poetry, for inherently a child loves rhythm and thereby, poetry

The school has an obligation to foster and develop his instinctive love

of poetry by awakening imagination and stimulating interest and curiosity

concerning it.

No one method or approach will assist every student to grow in

appreciation and enjoyment of poetry. He must experience many approaches

in order to nurture the often dormant love of poetry. From that desire

to help him grow comes this study of the choral-reading approach to the

enjoyment of poetry.

I. THE PROBLEM

Statement of the problem. The purpose of this study is twofold:

(1) to review professional literature concerning methods and materials

for the teaching of poetry, particul~rly those used in choral reading;

and (2) to compile a workbook with appropriate materials for use in the

junior high school.

Importance of the study. In the rural community where this

junior-senior high school is located, reference resources in the field

of choral reading are practically nonexistent. This workbook in choral

reading is designed to serve as a basis for an introduction to poetry.

The writer hopes that this approach will arouse an interest in poetry

which will be genuine and lasting.

Scope and limitations. The poems included in this workbook are

selected for the junior high school level. Included in the research
··-=====II====
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chapter are specific criteria for selection. The e~phasis is upon using

poems for class activity as a means toward greater appreciation and en-

joyment of poetry and not for public presentation.

The material in the workbook has not been tried out in the class-

room. Its contents are theoretical and suggestive only.

A discussion of methods and suggestions for their use will be

part of the research chapter.

II. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED

The terms used in this study are defined as follows:

1. Poetry: the art or work of poets; the embodiment in appropriate

language of beautiful or high thought, imagination, or
emotion, the language being rhythmical, usually met-
rical, and adapted to arouse the feelings and imagina-
tionl

2. Appreciation: an emotionally fringed awareness or perception

of the worth, value, or significance of anything2

3. EnJoyment: satisfaction in experiencing, possessing, or having

the benefit of3

4. Choral reading: group or choral reading is oral reading by

groups and may be used in either laboratory or
audience situations4

1webster's Collegiate Dictionary (fifth edition; Springfield,

Mass.: G. and C. Merriam Co., Publishers, 1946), p. 766.
2carter Good, Dictionary of Education (New York: McGraw-Hill and
Company, 1945), p. 27.

3webster's ~Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, Mass.: G. and

C. Merriam Co., Publishers, 1951), p. 273.

~. L, Ritter and L. A. Shepherd, Methods of Teaching in Town and

Rural Schools (New York~ Dryden Press, 1950), p. 111.

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 4

5. Types of choral reading

a. Unison speaking is that in which the entire group speaks

together, blending voices, inflections, tempo, and emphasis
into a single effect.!

b. Refrain speaking is that in which a portion of the material

is repeated at intervals, usually at the ends of stanzas.2

c. Antiphonal speaking is that in which the group is divided

into two parts--sopranos versus basses, or any other di-
vision, each speaking as a separate unit,3

d. Cumulative speaking is that in which the effect is achieved

by the addition of voices and intensity (but not loudness)
up to a final climax.4

e. Sectional speaking means the reciting of material by

several separate sections of the group.5

f. Seguential speaking means speaking in turn. One person or

section says one word, phrase, or line, and is followed by
another person or section with the next word, phrase, or
line--and so on,6

6. Types of voices

a. Light voices are those with a delicate quality; they usually

have a higher normal pitch than other voices.?

b. Middle voices are those with a wide pitch range and good
resonance that can be used anywhere in the choir, alone,
with the light, or with the dark voices.B

c. Dark voices are of a heavier quality; they usually take the

more robust, or the more somber parts of a selection.9

lGail Boardman, Oral Communication of Literature (New York:

Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1952), p. 338.
2 Ibid. lrbid., p. 339. 4rbid., pp. 339-40.
5Ibid., p. 341. 6 Ibid., p. 342.

7Agnes Curran Hamm, Choral Speaking· Technique (Milwaukee: The

Tower Press, 1946), p. 16.
9Ibid,
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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

The Needs of Today's Adolescents

This study pertains to the teaching of literature to junior high

school students who are experiencing that best of times and worst of

times--adolescence. In what sort of world do these adolescents find

themselves at the halfway mark in this twentieth century?

The National Council of Teachers of English offers one partial

answer.

The world confronting the adolescent today is both prom1s1ng

and threatening. The boy and the girl growing up nowadays are
privileged to live in one of the most exciting, dynamic periods
in the history of Western civilization, but they face all the
confusions, uncertainties, and hazards that accompany a period
of rapid and almost overwhelming change.l

They summarize thus:

A world of change, of speed, of massed groups, of heightened

tensions, and of gravely conflicting views--this, in general terms,
is the world the adolescent faces today. To meet such a world with
equanimity and intelligence, the adolescent needs an education of
great scope and power. In communication skills, he needs partic-
ularly an education at once more comprehensive and more exact than
his forefathers required.2

Language~ iE the
1Dora V. Smith (directar), The English
Secondary School, Prepared by The Commission on the English Curriculum
of The National Council of Teachers of English, Vol. III (New York:
Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1956), p. 3.

2Ibid., pp. 9-lo.

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Upon the teachers of these young people rests the unsurpassed

responsibility of helping to prepare them to meet this twentieth-century

world. The obligation of the teacher of English is, perhaps, the most

delicate of all, for it is he who must help to develop ability to handle

adequately and skillfully the important tools of communication.

Lucia Mirrielees cites the following as the responsibility of the

teachers of English:

A teacher of English must aid each pupil to develop himself at

his own rate and must assist him to integrate what he learns at
school, at home, and in his community. . . . Teachers of English
must attempt directly or indirectly so to ·form the minds of their
pupils that these potential citizens will uphold rather than
menace those democratic ideals we assert but as yet have failed
to achieve.!

Through literature students can come to realize that the recorded

experiences of others may have an important bearing upon their own lives.

Opportunities to weigh the values of literature can develop increased

appreciation and understanding.

It is the business of teachers of English to cultivate in those

boys and girls a desire to read, enjoyment of reading, increased
power in appreciation of literature, and a deeper understanding of
life itself--its opportunities and responsibilities in a democracy.2

It would appear that many of the approaches used in the teaching

of literature are unsatisfactory as witnessed by this statement:

Strangely enough, the fact that literature is a source of

pleasure is a point that needs stressing. The pleasure is not
of one kind; there are infinite possibilities, depending upon

1Lucia B. Mirrielees, Teaching Composition !E£ Literature in

Junior !E£ Senior High School (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1950),
p. 4.

2Ibid., pp. 344-45.

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interests and maturity. If the study of literature does not pro-
vide enjoyment, the teaching has been a failure.l

Meeting the Needs of Today's Adolescents Through Poetry

Lou LaBrant in H! Teach English is of the opinion that:

It is unfortunate, but true, that many more than half the

students who leave our high schools dislike poetry; study after
study confirms this, the records of our libraries add evidence,
and college teachers are almost unanimous in saying that even
their supposedly superior students do not like to read verse.2

Yet, we, teachers of English, through our National Council, say

that one of our purposes is to increase the competence of boys and girls

in " developing appreciation of the rich personal and social values

3
in poetry and drama through effective use of oral interpretation."

Lucia Mirrielees indicates that many of us take poetry too much

for granted and do not stop to realize the difficulties poetic language

may offer to our students. Are we impatient with their lack of quick

understanding? As a remedy Miss Mirrielees suggests:

True, one can grasp light or narrative verse at one reading,

but just as a symphony demands effort and careful attention, so
great poetry rewards us only when we grasp both its obvious and
its implied meanings, feel its music of word and line, appreciate
its pictures, re-create in our own minds the mood and thought of
the poet. Don't expect too much at first. Make it clear to your
class that a poem is like a potential friend. A boy or girl whom

1oora V. Smith (director), The English language Arts in~

Secondary School, Prepared by The Commission on the English Curriculum
of the National Council of Teachers of English, Vol. III (New York:
Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1956), p. 129.
2Lou LaBrant, H! Teach English (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co.,
1951), p. 290.
3smith, ££· cit., p. 205.

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-' you know through and through in half an hour is hardly the one
8

whom you wish for a life long friend. Build slowly. Mingle
humor and pathos. Mingle narrative, dramatic monologue, and
lyric. Build slowly, but build.l

"Definitions" of Poetry and Appreciation

Definitions of poetry are almost as numerous and varied as are

poets. For example, the poet Carl Sandburg defines poetry as ". . the

silence and speech between a wet struggling root of a flower and a sun-
2
lit blossom of that flower."

Parker presents definitions by several of the old masters.

To Bacon, poetry was the feigned history of a world more ideal

than is to be found 'in the nature of things'; to the uninitiated
reader it is a closed book; but to the informed reader it is, as
Poe held, the rhythmical creation of beauty, whether in the emo-
tional or the intellectual realm of experience.3

Said Wordsworth, 'Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all

knowledge. •4

Despite its early publication date, Seely's analysis of apprecia-

tion is very timely.

Appreciation is one of those catch-all, carry-all words--

especially when it is coupled with such other terms as project,
problem, motivation, and correlative activity, not to mention
units, objectivity, 'plan, 1 and mastery--behind which we teachers
have rather successfully concealed a vast deal of confusion, and
over whose ramparts we have hurled deafening barrages of miracle
inviting verbalism. All of these terms we utter casually in

1
Mirrielees, 2£· £!!., p. 381.
2Marguerite Smith, WinZs to Fly (Boston: Expression Co., 1938),
p. 18.
3Roscoe E. Parker, ~Principles and Practices of Teaching
English (New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1937), p. 98.

4Ibid., p. 99.
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 9

various connections and with fervid enthusiasm in others.

'Appreciation" has been more frequently and persistently on our
lips during the last two decades than any of the other terms
most of which are somewhat cyclic in their educational appear-
ances. With respect to appreciation what we have said and what
we have done concerning materials that were supposed to generate
it, or in whose presence it was expected to generate itself, have
not hung together; or perhaps it would be better to remark, if
the pun may be forgiven, that they have hung together.l

Concluding his semiderogatory statements concerning the aspects of

appreciation, Seely says of its meaning:

May we not conclude, then, by asserting that appreciation is

the favorable response made by the integrated individual to cer-
tain aspects of life with which he feels personal kinship; that
it is an active, progressive, vigorous response; that in it are
indissolubly fused understandiag and feeling; that it is promoted,
not by specialized means and materials, but by fullness of ex-
perience and the development of perspective in living.2

The Need for New Approaches to Poetry

Opinions indicate that many methods used to increase students'

appreciation of poetry are unfortunately unsuccessful. New approaches

are needed.

In her chapter, "Attitudes Toward Literature," Mirrielees offers

encouraging advice to a teacher seeking methods through which poetry may

be enjoyed and appreciated.

You may have within you the finest possibilities for literature
teaching: love of literature, understanding of its fundamental
problems, and practical .appreciation of the difficulties awaiting
high school pupils. Experiment. Don't be content to be artisans,
if, as some of you undoubtedly can, you might be artists.3

1Howard F. Seely, "The Meaning of Appreciation," The English

Journal, XIX (November, 1930), 736.
2 Ibid., p. 741.

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3
 10
r
In searching for methods by which students might study poetry

with greater pleasure and satisfaction, the writer experimented with

various methods, and the choral reading approach offered some limited

success which appeared to make it worthy of further study. Hence the

undertaking of this research.

Experiences related by teachers of choral reading indicate success

in increasing appreciation and enjoyment of poetry.

Choral reading gives the pupil the opportunity to come alive

with poetry, and this feeling on his part will guarantee more
surely his appreciation. He will learn by active participation.
Appreciation can never be forced against the pupil's will; he
must be receptive to it. It is my sincere belief that choral
reading will arouse that want, for I have found that the pupil
will actually think it is fun.l

Janet Nafe says, "It is an enriching experience for children to

2
hear poems which give beauty to everyday living."

In recommending the choral reading method of teaching, Agnes

Hamm says:

Students are introduced to poetry in a new and fascinating way.

They learn not only to understand it but to interpret it orally;
they learn to take it from the written page and make it live. As
a result of this, poetry becomes part of their lives; they grow
with it. And as they continue in this work their background of
English and American poetry becomes ever richer.3

lMarguerite Smith, 2£· ~·• Foreword.

2Janet Nafe, "Choral Reading," The Grade Teacher, 71 (March,
1954), 29.
3
Agnes Curran Hamm, Choral Speaking Technique (Milwaukee:
The Tower Press, 1946), p. 8.

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 11

Purposes

Choral reading of poetry should help the pupils to gain deeper

appreciation and greater enjoyment from reading poetry.

E. Irene Hemphill reports the philosophy of Marjorie Gullan, a

well-known choral reading authority, concerning the purpose of choral

reading:

. . the next necessary recognition is to realize for what we

are working. Marjorie Gullan of London emphasizes of utmost con-
sequence (and over-reaching all others) the awakening or creation
of a love of poetry in the child. Poetry means so much more to
them when they can feel and express its vitality and beauty.l

Willard Friederich and Ruth Wilcox make a similar point:

. . • The thing to remember is that the goal is not so much

good choral reading as the enjoyment of poetry by the students,
plus, also, of course, a breaking down of the reserve, embarrass-
ment, and stage fright which usually occur during youngster's in-
troduction to poetry reading. An ounce of enjoyment is worth a
pound of artistry at this stage of the game and any corrections
offered by the instructor should be almost entirely for the pur-
pose of heightening the pleasure of reading instead of improving
the artistic effect of the chorus.2

The National Council of Teachers of English, in recommending chora

work as an activity which will help in developing speech competence,

lists enjoyment and appreciation as its basic purposes.

1. Choral speaking, so that participants share experience in

interpretation and in creative group effort. Such activity should
furnish keen insight into the effects of tone quality, of rhythm,
of intelligent phrasing, and of variation in mood, dependent upon

1E. Irene Hemphill, Cho~al Speaking~ Speech Improvement

(Darien, Conn.: Educational Publishing Co., 1945), p. 5.

Zwillard J. Friederich and Ruth A. Wilcox, Teaching Speech in

High Schools (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1953), p. 225.

('====~======================================~~====
 12

sound and movement. In general, shared enjoyment and appreciation

take precedence over public appearance.l

Values and Objectives of Choral Reading

To the development of a well-adjusted American boy or girl,

poised, confidant, and self-respecting, literature, poetry, and choral

reading, in this descending order, make their individual contributions.

The part of the teacher of English in this development is of

prime importance, for he assists the pupil in mastering the tool which

he will use more than any other--his language.

Education in the United States is unique in that each small ex-

perience as well as the major ones contributes to the overall educational

pattern from which emerges a youth well-adjusted to life in a democracy.

Involved in choral reading are many of the experiences which help

to develop good citizenship. It is an experience in which all pupils

must share, cooperate, blend themselves into the overall pattern and yet

maintain their individuality.

That individualism and cooperation, the keynotes of democracy,

find adequate outlets in choral reading is indicated by Angela Broening's

comment that:

Activities that once were carried by the picked, best student

in a class or in a school now have greater audience response and
educative value through utilizing every individual in his appro-

1Dora V. Smith (director), The English Language~~ the

Secondary School, Prepared by The Commission on the English Curriculum
of the National Council of Teachers of English, Vol. III (New York:
Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1956), p. 208.

('====~======================================~~====
 13

priate part either as a member of a speaking choir or of a class

group trained to read well orally.l

To live as an intelligent citizen, an individual must learn to

live with all types of people. His· ability to share and to cooperate

will undoubtedly be a major factor in his having a successful life.

Choral reading demands sharing and cooperating which may leave an in-

delible mark on our adolescent.

Values. In its new volume, The English Language~ in the

Secondary School, the National Council of Teachers of English asserts:

One of the joys of teaching is the opportunity to influence

the development and the growth of the young student. There are
few experiences that evoke the glow the teacher feels in seeing
a young person mature in language power, in human relations, in
the personal satisfactions which may be derived from increased
good taste in reading and listening, and in the power to use
words orally and in writing so as to achieve adequate adjustment
for himself and his teen-age friends,2

Does not choral reading provide for maturation in all of these

language arts except writing, and may not that, too, be an eventual out-

come?

Irving Friedman of the Cleveland High School in Newark, New

Jersey, says:

The values of choral speaking are manifold. The speech choir

offers to everyone an opportunity for oral expression, as well as
group participation and personality development for the retiring
child. It is a vitalizing agent for classroom instruction. It

1
Angela M. Broening (chairman), Conducting Experiences 1n English,
A Report of a Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English,
based on the Contributions of 274 Cooperating Teachers of English
(New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1939), p. 208.
2Dora V. Smith, £2· cit., p. 15.

~~===*======================================~F=====
 14
r.,
is a factor in vocabulary building. It offers practice in speech
values such as variety of tone, pronunciation, enunciation, in-
flection and rate. It tends to relieve monotonous speech, develop
weak voices, soften harsh ones, and stress word endings. It opens
avenues for self-discipline since it necessitates cooperation and
interdependence. It affords an opportunity for self-expression
for the many who are denied adequate vocal outlets, for those who
are not solo singers, good debaters, public speakers, or amateur
actors.l

A breakdown of the values of choral reading is offered by Gail

Boardman:

Social Values
1. Cooperation for unity of effect
a. Develops friendship and interest
2. Learns to share and communicate material to listeners
Educational Values
1. Develops high standards in choice of material
2. Acquaintance with authors and literature
3. Knowledge of accent, rhythm, voice grouping
4. Appreciation of word meanings and beauty
Personal Values
1. Shyness, over-aggressiveness and exhibitionism give
way to group spirit
2. Improved speech is a natural outgrowth
3. Improve: breath control, diction, sensitivity to the
volume of themselves and others, listening habits 2

The .final, and to the writer, the very best of the sources ex-

amined for choral reading values is Marguerite Smith's Wings to~.

This excellent little volume presents the many values--personal, social,

educational, and democratic--of choral reading as a method of studying

poetry. For the reasons just cited, much of her material bears record-

ing in a study of this type.

1Irving Friedman, "Speaking of Choral Reading," The English

Journal, XXXVI (February, 1947), 96.
2Boardman, ££· ££!., p. 333.

~~==~======================================~======
- Her explanation of choral reading as a mode of self-expression
15

which all individuals need to experience is:

Choral reading can easily absorb this energy if it is taught

properly. It gives the pupil a chance to participate, a chance
to use his energy, and as a reward he knows the contentment that
comes from satisfactory self-expression.!

Since the present-day curriculum is under examination for its

social values, it appears that education which does not provide values

for adult life is worthless. In this respect choral reading is a boon

for education of all American youth.

In every classroom ~here is the timid student, the braggart,

the resourceful pupil, the resentful one, and the nondescript
child. The English teacher is faced with the task of welding
these personalities into a unified group, a class interested in
English. As it is often impossible to deal with each problem
separately, the teacher may try choral reading.Z

Self-discipline is good for everyone. Choral reading makes

such control a part of the pupil, for he must fit his personality
into that kind of a group. His ego must be sacrificed in order
to present a good performance. The member with an overbearing
voice soon learns that he must subdue it, for he should stand out
no further that the others. Perhaps it is a new experience for
him; maybe he has never known what it is to be one of many. On
the other hand, the timid pupil is able to feel as important as
any member of the group; this feeling will arouse a new self-
respect in himself. He will begin to see himself in a different
light and be eager to continue this consciousness.3

Many pupils do not do their best when the weight of class atten-
tion is on their individual efforts. They hesitate to express them-
selves. But if they can show expression at the same time that
others are doing so, their efforts will be more courageous and
successful. A child may read aloud a poem very poorly when he is
standing in front of the class; he may be afraid to show too much
feeling. When he hears himself as a member of a group, however,
he feels the attention is not centered on him, and he is at ease
to do his best. The fear of expressing himself orally, gradually

1 2
Marguerite Smith, £e• cit., p. 13. Ibid,, p. 15.

)Ibid, o. 16.
,- lessens and he achieves a greater sense of freedom. He discovers
16

a new self, one that he had never known, and this knowledge adds
to his poise and general bearing.l

Choral reading gives everyone a chance to participate. The col-

lectiveness of the voices inspires the student to do his best. No
longer does the mediocre pupil have to stand aside while he sees
more gifted children perform. There is a place for him in the
choir, and he can know the joy of working on a definite production.
A choir allows for no 'wallflowers'; everyone feels free to take a
part. How often a person remarks, after hearing a rousing song or
seeing a whirling dance, 'I wish I could do that!' Choir work
gives him the chance; he can release his emotions with the other
members. His energy can be used in doing, not in wishing.2
0

ObJectives. The next step in the study of choral reading as a

method of 4eveloping appreciation and enjoyment of poetry is to identify

specific aims and objectives for which a teacher using this method should

strive.

Angela Broening suggests the following aims for choral speaking:

A. To bring together a group of poetry lovers among the pupils

B. To increase their enjoyment of poetry by permitting self-
expression
C. To increase familiarity with good verse
D. To strive for pleasing voice effects
1. Much richer tones can be procured through a group than
with a single voice.
2. Tone variety can be played with in different styles of
poetry.
3. Solo and chorus effects can be used in certain poems.3

From such an activity as choral reading Broening indicates that

the following outcomes may be obtained:

A. Among the participants

1. An increased enjoyment of poetry
2. An increased self-confidence
3. An improvement in diction--temporary, if not permanent

1
.!!2i£.' pp. 16-17 0
2 Ibid., p. 17.

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3
 17

B. In the audience
1. An apparent enthusiasm and appreciation
2. An increased interest in poetry 1

For more specific goals Friederich and Wilcox recommend these:

(1) To use choral reading as an educational device to help the

individual develop his own ability to interpret the printed
page:
a. To help all students to increase their expressiveness in
reading aloud
b. To improve the vocabulary through understanding of poetry
c. To aid the timid in developing self-confidence
d. To break the speech pattern of the monotonous speaker
e. To help those with accents to learn English sounds and
rhythm
(2) To develop choral reading as an art form:
a. To increase the individual's own enjoYment of poetry
b. To enable the general public to discover an appreciation
for the sound and meaning of literature through the spoken
word
c. To bring pleasure to the group itself, through its social
contacts and through the satisfaction that comes from
giving new insights to others 2

A beginning teacher of choral reading, like the writer, might aim

for such goals as Regina Donovan's:

Specific Aims
1. To cultivate high ideas
2. To help pupils enjoy poetry
3. To produce or awaken the emotion that possessed the artist and
that through his work he is attempting to express
4. To cultivate a love for the rhythm and music of poetry
5. To foster a sense of beauty
6. To fix in memory a considerable body of suitable poetry which
will serve throughout life as a source of joy, a criterion for
the evaluation of other writings and a stimulus to further
reading 3

1
~·· p. 213.
2Friederich and Wilcox,££·£!!., p. 240.

3Regina Donovan, "An Approach to the Teaching of Poetry Apprecia-

tion in the Junior High School" (unpublished Service Paper, Boston Uni-
versity, School of Education, Boston, 1947), p. 19.
~=··====~======================================~=====
,.. . The aim of this writer is to use choral reading as a means of
18

developing an increased enjoyment and appreciation of poetry. However,

it may be of value to watch for secondary results such as these observed

by Carrie Rasmussen:

Some of the definite results noted are:

1. Loss of self-consciousness
2. Freedom in individual expression
3. Improved enunciation
4. Increased range, flexibility, and control of voice
5. Increased coordination of body and voice
6. Increased breath control
7. Greater power of imagination
B. More bodily expression
9. Rhythmic imagination
10. General development that carries over into other work 1

History of Choral Reading in the United States

The choral reading method of teaching is comparatively new in the

American public schools. Its origin was on the Continent as is noted in

this quotation.

Choral reading, sometimes referred to as verse speaking, has as

its chief purpose the enjoyment of poetry through group reading.
It originated in Germany and soon spread throughout the continent.
It was enthusiastically received and developed in England. During
the past few years, its popularity has reached America and because
of its educational values it is fast finding its way into the
public schools. Boys and girls who would otherwise be too inhibited
or too self-conscious to read the poetry alone, have derived both
profit and pleasure through choral reading.2

In discussing choral reading as a method of teaching poetry, Gail

Boardman says:

1carrie Rasmussen, "Choral Speaking with Children," Elementary

English Review, XXII (November, 1933), 225.
2Muriel B. Newton, ~ JI!!ll Plan for Choral Reading, ! Manual for
Teachers (Boston: Expression Co., 1938), p. 15.
0====~===================================9F====
 19

This recent phase of interpretation was introduced to the United

States by European and English influence in the 1920's. Histori-
cally, its origins go back to the.Golden Age of Greek literature.
In their drama the Greeks used choral odes and dance, with some
pantomime and verses spoken by the leader of the chorus. Later the
Church, in ritualistic and liturgical worship, employed voices singly
and in unison, with or without attendant movement. Some of this same
liturgical chanting is still used in the Litany and other parts of
ritualistic movement. Group chanting of psalms by the Hebrews,
group saying of the Lord's Prayer, communal participation in the
reading of the Psalms, group recital of the pledge of. allegiance
to our flag, group repetition of fraternal and organization pledges,
the mournful keening of the Gaels at wakes and funerals, and folk
songs and children's games repeated in unison, are all forms of
choral speaking.l

Continued research revealed two important facts concerning choral

reading in the United States: first, why choral work has been used so

sparingly in our schools; and second, that choral reading~ being used

in many types of situations.

Availability of material continues to be a partial barrier to the

use of choral reading just as it was twenty years ago when Robinson and

Thurston made this assertion:

The art of choral speaking is very, very old but its modern
revival is so young that many directors of speaking choirs are
still groping for material. Some of those less experienced feel
also the need of suggestions concerning the arrangement of poetry
for use. Books in the field are few and most of those available
stress method rather than material,2

Many teachers question their ability to direct choral reading.

Although choral reading is not new, teachers of English have not

~de use of it until comparatively recently. For that reason a vast
majority of them suddenly find themselves in the position of wanting

1Boardman, 2£· fi!., pp. 332-33,

2Marion P, Robinson and Rozetta L. Thurston, Poetry Arranged for

the Speaking Choir (Boston: Expression Co., 1936), p. 20.

('====~======================================+=====
 20

to orggnize speaking choirs, yet uncertain of their own ability.

Teachers who have had only a minimum amount of speech training
are apt to hesitate in starting the work, fearful that they can
do nothing with it.l

Finally, the knowledge that choral work is being used in many sit-

uations on the American scene and to some extent in many schools should

offer encouragement to the teacher who is hesitant about using this

method.

Since the First World War there has been a rapid development in
the revival of this ancient art. There is hardly a school in the
country in which something is not being done in the subject.
Churches recognize the stimulus for worship in the variation it
affords through group participation. It is particularly suited
to our American way of life. It fosters community spirit. It is
an aid to socialized and creative group activities. It integrates
the individual into the group without impairment of personality.2

The Director of Choral Reading

Qualifications.

A good director of a speech choir should have a love and under-

standing of poetry. She should know how to interpret it orally
and how to impart to others this knowledge. She should know the
difference between good diction and the two extremes of slovenly
and labored diction. She should have an accurate sense of rhythm
and be able to teach true rhythm as opposed to sing-song. A good
background in speech training, phonetics, dramatics, literature,
music, in any or all of these will be of immeasurable value. She
must enjoy the work.3

The director should possess a real knowledge of literature, and

a sense of rhythm, phrasing, pausing and an appreciation of vocal
quality and good diction. A musical background will also help one
to know when to increase and when to decrease the volume and rhythmic

1Marguerite Smith, ££• £!!.,Foreword.

~ildred Jones Keefe (editor}, Choric Interludes, Poetry Arranged

for Times~ Seasons (Boston: Expression Co., 1942), p. vii.

3Hamm, .2£· £!!., p. 17.

~=====*======================================~======
 21
r '
accent. A good director should have ability in dramatics and
interpretation, with the implied sensitivity for pacing, move-
ment and climax. In addition, a vital, inspiring, and sympa-
thetic personality, good leadership qualities and a sense of humor
and good taste are ingredients for success. If the director can
set the example through personal ability, the group will more
readily follow leadership.!

The classroom teacher of English is encouraged by the opinion of

Marjorie Burdsall, who says:

Furthermore, the qualifications of the leader of a verse

speaking choir correspond very nearly with those of an English
teacher, so she should be able to conduct choral speaking in her
class. First, it is, of course, obvious that to do choral speech
work the leader must be a poetry lover. She should like the si-
lent reading of it as well as speaking it aloud. She should have
considerable acquaintance with English poetry of various types
and periods, and also with the history of poetry. But how could
she be an English teacher without these qualifications! Besides
these, she should have a keen ear for poetic sound pattern and
rhythm. A certain knowledge of technique in speech and voice
production is desirable for good choir training, but every teacher,
whether of English or any subject, should be 'speech conscious'
enough to know how to practice and teach the fundamentals of good
speech, such as breathing and breath control. Lastly, she should
have the power to help think truly, feel sensitively and deeply,
and to express the thought and feeling with spontaneity, as well
as with unity. Again, must not an English teacher be all this to
help her class interpret poetry, or any form of literature?2

Choral Reading Skills

Although the classroom practice of choral reading leans toward in-

formality, there are, nevertheless, certain skills which the teacher of

English would do well to consider as she uses this method of teaching.

1Gail Boardman, Oral Interpretation of Literature (New York:

Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1952), p. 337.

2Marguerite E. DeWitt and others, Practical Methods in Choral

Speaking (Boston: Expression Co., 1936), p. 180.

0====~==================================~=====
 22

1. Precision in tempo is absolutely necessary.

2. There should be variatioa within the group in pitch and quality
3. Volume shifts should be frequent and must be plaaned and re-
hearsed.
4. Broken rhythm is important. Otherwise choral reading is
monotonous.
5. Leaders must be alert.
6. The most valuable contribution of the verse-speaking chorus is
its aid to good diction. Affectation must be avoided like the
plague. Remember that offenses in the individual are multi-
plied when the whole group offends. Watch the final conso-
nants.l

The skills considered necessary by Bess Wright, a teacher in the

public schools of Indianapolis, Indiana, are:

1. A sense of sound
a. The ability to hear and produce vowels and consonants with
correct formation and placements
b. The ability to modify sounds in their combination with
other sounds
(1) Proper aspiration and unaspiration of p, t, k
(2) The voicing and unvoicing of voiced consonants
(3) Lengthening of vowel, diphthongs, and consonants
2. The recognition of strong and secondary stress and a knowledge
of correct weak forms and how to use them in connected speech
3. Observation of breath groups and accurate attack of sounds at
the same time, pausing for breathing and for the pantomiming
of the thought
4. A sense of the basic melody of English
5. Adequate voices with power and control 2

Teaching Choral Reading of Poetry

General procedure. Louise Abney, an authority on choral reading

at various levels, outlines the introductory steps as follows:

1. Choose the right poems--poems adapted to the literary apprecia-

tion of the group, emotionally as well as mentally.

2. Voice your choir according to pitch (s~prano, second soprano,

also) or timbre ('light,' 'dark')

1
Friederich and Wilcox, ££.-f!!., p. 244.

~~·========~=========B=r=o=e=n=i=n=g=·=££===·=c==it==·=·=P==·=2=1=4==.====================================~==========
2
 23
r '
3. Know your poem. Whether you are reading it from the printed
page or from memory, be familiar with the content of the poem.

4. Master the rhythm and sound patterns of the poem.

5. Read the poem aloud to the class with sincerity and inspira-
tion. You must have sincerity, enthusiasm, vitality, and in-
telligence in your own presentation if you hope to inspire
others.

6. Afford a correct example in your speech. A correct example is

often more valuable than a corrective method. Check your
vowels, consonants, and diphthongs. If you are in doubt,
speech books will guide you.

7. Clarify the meaning of the poem through explanation of unknown

words, phrases, dialect or other unfamiliar references.
Thought mastery is essential to interpretation.

8. Read the poem a second time, or invite a student to do it.

9. Arrange the poem for choral speaking through group participa-

tion.

10. Let the group try various suggested arrangements with attention
to thought mastery, correct rhythm, pure tone, and good diction

11. Select the solo parts, if any, by try-out and class judgment.

12. Keep the voices light. Volume can be increased when necessary,
but tones must never be forced.

13. Memorization becomes spontaneous through actual participation

in verse speaking,l

Friederich and Wilcox suggest that the teacher progress in this

manner:

1. Divide the class into sections according to pitch and resonance

of voices.
2. Simple unison speaking to learn to follow the director and
understand fundamental rhythm.
3. Development of special types of group speaking.2

1Louise Abney, Choral Speaking Arrangements for the Junior High

(Boston: Expression Co., 1939), pp. 18-20.

~~=======9~=======2=F=r=i=e=d=e=r=i=c=h==an=d==W==i=lc=o=x==·~~~·~c~i~t~·=·==P=·==2=4=0=.========================~==========
 ,,
I
24

Division of lh! class.

The division of the class according to the pitch will be roughly
the same as the divisions for glee club. If there are boys and
girls in the class, those two groups may often form the sections.
More frequently such groups are further subdivided one for the boys
and two for the girls, or two for each. An easy method of separating
voices is to have two students speak a nursery rhyme together. Let
the class decide which voice is higher or lower; then have a third
person speak with these two and put him above or below as the case
may be. Continue until all in the class have been placed, It should
be emphasized that, once placed, the students should not try to
change the pitch of their voices to fit in with that of the section
to which they are assigned or artificiality will result.

Frequently the groups are designated as 'high' and 'low' voices,

but this is not an accurate distinction. The division is not based
solely on pitch, but on resonance as well; therefore, speech choir
directors tend to use terms 'light' and 'dark' voices which recog-
nize both qualities. Occasionally there is need for a 'mediam'
section; if so, they may be selected from those light and dark
voices which more closely approach the middle division.l

Poem Selection Criteria

In We Teach English Lou LaBrant suggests two criteria which the

teacher of English should consider before teaching poetry by any method.

If we use two criteria--that the poem deal with the adolescent's

world and that it speak with figures out of his own experience--
we can expect to see the attitude toward poetry change from dislike
and indifference to delight.2

The comments pertaining specifically to the choice of poetry for

choral reading were as follows:

Mona Swann saysJ

The material suited to choral speech is necessarily limited, and

when these limits are transgressed the speech choir loses its value
as an artistic instrument, for personal thought and emotion cannot

1Ibid., p. 241.

2LaBrant, £2· cit., p. 298.

"~==~======================================+=====
 be expressed by a group; only poetry that is universal, racial or
national, or the expression of some class or type--indeed, that
speaks for 'us' rather than 'me' or 'you'--comes within the bounds
of suitability.l

In her book, Practical Methods ~ Choral Speaking, Marguerite

DeWitt includes the thoughts of several teachers on this subject.

From San Jose State Teachers College come the opinions of Dorothy

Kaucher and Elizabeth M. Jenks.

In selecting poetry for this kind of reading, it is advisable

to get material that is strongly rhythmic, full of contrasts of
various sorts, much vivid imagery, and words that are provocative
in sound. Poetry which is too introspective and mystical is not
satisfactory. A good rollicking narrative, in this day when indi-
vidual emotions are pinned down for inspection like butterflies
in a museum, is a sane and healthy project for class choral reading,
and the Psalms acquire a deep and abiding beauty when read this way.2

The writer, however, would like to stress further three criteria

for judJ!ling whether a poem is suitable for verse choir or not. Such
a poem should possess the following characteristics:
1. Strong and compelling rhythm
2. Vivid and striking diction
3. Variation and contrast in mood or thought or both (A narrative
poem is usually better than a long philosophical poem or a
delicate type.)3

The poems suitable for junior high school add to the marked rhythm
and effective diction, narrative and imaginative elements, which
afford contrast in mood and thought.4

G. F. Reynolds of the University of Colorado says:

Poetry intended only for individuals, not for an audience, is

seldom suited for concerted reading. No selection can be very long
if many are to read it.5

~na Swann, ~ Approach !£ Choral Speech (Boston: Walter H.

Baker Co., 1937), p. 11.
2DeWitt and others, 2£· cit., pp. 150-151.

3Ibid., p. 159. 4Ibid., pp. 159-60. 5Ibid., p. 16 •

('""'\
======~===========================
 26

Finally, from Marjorie E. Burdsall, these comments:

With the capacity of her students in mind, the teacher should

therefore choose for choral expression material that suits the
emotional maturity of the group. It is wise to begin with poetry
that has a traditional basis, poetry that is the expression of a
group more than an individual. . . • Discrimination must be used
in the choice of lyrics, for some may be harmed when spoken in
unison. Again, choose poems that denote a general rather than an
individual point of view, and where the meaning is straightforward
and reasonably simple. The purely personal, the introspective, and
the subtly worded poem should be avoided.l

In choosing poems for unison speaking, one should look for such
poems with the predominating values of melody, rhythm, prevailing
emotions, strongly contrasted moods or pictures, or thought and
feeling moving to a climax.2

In summary, the criteria used to select the poems for this work-

book correspond to those recommended by the authorities in the field of

choral reading:

1. Suitability to the age and interests of the students

2. Narrative rather than lyric poetry of an extremely personal

nature

3. Poems with rhythm, effective diction, and thoughtful and

exciting narrative.

This workbook is to be theoretical and suggestive only. The indi-

vidual teacher will make substitutions for and add to the poems included.

Types of Choral Reading

The six major types of choral reading were briefly defined in

Chapter I of this paper. Further elaboration concerning the individual

types and poems for which they may be used is written below.

1 Ibid.' p. 181.

2 Ibid., p. 182.
r"'
~

I
I.
 if
i
I

27
Unison speaking.

Unison speaking is that in which the entire group speaks together,

blending voices, inflections, tempo, and emphasis into a single
effect. A selection that lends itself to this form of choral speak-
ing is the song from Scott's 'Lady of the Lake': 'Soldiers rest.•l

Unison: (1) good for untrained voices

(2) does not recognize individual voice
(3) aim is for well-controlled single voice effect
(4) restraint necessary so loudness will not be the
chief virtue
(5) to begin, use shorter poems to show achievement
sooner 2

Refrain speaking.

Refrain speaking is that in which a portion of the material is

repeated at intervals, usually at the ends of stanzas. It serves
to reinforce or echo the thought or mood of the preceding part of
the selection. In Scott's 'Bonny Dundee' the last four lines are
repeated at the end of each stanza.3

Refrain: (1) desirable to have soloist or a few voices answered

by group
(2) Example: 'Marching Along' by Browning
(3) Caution: meaning of refrain may change 4

Sectional speaking.

Sectional speaking means reciting of material by several separate

sections of the group. For example, all the sopranos speak certain
lines, all contraltos other lines, the tenors still others, and the
basses have their parts. Combinations of voices may also be used.s

Sectional: (1) may use medium, light or dark voices

(2) shy pupil has more responsibility
(3) 'The Listeners'--two parts 6

1Boardman, ~· £!1., p. 338.

2Marguerite Smith,~· cit., p. 31.

3Boardman, ~· cit., p. 342.

~rguerite Smith,~· £!1., p. 34.

SBoardman, ~· £!1., p. 341. 6Marguerite Smith,~· cit., p.32
~~====9~=====================================~====~====
 !I

II

A==~======================~~~~~2s==
Sequential speaking.

Sequential speaking means speaking in turn. One person or section I

says one word, phrase or line and is followed by another person or
section with the next word, phrase or line--and so on.l

Cumulative speaking.

Cumulative speaking is that in which the effect is achieved by

the addition of voices and intensity (but not loudness) up to a
final climax. The selection may begin with one voice and add three
at a time on each stanza until the entire group speaks the closing
words. Experiment will determine the best choice of voices for the
beginning and additions.2

Orchestration.

(1) includes two branches (cumulative and sequential)

(2) 1 23rd Psalm' (cumulative)
(3) 'Silver' (sequential) 'Ecclesiastes 12' (cumulative and
sequential)
Group: (1) use trios, octets, quartets 3

Antiphonal speaking.

In antiphonal speaking the group is divided into two parts--

sopranos versus basses, or any other division, each speaking as a
separate unit. Poems involving contrasts or questions and answers
in alternate lines. The sopranos may ask the questions and the con-
traltos answer with assurance, warmth and restraint.4

Antiphonal:
(1) like church responsive reading
(2) phrasing and timing important
(3) Psalms and ballads--excellent sources
(4) pupil must be prepared to resume part 5

1Boardman, .2.P.. cit . , p . 342 •

2 Ibid., pp. 339-40.

3Marguerite Smith, .2.P.· £!!., p. 40.

~oardman, .2.P.• cit., p. 339.

~rguerite Smith, .2.P.• cit., p. 46.

r"-_,===11==============~--=====~==#====
 29

In an article written for The Grade Teacher Janet Nafe offers a

word of advice to the teacher who might be prone to adhering too closely

to these formal types of choral reading.

When teachers are exposed to such formality and methodical

thinking, there is a tendency to channel the children into the
same 'cut and dried' procedure,l

An efficient teacher should permit her students to experiment

together and try out different ways under her guidance. They will
stumble onto various techniques and their suggestions will often
excel any teacher-made categories.2

Dangers to Be Avoided

In completing this research, which has thus far attempted to

record all the favorable attributes of choral reading, it seems necessary

to make note of a few of the dangers which a beginning teacher of choral

reading might encounter,

Miss Marjorie Gullan, the foremost authority on choral reading,

warns against dullness, singing the words, and making heavy, labored

utterances. To combat these faults Miss Gullan suggests little drilling,

3
choosing thought poems, and insisting upon flexibility of tone.

Marjorie Burdsall says:

Other dangers that must be guarded against are: (1) Strained

voice of the individual in an attempt to secure too quickly variety
and volume of tone, or in taking a pitch too different from the one
he used normally; (2) imitation of each others' voices, inflections,
and so forth, watch against monotony of pitch and tone quality;

1
Nafe, £!!.· _c_.'
it
I
P. 29 .
2 Ibid, I'
3Marjorie Gullan, Choral Speaking (Boston: Expression Co., 1936),
pp. 74-5.
0_,===!1===============-=-=---=--=-===~-=-=-=--~~==IF====

I
I!
 30

individuality must be maintained, though subordinated; (3) imitation

of director's voice; (4) mechanical and sing-song reading; (5) poor
enunciation of the individual members and of the choir as a whole;
(6) dropping of tempo; (7) discouragement of self-conscious and
nervous students at not being able to coordinate voice and body as
the other members of the group; (8) domination by overconfident
members; and (9) thought and feeling sacrificed to other elements
such as rhythm, melody, or action.l

Carrie Rasmussen cautions with these words:

The voice must not be strained. Overconfident members must not

be allowed to dominate. Individuality must be maintained and de-
veloped, but kept subordinate. Thought and feeling must not be
sacrificed to other elements. Interpretation must come from the
group, and it must not become mechanical.2

Perhaps there are other pitfalls to be avoided in choral reading,

but are there not in any methods used in teaching? Since the purpose of

anticipated responses will be forthcoming.

Uses of Choral Reading

The primary purpose of this research is to gather information

which will aid the writer in using this material in a classroom situation

However, another reader might wish to know of other uses to which choral

reading might be put.

I
Irving Friedman of the Cleveland High School in Newark, New Jersey,
I
suggests that choral reading may be used for auditorium programs, oral
I
3
reading, and in musical productions correlated with music and dancing.

1
DeWitt and others, 2£· cit., pp. 187-88. I
2Rasmussen, loc. £!!.
3
f'_,===,=Jf==== =F=r=i=e=dma==n=,=2£==·=c=i=t=·=·=P=·=9=5=.===== ====~~~~=c~"·"-·.
 31

From The Art of Choral Speaking by Cecile de Banke come these

suggestions:

One of the most interesting facts about choral speaking in

America is the number of uses to which it is put. Here are a few
which have come to my attention: as preliminary training for pub-
lic speaking; as an aid to the study of phonetics; as a cure for
speech defects; as an accompaniment for interpretative dancing;
as a social asset in women's clubs, church societies, social work
centers, and summer camps; as part of the preliminary training of
divinity students; as an item in the courses on dramatics; to
assist the teaching of foreign languages. Another feature of the
revival of choral speaking in America is the recognition that it
is receiving, not only from musicians, poets, and directors of
education, but from psychologists. Together with country dancing
.and community singing they class it among the valuable aids to
social adjustment. Dr. Harry Overstreet says: 'To join others
in the voicing of a great poetic experience is to feel oneself
swept into a oneness of life that is well worth the having.•l

Summary of Research

The National Council of Teachers of English encourages choral

reading of poetry as a means of developing appreciation of poetry and as

a means of improving oral communication.

Basically, the difference between the terms choral reading and

choral speaking appears to be merely a 8aater of the degree to which the

performance is perfected. The terms may be used nearly synonymously,

for primarily their function is the same.

Experienced teachers of choral reading generally concur in the

idea that the basic purpose of choral reading of poetry is to increase

enjoyment and appreciation of poetry.

Some general practices and procedures, together with some specific

methods, have been outlined for the use of the beginning teacher of

1cecile de Banke, The Art of Choral Speaking (Boston: Baker's

Plays 1937), pp, 23-4.
 32

choral reading. In addition, some of the likely errors in teaching

choral work have been noted.

Finally, specific uses of choral reading in school, in church,

and in community activities, have been listed.

The writer feels that the construction of the planned workbook

for choral reading in the junior high school is justified and should be

a worthwhile tool for the teacher of English who is beginning the teach-

ing of choral reading of poetry.

('====~======================================+=====
 'I

CHAPTER III

THE WORKBOOK

I. LETTER TO TEACHERS

Dear Teacher of English:

The purpose of this workbook is to introduce poetry to the stu-

dents through a medium wh,ch may be new to them. Choral reading, or

group reading and interpretation of poems, is not a new art; yet to most

of our students it should, if carefully planned and conducted, offer a

challengingly fresh and novel way to study and enJoy poetry.

Before using the poems in this workbook, the teacher will do well

to familiarize himself with the general procedure for teaching choral

reading found on pages 22-23 of the research chapter.

A discussion of the general criteria for selecting poems for this

type of work will also be found in the research chapter. However, the

forceful, guiding criteria used in the selection of the particular poems

for this workbook are: rhythm, vivid language, variation and contrast in

mood or thought, and the general merit of the poem itself. Suitability

to age and interest are, of course, prime requisites for all our teaching

materials. Hence the selections chosen by the students which meet the

specific criteria should be used. This collection of poems is for junior

high school pupils.

,....,
-'====~===========================
 'I
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34

The organization of the poems is by types of responses: unison, I

refrain, antiphonal, cumulative or diminishing, sectional, and sequential·

These types have been explained previously in this study, but will be

reviewed briefly before each section of poems.

The several appendices will suggest to you ways in which these

poems may be used to help attain specific objectives in teaching poetry,

or to fit into a particular theme.

I hope that you will experiment with choral reading and that you

and your students will find this limited collection useful and

Sincerely,

Arlene Head

(',
- -==+============-=-~-~~~'=- ·===#====
- 35

II. POEMS ARRANGED BY TYPES OF RESPONSES

The arrangements and suggestions for interpretation for each of

the poems in this workbook are intended meEely as a guide. Each teacher

will wish to adapt the poems according to the abilities and suggestions

of his specific group. For that reason, it must be emphasized that these

arrangements are simply aids and not "the correct" method of interpreta-

tion.

Within each group the poems have been arranged from easy to more

difficult. Short, humorous poems will be found at the beginning of each

section, with the longer, more difficult ones coming at the end.

Unison

Unison speaking is that in which the entire group speaks

together, blending voices, inflections, tempo, and emphasis
into a single effect.l

Unison interpretation of poetry is the most difficult. Therefore

a teacher using this type of response for an audience situation will

want, perhaps, to leave this method until her reading choir has attained

a certain level of competence.

However, in this workbook for increasing enjoyment in reading and

studying poetry, unison reading comes first. By using this method,

teacher and students act as one reader, and, psychologically, this should

be a step in the right direction. The students will certainly not read

in perfect unison at first, but they will be reading together, which jus-

tifies starting choral reading with this approach.

1
~~,======~========Bo=a=r=dman====·~£2~·~c~i~t=·=·=P=·==3=3=8=.===========-=-==========~===~=====~=========
 I'
I
36
Before using the poems in this workbook, the teacher may profit-

ably use some humorous ditties or tongue twisters to develop verbal

agility as one aspect of readiness for choral reading.

1
OLD NEW HAMPSHIRE

Words by Dr. John F. Holmes

Class - With a skill that knows no measure,

From the golden store of fate,
God, in His great love and wisdom, Proudly.
Made the rugged Granite State.
Made the lakes, the fields, the forestst
Made the rivers and the rills; l
Made the bubbling crystal fountains
Of New Hampshire 1 s Granite Hills.

Old New Hampshire, Old New Hampshire, With fullest

Old New Hampshire, grand and great, tones.
We will sing of Old New Hampshire,
Of the dear Old Granite State.

Builded He New Hampshire glorious

From the borders to the sea;
And with matchless charm and splendor
Blessed her for eternity.
Hers, the majesty of mountain;
Hers, the grandeur of the lake;
Hers, the truth as from the hillside
Whence her crystal waters break.

Chorus

1Elizabeth Hough Sechrist, Poems for Red Letter Days (Philadelphia

Macrae Smith Company, 1951), p. 274.
('====~=========================================~=====
 37
1
~YOUNG RATS

Anonymous

._, I
Class - Three young rats with black felt hats,
Three young ducks with white straw flats,
Three young dogs with curling tails,
through
ridiculou
1
Three young cats with demd-veils, portrayal •
Went out to walk with two young pigs
In satin vest and sorrel wigs; I
But suddenly it chanced to rain,
And so they all went home again.

2
FATHER

Frances Frost

Class - MY father's face is bmown with sun.

His body is tall and limber.
His hands are gentle with beast or child
And strong as hardwood timber.

My father's eyes are the colors of sky, Sincere

Clear blue or grey as rain: admiration.
They change with the swinging change of days
While he watches the weather vane.

That galleon, golden upon our barn,

Veers with the world's four winds,
My father, his eyes on the vane, knows when
To fill our barley bin.

To stack our wood and pile our mows

With redtop and sweet tossed clover.
He captains our farm that rides the winds,
A keen-eyed, beown earth-lover.

1
Matilda Bailey and Ullin W. Leavell, The World of Endless
Horizons (Boston: American Book Company, 1952), p. 504.

lwilliam J. Iverson, f!2!! and Poetry Adventures (Syracuse, New

York: The L. W. Singer Company, 1957), p. 28.

('====~==========================~=======-==---·====F=====
 38
1
KlTHER

Frances Frost

Class - My mother's face is clear as the sun,

Her eyes like brown brook water.
Her hands are cool as shadowy moss,
Her voice is low with laughter. Devotedly.

My mother, watching the talking trees

And the scud of clouds on the sky,
Knows when to hang our bright clothes out Soft, yet
For the morning wind to dry. strong.

She knows when to plant her garden seeds,

And when to gather apples
And wild blueberries for sweet hot pies,
And when to expect dark dapples

Of mud on faces and hands, and scratches II

On children's bare brown kaaes.
My mother's weather vane is her heart
And the lean of her dooryard trees.

Class - There was a young fellow named Hall

Who fell in the spring in the fall.
'Twould have been a sad thing
If he'd died in the spring,
But he didn't -- he died in the fall.

3
RELATIVITY

Class - There was a young lady named Bright

Who traveled much faster than light;
She started one day
In the relative way,
And returned on the previous night.

1
Ibid., p. 29.
2Harb£ace Teacher's Notebook {New York: Harcourt, Brace and
Company, 1956), p. 4.

f"'. 3 Ibid,
~ -====~==~~==============~-==-=~=======-==-·'=-===*=====

I
I.
 39

Class - There was a young lady of Niger

Who smiled as she rode on a tiger;
They came back from the ride
With the lady inside
And a smile on the face of the tiger,

Nancy Byrd Turner

Light and The flowers nod, the shadows creep, Drowsily, ye

medium- A star comes over the hill; with each pic
The youngest lamb has gone to sleep, ture distinct
The smallest bird is still, adding to the
twilight
The world is full of drowsy things, scene.
And sweet with candlelight;
The nests are full of folded wings--
Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight!

3
YOUNG AND OLD

Charles Kingsley

Dark - When all the world is yourig, lad, Illustrates chang

And all the trees are green; ing moods and pic
And every goose a swan, lad, tuEes.
And every lass a queen;
Then hey for boot and horse, lad, Spiritedly.
And round the world away;
Young blood must have its course, lad,
And every dog his day,

1
rbid.
2Agnes c. Hamm, Choral Speaking Technique (Milwaukee: The Tower
Press, 1946), p. 120.
3 cecile de Banke, Choral Speaking Jn the English Course (Boston:
Baker's Plays, 1942), p. 34.

,.....,
- =======~============================================================-=-c===--=-======~===========
 II

40

.Il2!lHQ Aim Q!.U (continued)

When all the world is old, lad,

And all the trees are brown;
And all the sport is stale, lad, Thought fully.
And all the wheels run down;
Creep home and take your place there,
The spent and maimed among;
God grant you find one face there,
You loved when all was young.

SLUMBER SONG l

Louis V. Ledoux

Light and Drowsily come the sheep

medium- From the place where the pastures be,
By a dusty lane An evening
To the fold again, scene related
First one, and then two, and three: slowly
First one, then two, by the paths of sleep but
Drowsily come the sheep. steadily.

Drowsily come the sheep,

And the shepherd is singing low.
Up to eight and nine
In an endless line,
They come, and in they go:
First eight, then nine, by the paths of sleep
Drowsily come the sheep.

Drowsily come the sheep

And they pass the sheepfold door;
After one comes two,
After one comes two,
Comes two, and then three and four.
First one, then two, by the paths of sleep,
Drowsily come the sheep.

1Elizabeth F. Ansorge (editor), fE2!! and Poetry for EnJoyment

(Syracuse, New York: The L. W. Singer Company, 1942), p. 735.

~====~==================================c===9P==~==
 41
~=====+==========================~1==============~====~=====
.:!]! WOMEN'S CHORUS

Aristophenes

Girls - They're always abusing the women, Bluntly.

as a terrible plague to men; Accusations in-
They say we're the root of all evil, crease with tinge
and repeat it again and again; of sarcasm.
Of war and quarrels and bloodshed,
all mischief, be what it m~y! Twittingly.
And pray then why do you marry us,
if we're all the plagues that we say?
And why do you take such care of us, Intensity
and keep us so safe at home, increases.
And are never easy a moment
if ever we chance to roam?
When you ought to be thanking heaven Clearly and
that your plague is out of the way, factually.
You all keep fussing and fretting
''where is my plague today?"
If a plague peeps out of the w~ndow, Knowingly and 1
up go the eyes of men; resignedly. 1
If she hides, then they all keep staring
until she looks out again. II
I
Anonymous

Class - I sometimes think I'd rather crow Elementary

And be a rooster than to roost
reasoning in
And be a crow. But I dunno.
a humorous jingl
A rooster he can roost also
Which don't seem fair when crows can't crow.
Which may help, some. Still I dunno.
Crows should be glad of one thing, though;
Nobody thinks of eating crow,
While roosters they are good enough
For anyone, unless they're tough.
There are lots of tough old roosters though,
And anyway a crow can't crow,
So mebby roosters stand more show.
It looks that way. But I dunno.

1
~·.£!.!., p. 154. 2sailey and Leavell, ~· cit.,
n - - = = 9 F =HaiiDII,
============
• 503.
 42
1
ABRAHAM LINCOLN WALKS AT MIDNIGHT

Vachel Lindsay

Class - It is portentous, and a thing of state

That here at midnight, in our little town Very, very
A mourning figure walks, and will not rest, thoughtfully
Near the old courthouse pacing up and down.

Or by his homestead, or in shadowed yards

He lingers where his children used to play, Deep with
Or through the market, on the well-worn stones man's con-
He stalks until the dawn-stars burn away. cern for his
fellow men.
A bronzed, lank man! His suit of ancient black,
A famous high-top hat and plain worn shawl
Make him the quaint great figure that men love,
The prairie lawyer, master of us all.

He cannot sleep upon his hillside now.

He is among us;--as in times before!
And we who toss and lie awake for long
Breathe deep, and start, to see him pass the door.

His head is bowed. He thinks on men and kings.

Yea, when the sick world cries, how can he sleep? Vivid
Too many peasants fight, they know not why, depression
Too many homesteads in black terror weep.

The sins of all the war-lords burn his heart.

He sees the dreadnoughts scouring every main.
He carries on his shawl-wrapped shoulders now
The bitterness, the folly and the pain.

James Whitcomb Riley

Boys - My mother she's so good to me, Suitable for

Ef I was good as I could be, a group of
I couldn't be as good--no, sir!-- small boys.
Can't any boy be good as her.

She loves me when I'm glad er sad; Sincerely

She loves me when I'm good er bad; spoken.
An', what's a funniest thing, she says
She loves me when she punishes.

~========~========~s~ec~h~r~i~s~t~·~2E~·==c=it~··~P=·==4=5=.=================~I~b~i~d~·~·~P=·==l=l9=.~====~=========
1 2
 43

A BOY'S HJTHER (continued) II

I don't like her to punish me,-- I
That don't hurt--but it hurts to see
Her cryin'. Nen I cry; an 1 nen
We both cry an' be good again.

She loves me when she cuts an' sews

My little cloak an' Sund'y clothes;
An' when my Pa comes home to tea,
She loves him most as much as me.

She laughs an' tells him all I said,

An' grabs me up an' pats my head;
An' I hug her, an' hug my Pa,
An' love him purt' nigh as much as· Ma.

1
!. TRAGIC STORY
William Makepeace Thackeray

Class - There lived a sage in the days of yore,

And he a handsome pigtail wore; Playful.
And wondered much, and sorrowed more,
Because it hung behind him.

He mused upon this curious case,

And swore he'd change the pigtail's place,
And have it hanging at his face,
Not dangling there behind him.

Says he, "The mystery I've found,--

! 1 11 turn me around"--
He turned him around;
But still it hung behind him.

Then round and round, and out and in,

All day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain--it mattered not a pin,--
The pigtail hung behind him.
And right, and left, and round about,
And up, and down, and in, and out
He turned: but still the pigtail stout
Hung steadily behind him.

1Elizabeth F. Ansorge (editor), Prose and Poetry for Appreciation

,....., (Syracuse, New York: The L. W. Singer Company, 1942), p. 733.
-==#===============

I
I,,
 44
A TRAGIC STORY (continued) I
il

And though his efforts never slack, I

And though he twist, and turn, and tack,
Alas! still faithful to his back,
The pigtail hangs behind him.

1
From MACBETH

William Shakespeare

Dark- Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Melancholy.

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time; Increased
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools intensity.
The way to dusty death, Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale Fade out.
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Class - It was a lover and his lass

With a hey and a ho, and a hey-nonino!
That o'er the green corn field did pass
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time, Lightly.
When birds do sing hey ding a ding ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring,

This carol they began that hour,

With a hey and ho, and a hey-nonino!
How that a life was but a flower;
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing hey ding a ding ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring,

And thereafter take the present time

With a hey and ho, and a hey-nonino!
For love is crowned with the prime
In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing hey ding ding ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring,

1Elias Leiberman (editor), Poems for EnJoyment (New York: Harper

and Brothers, Publishers, 1931), p. 28.
====J1.====2~Ha;;;;;;mm~,=o~.;,;;c;;;i;;;t,;.~·,lP;;·~l;,;;8;;2,;•=====~-==~===~-~·-=-======J!.====
 I'

I
45
1
NO!
Thomas Hood

Class - No sun--no moon! Avoid "sing-song'

No morn--no noon-- rhythm.
No dawn--no dusk--no proper time of day--
No sky--no earthly view--
No distance looking blue--
No road--no street--no "t'other side the way"--
No end to any Row--
No indications where the Crescenmgo--
No top to any steeple-- Consciously and
No recognitions of familiar people-- clearly bring
No courtesies for showing 'em-- out the rhythmi
No knowing 1 em! repetition.
No traveling at all--no locomotion,
No inkling of the way--no notion--
''No go"--by land or ocean--
No mail--no post--
No news from any foreign coast--
No park--no ring--no afternoon gentility-- Become
No company--no nobility-- Increasingly
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease, despairing
No comfortable feel in any member--
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, Keep it
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, November! light.

2
STRICTLY G£RM-PROOF

Arthur Guiterman
Rhythm of
Class - The Antiseptic Baby and the Prophylactic Pup words!
Were playing in the garden when the Bunny gamboled up; Gaily.
They looked upon the Creature with a loathing undisguised;--
It wasn't Disinfected and it wasn't Sterilized.
Seriously.
They said it was a Microbe and a Hotbed of Disease;
They steamed it in a vapor of a thousand-odd degrees;
They froze it in a freezer that was cold as Banished Hope
And washed it in permanganate with carbolated soap.
Seriously.
In sulphureted hydrogen they steeped its wiggly ears;
They trimmed its frisky whiskers with a pair of hard-boiled
shears;
They donned their rubber mittens and they took it by the hand

1 2
- Leiberman, .2.1!.· cit., 289. Ibid., p. 306.
, '~·====9F==================================~~=====9======
- STRICTLY GERM-PROOF (continued) il
46

i
And 'lected it a member of the Fumigated Band.

There's not a Micrococcus in the garden where they play;

They bathe in pure iodoform a dozen times a day;
And each imbibes his rations from a Hygienic Cup-- Contentedly.
The Bunny and the Baby and the Prophylactic Pup.

John Greenleaf Whittier

Class - Ah! on Thanksgiving Day, when from East and from West,
From North and from South come the pilgrim and guest,
When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board
The old broken links of affection restored,
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before,
What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye?
What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie?

0 fruit lived of boyhood! the old days recalling,

When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin, Remorsefully
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!
When we laughed round the com-heap, with hearts all in tune,
Our chair a broad pumpkin,--our lantern the moon
Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like steam,
In a pumpkin-shell coach with two rats for her team!

Then thanks for the present! none sweeter or better

E'er smoked from an oven or circled a platter! Thank-
Fairer hands never wrought at a pastry more fine, fully.
Brighter eyes never watched o'er its baking, than thine!

And the prayer, which my mouth is too full to express,

Swells my heart that thy shadow may never be less,
That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below,
And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin-vine grow,
And they life be as sweet, and its last sunset sky
Golden-tinted and fair as thy own Pumpkin pie!

1Sechrist, 22• ~., p. 210.

"=====+======================================~======
 47

REFLECTIONS DENTAL

Phyllis McGinley

Class - How pure, how beautiful, how fine

Do teeth on television shine!
No flutist flutes, no dancer twirls,
But comes equipped with matching pearls.
Gleeful announcers all are born Gaily.
With sets like rows of hybrid corn.
Clowns, critics, clergy, commentators,
Ventriloquists and roller skaters,
M.C .'s who beat their palms together,
The girl who diagrams the weather,
The crooner crooning for his supper --
All flash white treasures, lower and upper.
With miles of smiles the airwaves teem,
And each an orthodontist's dream.
'Twould please my eye as gold a miser's Determinedl •
One charmer with uncapped incisors,

2
SILVER

Walter de la Mare

Girls - Slowly, silently, now the moon

Walks the night in her silver shoon;
This way and that, she peers and sees
Silver fruit upon silver trees; Beautifully
One by one the casements catch picturesque,
Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;
Couched in his kennel, like a log,
With paws of silver sleeps the dog; Should be
From their shadowy cote the white breasts peep
Of doves in a silver-feathered sleep; imagina-
A harvest mouse goes scampering by, tively
With silver claws and a silver eye; spoken,
And moveless fish in the water gleam,
By silver reeds in a silver stream.

1 rverson, op. cit., p. 249.

2Jacob M. Ross (editor), Adventures in Reading (New York:

Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1952), p. 306.

"====~==================================~====
 48
r '
Edwin Arlington Robinson

Class - They are all gone away;

The House is shut and still,
There is nothing more to say.

Through broken walls and gray

The winds blow bleak and shrill: Remorsefully
They are all gone away. but not
dully.
Nor is there one today
To speak them good or ill:
There is nothing more to say.

Why is it then we stray Briskly.

Around that sunken sill?
They are all gone away,

And our poor fancy-play

For them is wasted skill:
There is nothing more to say.

There is ruin and decay

In the House on the Hill:
They are all gone away,
There is nothing more to say.

2
WINTER !I>RlUNG

Robert P. Tristram Coffin

Class - Up, in the coldness of a kitchen where

Heat has been and is no longer there Crisply and
And it is colder than the clear outdoors, quickly as
Ice must be cracked before the bucket pours. one would
The farmer coaxes till a small flame stands move and
Down in the stove between his cupping hands. speak on a
Life gets to going very slowly, winters. cold morn-
The corners of the windowpanes have splinters ing.
Of silver frost the color of the moon.
The farmer hums a melancholy tune
And sees his song around him in the air,

1
Leiberman, £2· cit., p. 275.

f". 2Bailey and Leavell, £2· cit., p. 348.

. ~====4=========================================F=====
 49
WINTER l!I>DING (continued)

"Loch Lomond" or perhaps, "Robin Adair,"

His breathing tags the man round everywhere,
The farmer slices bacon with a knife,
His fingers now start coming back to life,
The potatoes have an icy shell,
A winter morning is the best for smell,
The farmer puts the kettle on its place,
The first low sun slants in and strikes his face.
The smoke pours from the cracks across the stove,
And it smells warm and makes him think of clove,
He crowds the firewood in up to the covers,
The smoke stays in a bluish sheet and hovers
Just overhead, much like a low ceiling.
There are tears i& onions he is peeling,
He tries the stove-top with a moistened finger,
It's hot enough, he feels the smarting linger, With
The frying pan goes on. The fragrance spreads warmth
To other rooms, folks stir in their warm beds,
A child pipes up, another and another, Happily.
And like a smiling sunrise out comes Mother.

Gelett Burgess

Class - I never saw a purple cow;

I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

Ogden Nash

Class - I like to watch the clouds roll by,

And think of cherubs in the sky;
But when I think of cherubim,
I don't know if they're her or him.

1
Ibid., p. 357.
2
.!!U!!.' p. 358.

~·='===9F===================================~====
 50

Refrain

Refrain speaking is that in which a portion of the

material is repeated at intervals, usually at the ends of
stanzas.l

Teachers who are a little more hesitant about using choral read-

ing may wish to begin with the refrain response, for it is undoubtedly

the easiest approach. The teacher may take the greater part of the in-

terpretation and have his class come in on the responses after he has

set the proper mood.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Teacher - I saw you toss the kites on high

And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass--
Class - 0 wind, a-blowing all day long!
0 wind, that sings so loud a song.

Teacher - I saw the different thing you did.

But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all--
Class - 0 wind, a-blowing all day long!
0 wind, that sings so loud a song.

Teacher - 0 you that are so strong and cold,

0 blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
Class - 0 wind, a-blowing all day long!
0 wind, that sings so loud a song.

1
Boardman, 2£• £!!., p. 338.
2May Hill Arbuthnot, Children and Books (New York: Scott, Foresman
and Company, 1947), p. 185.

r'~===~===========================================4=====
 51

!!!! ~ UMBRELLA l
Elizabeth Upham

Light and medium voices - Slippety Slop--

Down Blackberry lane
Came a little old woman
Alone in the rain.
Her skirts were yellow;
Her shoes were red;
Class - And a green umbrella Sounds of
was over her head-- nonsense
Hi 0 for a green umbrella! words make
this cleverly
Medium- Whippity whee-- amusing.
That very same day
Came a terrible wind
To blow her away;
He whisked her up
And off he sped
Class - With the green umbrella
Still over her head--
Hi 0 for a green umbrella! Speak the line
with agility
Light - Kerchity Choo-- of speech and
Came a sniffle and sneeze, spirit.
Girls - "I'm catching a cold,
Girls - Won't you take me home, please?"
Light - But the wind only laughed,
Boys - "Think this is fun!"
Class - And the green umbrella
Went sailing on--
Hi 0 for a green umbrella!

Medium - Flippity Flop--

From over the hill
Came a big black bird
With a lavender bill;
He saw the old woman,
He heard her call,
Class - And he snatched her up,
Umbrella and all--
Hi 0 for a green umbrella!

Dark - Plippity Plop--

She was dropped with a thud
Right by her door

1
f"", Hamm, .Ql!.• cit., p. 125.
====~======~~~==========================F=====

!ost"on University
Bohool of Educati~
-~......_ "b brary, .-- ......."~:
 52
~'====9F======================================~~===
.Tim. GBBEN UMBRELLA (continued)
In a puddle of mud!
Her skirt was torn
And her nose was red,
Class - But the green umbrella
Was over her head--
Hi 0 for a green umbrella!

1
THERE HA§. ! FROG
Engliilh Ballad

Boys - There was a frog lived in a well,

Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee;
There was a frog lived in a well,
And a merry mouse in a mill,
Class - With a harum, scarum, diddle dum darum,
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee. Rhythm of
refrain pre-
Girls - This frog he would a-wooing ride, dominates.
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee;
This frog he would a-wooiag ride, If not
And on a snail he got astride, slightly re-
Class - With a harum, scarum, diddle dum darum, strained, all
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee. poem may be
too "sing-
Class - He rode till he came to my Lady Mouse Hall, songy."
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee,
He rode till he came to my Lady Mouse Hall,
And there he did both knock and call,
With a harum, scarum, diddle dum darum,
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee.

Solo boy - "Miss Mouse, Miss Mouse, I'm come to thee,"

Girls - Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee;
Solo boy - "Miss Mouse, Miss Mouse, I'm come to thee,
To see if thou canst fancy me." Assuredly.
Girls - With a harum, scarum, diddle dum darum,
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee.

Solo girl - "Oh answer I will give you none," Timidly.

Boys - Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee;
Solo girl - "Oh answer I will give you none
Until my Uncle Rat comes home,"
Boys - With a harum, scarum, diddle dum darum,
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee.

~ 1Elizabeth Frances Ansorge (editor}, Prose and Poetry for Enioy-

r ' ment (Syracuse, New York: The L. W. Singer Company, 1942), p. 731.
====~~~~==================~==~~~~~~~==~=====
 53
~'====~========================================+=====
Class - And when her Uncle Rat came home,
Whipsee Diddle-dee dandy dee;
And when her Uncle Rat came home,
Boys - ''Who's been here since I've been gone?" Gruffly.
Class - With a harum, scarum, diddle dum darum
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee.

Solo girl- "There's been a worthy gentleman,"

Boys - Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee:
Solo girl- "There's been a worthy gentleman,
That's been here since you've been gone."
Class - With a harum, scarum, diddle dum darum,
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee.

Girls - The frog he came whistling through the brook,

Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee;
The frog he came whistling through the brook,
And there he met with a dainty duck.
Class - With a harum, scarum, diddle dum darum,
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee.

Boys - The duck she swallowed him up with a quack,

Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee;
The duck she swallowed him up with a quack,
So there's an end of my history book.
Class - With a harum, scarum, diddle dum darum,
Whipsee diddle-dee dandy dee.

JOHN COOK'S LITTLE GRAY MARE l

Fit rhythm o
Light + medium voices: John Cook once had a little gray mare, refrain
Dark voices - Hee, haw, hum; to mean-
L + M Her legs were long and her back was bare, ing of
D Hee, haw, hum. preceding
L +M John Cook went riding up Shooter's Bank, verse.
D Hee, haw, hum;
L + M The mare began to kick and to prank,
D Hee, haw, hum. "Choppy"
L + M John Cook went riding up Shooter's Hill,
D Hee, Raw, Hum;
L + M His mare fell down and made her will,
D Hee, haw, hum.
L + M The bridle and saddle were laid on the shelf,
D Hee, haw, hum; With finality.
L + M If you want any more, you may say it yourself,
L + M+D Hee, haw, hum. Drowsily.

~~,======~f========l~H~amm~~·=£2~~·=C:1:'t~·~·~P~·=9~8~·~=========================================#==========
 54
1
BALLAD

Charles Stuart Calverley

Girls - The auld wife sat at her ivied door, Enjoy the
Boys - (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese) rhythm.
Girls - A thing she had frequently done before;
And her spectacles lay on her apron'd knees.

G- The piper he piped on the hilltop high,

B - (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)
G - Till the cow said "I die," and the goose asked "why?"
And the dog said nothing, but search'd for fleas.

G - The farmer he strode through the square farmyard;

B - (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)
G - His last brew of ale was a trifle hard--
The connection of which the plot one sees.

G - The farmer's daughter hath frank blue eyes;

B - (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)
G - She hears the rooks caw in the windy skies,
As she sits at her lattice and shells her peas.

G - The farmer's daughter hath ripe red lips;

B - (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)
G - If you try to approach her, away she skips
Over tables and chairs with apparent ease.

G - The farmer's daughter hath soft brown hair;

B - (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)
G - And I met with a ballad, I can't say where,
Which wholly consisted of lines like these.

Part II

G - She sat with her hands 'neath her dimpled cheeks,

B - (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)
G- And spake not a word. While a lady speaks
There is hope, but she didn't even sneeze.

G - She sat, with her hands 'neath her crimson cheeks;

B - (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)
G - She gave up mending her father's breeks,
And let the cat roll in her new chemise.

1carolyn Wells (compiler), The Book of Humorous Verse (Garden City

~ New York: Halcyon House, 1920), p. 467.
r '====~==========================~===========~~=====
 55
r~-~~r=====i============================================--====~======
BALLAD (continued)

G - She sat with her hands 'neath her burning cheeks,

B- (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)
G - And gazed at the piper for thirteen weeks;
Then she follow'd him o'er the misty leas.

G - Her sheep follow'd her, as their tails did them,

B - (Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese)
G + B - And this song is consider'd a perfect gem,
And as to the meaning, it's what you please.

BUMPETY .!H!§.l

Agnes Curren Hamm

Girls - I love to ride in the bumpety bus,

Boys + Girls - In the bumpety, bumpety, bumpety bus. light and
G - There's lots of noise and lots of fuss carefree.
B+ G - In the bumpety, bumpety, bumpety bus.
G - People are going everywhere
B+ G- In the bumpety, bumpety, bumpety bus;
B - But where I go, I don't care, Observe and
B+
B
G
-
- In the bumpety, bumpety, bumpety bus.
For whether it's fast, or whether it's slow
clip
internal
B + G - In the bumpety, bumpety, bumpety bus, t's.
-
B
B + G -
I have a good time wherever I go
In the bumpety, bumpety, bumpety bus!

2
!W!!.!!h~-THRUSH

Solo - 0, Robin-a-Thrush he married a wife.

Class - With a hoppity moppity mow now! Pleasure
s - She proved to be the plague of his life-- comes from
c - With a hig jig jiggety, ruffety petticoat, the non-
c - Robin-s-Thrush cries mow now! sense of
the sounds.
s - Her cheese when made was put on a shelf.
c - With a hoppity moppity mow now!
s - And it never was turned, till it turned of itself--
c - With a hig jig jiggety, ruffety petticoat,
c - Robin-a-Thrush cries mow now!

l
Hamm, .2£· .£!!., p. 99.
2 Ibid.

~====9F======================================~====
- ROBIN-!-THRUSH (continued)
56

s - It turned and turned till it walked on the floor.

c - With a hoppity moppity mow mow!
s - It stood upon legs and walked to the door--
c - With a hig jig jiggety, ruffety petticoat,
c - Rabin-a-Thrush cries mow now!

s - It walked till it came to Banbury Fair.

c - With a hoppity moppity mow now!
s - The dame followed after upon a gray mare--
c - With a hig jig jiggety, ruffety petticoat,
c - Rabin-a-Thrush cries mow now!

s - This song was made for gentlemen.

c - With a hoppity moppity mow now!
s If you want any more, you must sing it again--
c- Rabin-a-Thrush cries mow now!

l
THE CHi.ISTMAS PUDDING

Author Unknown

Solo - Into the basin put the plums, Say distinctly.

Class - Refrain: Stirabout, stirabout, stirabout! Clip t's clearl
Solo - Next the good white flour comes, but not heavily.
Class - Refrain: Stirabout, stirabout, stirabout!
Solo - Sugar and peel and eggs and spice,
Class - Refrain: Stirabout, stirabout, stirabout!
Solo - Mix them and fix them and cook them twice,
Class - Refrain: Stirabout, stirabout, stirabout!

2
SONG OF m CHATTAHOOCHEE

Sidney Lanier

Group One - Out of the hills of Habersham, Slowly.

Down the valleys of Hall,
I hurry amain to reach the plain, Increase speed.
Run the rapid and leap the fall,
Split at the rock and together again,
Accept my bed, or narrow or wide,
And flee from folly on every side
Class - Far from the hills of Habersham, Loud.
Far from the valleys of Hall.

2
- lHanm, .21!.· cit., p. 45. Leiberman, .21!.· cit., p. 45.
1.====~====================================~====
'=
 57
~,====~=====================================9=====
SONG OF ~ CHATTAHOOCHEE (continued)

Group Two - All down the hills of Habersham,

All through the valleys of Hall,
The rushes cried, Abide, abide, Slower.
The willful waterweeds held me thrall,
The laving laurel turned my tide,
The ferns and the fondling grass said, Stay,
The dewberry dipped for to work delay,
And the little reeds sighed, Abide, abide,
Class - Here in the hills of Habersham, Softly.
Here in the valleys of Hall,

Group One - High o'er the hills of Habersham,

Veiling the valleys of Hall,
The hickory told me manifold
Fair tales of shade, the poplar tall With
Wrought me her shadowy self to hold, restraint.
The chestnut, the oak, the walnut, the pine,
Overleaning, with flickering meaning and sign,
Said, Pass not, so cold, these manifold
Class - Deep shades of the hills of Habersham,
These glades in the valleys of Hall,

Group Two - And oft in the hills of Habersham,

And oft in the valleys of Hall,
The white quartz shone, and the smooth brook-stone
Did bar me of passage with friendly brawl,
And many a luminous jewel lone Very
--Crystals clear or acloud with mist, smoothly,
Ruby, garnet and amethyst--
Made lures with the lights of streaming stone
Class - In the clefts of the hills of Habersham,
In the beds of the valleys of Hall.

Groups 1 + 2 - But oh, not the hills of Habersham,

And oh, not the valleys of Hall Quickly.
Avail: I am fain for to water the plain.
Downward the voices of Duty call--
Downward, to toil and be mixed with the main: Faster
The dry fields burn, and the mills are to turn,
And a myriad flowers mortally yearn,
And the lordly main from beyond the plain
Class - Calls o'er the hills of Habersham,· Fast, but
Calls through the valleys of Hall. distinct.

~-====~=====================-=-==-===========~===
-
f' '
Antiphonal
58

Antiphonal speaking is that in which the group is divided

into two parts--sopranos versus basses, or any other division,
each speaking as a separate unit.l

A simple, two-part dialogue offers an interesting approach to

choral reading. These dialogue poems may be tried with two voices, but

for the development of all of the children it would seem that two choirs

would be preferable. Perhaps the simplest and most beneficial division

for the classroom would be to have a chorus of boys and one of girls.

The question-and-answer type of poem seems most suitable for be-

ginning antiphonal work. Gradually the students become aware of the

•
varied sound effects which are produced through this response. Realiza-

tion of the tone variety should be an important outgrowth of antiphonal

reading.
2
Girls - "Is John Smith within?" Crisp, quick
Boys "Yes, that he is. " questions and
answers.
Girls
Boys
- "Can he set a shoe?"
"Aye, marry, two. "

Girls and Boys- "Here a nail, and there a nail, Happily.

Tick, tack, too. II

In antiphonal work, voice divisions such as light (L), medium (M),

and dark (D) may be used most effectively to attain the desired pitch,

tone, and volume.

1
Boardman, £2· £!!., p. 339.
2Arbuthnot, £2· £!!., p. 186.

n =====9F==================================
- WHISTLE, WHISTLE
1
59

Ballad

Boys - 'Whistle, whistle, old wife, and you'll get a hen.'

Girls -'I wouldn't whistle, 1 said the wife, 'if you could give me ten!'

B - 'Whistle, whistle, old wife, and you'll get a cock.'

G- 'I wouldn't whistle,' said the wife, 'if you gave me a flock!'

B- 'Whistle, whistle, old wife, and you'll get a coo.'

G- 'I wouldn't whistle,' said the wife, 'if you could give me two!'

B - 'Whistle, whistle, old wife, and you'll get a gown.'

G- 'I wouldn't whistle,' said the wife, 'for the best one in town!'

B - 'Whistle, whistle, old wife, and you'll get a man.'

G- 'Wheeple, whauple,' said the wife, 'I'll whistle if I can!'

(Old wife's responses are haughty until last verse.)

2
UPHILL
Christina Rosetti

Light + medium - Does the road wind uphill all the way?
Dark Yes, to the very end.
L+M Will the day's journey take the whole long day?
D From morn to night, my friend.

(Alternate But is there for night a resting place?

groups for re- A roof for when the slow, dark hours begin.
maining verses) May not the darkness hide it from my face?
You cannot miss that inn.

Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?

Those who have gone before.
Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?
They will not keep you waiting at the door.
Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?
Of labor you shall find the sum.
Will there be beds for me and all who seek?
Yea, beds for all who come.

1
Marjorie Gullan, Choral Speaking (London: Methuen & Co., Lta.,
1949), p. 52.

~~·=========i=========c~e~c~i~l~e~d:e~B:a~n~k:e~,~C;ho;;r;a;;l~S~p;e;a;k;i;n~g~i~n;;t;h;e~E;ng;;l;;is;h~C;;o;u;r;s;e~,~P~-~3=4~·~==~==========
2
- 1
60

FATHER WILLIAM

Lewis Carroll

Boys, "You are oiLd, Father William," the young man said,
Medium "And your hair has become very white; The youth
And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- assumes a
Do you think, at your age, it is right?" needling
tone until
Boys, "In my youth," Father William replied to his son, the last
Dark "I feared it might injure the brain; stanza.
But, now, that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again."

M- ''You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before,

And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door--
Pray, what is the reason of that?"

D - "In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks,

"I kept all my limbs very supple
By the use of this ointment--one shilling a box--
Allow me to sell you a couple?"

M- "You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak--
Pray, how did you manage to do it?"
Contrast
D - "In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, tones
And argued each case with my wife; of youth
And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw, and
Has lasted the rest of my life." father.

M- ''You are old," said the youth, "One would hardly suppose
That your eye was as steady as ever;
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose--
What made you so awfully clever?"

D- "I have answered three questions and that is enough,"

Said his father, "don't give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I'll kick you downstairs!"

1Ansorge, Appreciation, p. 732.

('=====*================================~~====+=====
- ORGAN RECITAL
1
61

Arthur L. Lippmann

Girls, "Oh, yes, Mrs. Proctor, for months I've been ailing;
Light You know my physician's forbidden all sweets.
voices My health, Mrs. Proctor, has stead'ly been failing--
I'm not allowed pastries, potatoes, or meats.
My heart is erratic,
I'm weak and asthmatic; Emphasize that mud
The doctor's emphatic-- of the humor comes
I ~.m badly run down! from the clear
My stomach's awry. It diction of the
Demands a strict diet-- medical terms.
! must be kept quiet,"
1st girl solo - Enthused Mrs. Brown.

2nd girl solo - Replied Mrs. Proctor with querulous quickness:

"You know, Mrs. Brown, that I never complain,
But several sensational sieges of sickness,
A little lumbago, a touch of ptomaine,
A nasty nephritis,
A painful gastritis
And chronic bronchitis
Have had me quite ill.
Catarrhal and sneezy
And weak-in-the-kneesy,
I must take it easy--
It's time for a pill!"

All girls - Thus having compared their competitive inner

Reactions, the ladies proceeded to lead
Themselves with a bountiful table d'hote dinner
That ranged from hors d'oeuvre to pie a la mode!
And still symptoms swapping,
They fared forth for shopping,
At intervals stopping
To dwell on their health.
It's great for the doctors
That ailment concocters,
Mesdames Browns and Proctors
Are women of wealth!

1
Leiberman, £2· £!!., p. 318.

('====~======================================~F=====
 62
1
1!!! QbQ CLOCK ON .TI!!!, STAIRS
Henry W. Longfellow

Light + Medium - Somewhat back from the village street

Stands the old-fashioned country-seat;
Across its antique portico
Tall poplar trees their shadows throw;
And, from its station in the hall,
An ancient timepiece says to all,
Dark - 'Torever--never!
Never-- forever!'' Rhythm of
"tick-tack"
L + M- Half-way up the stairs it stands, of clock
And points and beckons with its hands, should guide
From its case of massive oak, speed of
Crosses himself, and sighs, alas! interpreta-
With sorrowful voice to all who pass, tion.
D - "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"

L + M- By day its voice is low and light;

But in the silent dead of night,
Distinct as a passing footstep's fall, Students
It echoes along the vacant hall, might tap
Along the ceiling, along the floor, lightly
And seems to say at each chamber door, on desks
D- "Forever--never! to keep
Never--forever!'' rhythm
from
L + M- Through days of sorrow and mirth, dragging.
Through days of death and days of birth,
Through every swift vicissitude
Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood,
And as if, like God, it all things saw,
It calmly repeats those words of awe,
D- '~orever--never!
Never-- forever! 11

L + M- In that mansion used to be

Free-hearted Hospitality;
His great fires up the chimney roared;
The stranger feasted at his board;
But, like the skeleton at the feast,
That warning timepiece never ceased,--
D - "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"

1Poems Teachers Ask f2!, Book One (Dansville, N.Y.: F. A. Owen

"'
Publishing Company, no date), p. 17.
=====9F=================================
 63

THE OLD CLOCK ON m STAIRS (continued)

L + M- There groups of merry children played;

There youths and maidens dreaming strayed;
Oh, precious hours! oh, golden prime
And affluence of love and time!
Even as a miser counts his gold,
Those hours the ancient timepiece told,--
D - "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"

lo +M - From that chamber, clothed in white,

The bride came forth on her wedding night;
There, in that silent room below,
The dead lay, in his shroud of snow;
And, in the hush that followed the prayer,
Was heard the old clock on the stair,--
D - "Forever--never!
Never-- forever!''

L + M- All are scattered, now, and fled,--

Some are married, some are dead;
And when I ask, with throb of pain,
"Ah! when shall they all meet again?"
As in the days long since gone by,
The ancient timepiece makes reply,--
D- "Forever--never!
Never ... -forever! 11

L + M- Never here, forever there,

Where all parting, pain, and care,
And death, and time, shall disappear,--
Forever there, but never here!
The horologe of Eternity
Sayeth this incessantly,-,
D - "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"

1
THE THROSTLE

Alfred Tennyson

Light - "Summer is coming, s1.1DIIIer is coming, Light voices

I know it, I know it, I know it. merely
Light again, leaf again, life again, love again!"
Medium - Yes, my wild little Poet. suggest
bird's tone.

1
,... sechrist, .!!!!.· cit., p. 155.
r .'~·====~======~~~~====================~~====
-
r
1]1 THRQSTLE (continued)
64

M- Sing the new year in under the blue.

Last year fOU sang it as gladly.
L + M- "New, new, new, new!" Is it then so new
That you should carol so madly?

L - "Love again, song again, nest again, young again"--

Never a prophet so crazy!
M- And hardly a daisy as yet, little friend:
See, there is hardly a daisy.

L - "Here again, here, here, here, happy year!"

M- 0 Warble unchidden, unbidden!
Summer is coming, is coming, my dear,
And all the winters are hidden.

Light The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof;

Dark The world and they that dwell therein.

L - For he hath founded it upon the seas,

D - And established it upon the floods.

L - Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?

L - Or who shall stand in his holy place?

D - He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;

D- Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn
deceitfully.

L - He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, Effect of

D - And righteousness from the God of his salvation. balance of
sound and
L - This is the generation of them that seek him, rhythm in
D - That seek thy face, 0 Jacob. the rising
and lower-
L - Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates; ing of
L - And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; tones.
D- And the King of Glory shall come in.

L - Who is this King of Glory?

D - The Lord strong and mighty,
D - The Lord mighty: in battle.

1cecile de Banke, Choral Speaking in the English Course, p. 28.

f""\.
====~======================================F=====
 65
PSALM 24 (continued)

L - Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates;

L - Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors:
D And the King of Glory shall come in.

L - Who is this King of Glory?

D - Even the Lord of Hosts, Joyously.
D - He is the King of Glory.

L - Amen.
D - Amen.

Light - God be merciful unto us, and bless us,

Dark And cause his face to shine upon us;

L - That thy ways may be known upon earth,

D - Thy saving health among all nations.

L - Let the people praise thee, 0 God; Joyously.

D - Let all the people praise thee. Echo effect.

L - 0 let the nations be glad and sing for joy:

D - For thou shalt judge the people righteously,
D - And govern the nations upon earth.

L- Let the people praise thee, 0 God;

D - Let all the people praise thee.

L - Then shall the earth yield her increase;

D- And God, even our own God, shall bless us.
Loudly, yet
L - God shall bless us: h!'ppily.
D - And all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

L - Amen. Reverently.
D - Amen.

1
Ibid., p. 30.

~====~=========================================9F=====
 66
1
m_ BUGLE SONG
Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Class - The splendor falls on castle walls

And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory. Deep
Dark - Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying, tones.
Medium+ Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, Loud; then fade
Light dying, dying.

Class - 0 hark, 0 hear! how thin and clear,

And thinner, clearer, farther going! Lightly.
0 sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!
D- Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying: Softly.
M+ L - Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying. Softer
fade.
Class - 0 love, they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul,
And grow for ever and for ever.
D - Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying, Deep.
M+ L - And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying. Softly;
fade.

2
THE RIDDLING KNIGHT

Unknown

Girls - There were three sisters fair and bright,

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
And they three loved one valiant knight--
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.

The eldest sister let him in,

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
And barr'd the door with a silver pin,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.

1
Poems Teachers Ask f2!, Book One, op. cit., p. 183.
2Bailey and Leavell, £2· cit., p. 336.
 67

~ RIDDLING KNIGHT (continued)

The second sister made his bed,

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
And placed soft pillows under his head,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.

The youngest sister that same night,

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
Was resolved for to wed wi' this valiant knight,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.

Boys - "And if you can answer questions three,

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
0 then, fair maid, I'll marry wi' thee, HUIIIOr
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
through
0 What is louder nor
11
a horn,
Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary, rhythm,
0 what is sharper nor a thorn?
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree. not

"Or what is heavier nor the lead, sense

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
Or what is better nor the bread?
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.

"Or what is longer nor the way,

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
Or what is deeper nor the sea?--
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.

Girls - "O shame is louder nor a horn,

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
And hunger is sharper nor a thorn,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.

"0 sin is heavier nor the lead,

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
The blessing's better nor the bread,
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
"O the wind is longer nor the way,
Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary,
And love is deeper nor the sea,"
As the dew flies over the mulbery tree.

Boys - "You have answer'd my questions three,

Jennifer, Gentle, and Rosemary;
And now, fair maid, I'll marry wi' thee,"
As the dew flies over the mulberry tree.
" -===#====================--===~=--=--
 68
r ' 1
MY P.RETTY MAID

Boys - "Where are you going, my pretty maid?" Interested

Girls - "I'm going a-milking, sir," she said.

B - ''May I go with you, my pretty maid?" Very interested,

G - ''You're kindly welcome, sir," she said.

B - ''What is your father, my pretty maid?"

G- "My father's a farmer, sir," she said,

B - ''What is your fortune, my pretty maid?" Extremely in-

G - ''My face is my fortune, sir," she said. terested.

B - "Then I can't marry you, my pretty maid!" Uninterested.

B- "Nobody asked you, sir!" she said. Tauntingly.

Boys - Old woman, old woman, will you go a-shearing? Watch

Girls - Speak a little louder, sir, r'm very hard of hearing. final
Boys - Old woman, old woman, will you come a-gleaning? dIS •
Girls - Speak a little louder, sir, I cannot tell your meaning.
Boys - Old woman, old woman, will you come a-walking?
""" Girls -
Boys -
Speak a little
Old woman, old
louder, sir, or what's the use of talking?
woman, shall I love you dearly?
Girls - Thank you very kindly, sir, I hear you very clearly!

3
FRIDAY STREET

Eleanor Farjeon

Boys - 'Where shall we meet, 0 where shall we meet?'

Girls - 'We'll meet to be sure in Friday Street.' Carefully
observe
B - 'Shall we meet on Saturday?' -- 'O dear no! rhythmic
G - On Saturday, on Saturday, I have to knead the dough. 1 beat

B - 'Shall we meet on Sunday?' -- 'O dear no!

G - On Sunday, on Sunday to church I must go.'

B - 'Shall we meet on Monday?' -- 'O dear no!

G - On Monday I wash linen, white as driven snow.'

1
Hamm, .Q.E_ • .£!.!:.. , p. 93.

2 3
"============9F===========I=b=id=·=·====P=·=4=7=.=====================================I=b=i=d=·=·=P=·=9=2=.==================#============
 ·I

69
r '
FRIDAY STREET (continued)

B - 'Shall we meet on Tuesday?' -- 'O dear no!

G - On Tuesday I darn the socks, heel and toe.'

B - 'Shall we meet on Wednesday?' 'O dear no!

G - On Wednesday I've a meadowful of grass to mow. '

B - 'Shall we meet on Thursday?' -- 10 dear no!

G - On Thursday my best bonnet wants a new satin bow.'

B - 'Then when shall we meet, 0 when shall we meet?'

G - 'On Friday, to be sure, in Friday Street,'

1
"NO, SIR"
Old English Ballad

Boys - "Good evening, pretty maiden, with your eyes of heaven's blue,
May I step within your garden gate and spend the time
with you?"
Girls - "No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO. Serious.
No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO."

Boys - "The night is very lovely and the hour is not late,
May I look into your deep blue eyes, across this garden gate?"
Girls - "No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO.
No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO."

Boys - "Tell me one thing, tell me truly, tell me why you scorn me so;
Tell me why, when asked a question, you must always answer
'No. '"
Girls - "No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO. Mock-serious.
No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO."

Boys - "My father was a Spanish merchant, and before he went to sea
He told me I must answer ''No" to everything you said to me."
Girls - "No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO. Gay.
No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO."

Boys - '~ell, when walking through your garden, plucking flowers

wet with dew
Tell me, would you be offended if I walk and talk with you?"
Girls - 11
No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO. Teasing,
No, sir; no, sir; no, sir J NO."

1
Hamm, £2· cit., p. 161.
~~·====~===================================9~====
 70

"NO, SIR" (continued)

Boys - "If when walking in your garden, I should ask you to be mine
And should tell you that I love you, would you then my heart
decline?"
Girls - "No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO. Spirlted.
No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; N0. 11
No, sir; no, sir; no, sir; NO."

T. H. Bayley

Girls - Tell me the tales that to me were so dear,

Boys - Long, long ago,
Long, long ago;
G - Sing me the songs I delighted to hear,
B - Long, long ago, long ago.
G - Now you are come all my grief is removed, Earnestly,
Let me forget that so long you have roved,
Let me believe that you love as you loved,
B - Long, long ago, long ago.

G - Do you remember the paths where we met,

B - Long, long ago,
Long, long ago; Dreamily.
G - Ah, yes, you told me you ne'er would forget
B - Long, long ago, long ago.
G - Then, to all others my smile you preferred,
Love, when you spoke, gave a charm to each word,
Still my heart treasures the praises I heard,
B + G - Long, long ago, long ago.

2
HEAVEN

George Herbert

Group 1 - 0 who will show me those delights on high?

Group 2 - I. Answers
1 - Thou, Echo, thou art mortal, all men know. should be
2 - No. in form
1 - Wert thou born among the trees and leaves? of an
2 - Leaves. echo.
1 - And are there any leaves that still abide?
2 - Bide.

1 2
~~========i=========~An~s~o~r~g~e~,~E~n;l;o;yme~~n~t~,=~~o~·~c~i~t~·~·~P~·~7~3~3~·=====H~amm::~·~~~·~c~i~t~·~·~P~·~l~4:8~·~==========
 71

HEAVEN (continued)

1 - What leaves are they? impart the matter wholly.

2 - Holy.
1 - Are holy leaves the Echo, then, of bliss?
2 - Yes.
1 - Then tell me, what is that supreme delight?
2 - Light.
1 - Light to the mind: what shall the will enjoy?
2 - Joy.
1 - But are there cares and business with the pleasure?
2 - Leisure.
1 - Light, joy and leisure: but shall they persever?
2 - Ever.

Cumulative

Cumulative speaking is that in which the effect is

achieved by the addition of voices and intensity (but not
loudness) up to a final climax.l

This type of response may best be used when the poem rises to a

climax. The plan here is to begin with a few voices and add more voices

as the poem increases in intensity.

This similar response called diminishing may be used when the

volume or intensity of the selection should decrease.

Many poems which use the cumulative approach are often adaptable

to a combination of increased and then decreased intensity.

2
GOLDENROD

Sister M. Estelle, Sor. D.S.

Row 1 - I love the green

Of meadows clean,
But not, dear God,
The Goldenrod.
Ah!. (gasp!)

1 2
Boardman, £2· cit., p. 339. HaiiiDI, £2· cit., p. 147.
"====~======================================~=====
 'I

72
T ,
GOLDENROD (continued)

1 + 2 - I love tall trees

That breat each breeze,
But not, dear God,
The Goldenrod.
Ah! Ah! (gasp!)

1, 2, 3 - From flowers pink

I do not shrink,
But dear, dear God,
The Goldenrod.
Ah! Ah! Ah! (gasp!)

1, 2, 3, 4 - With flowers gold

I can't be bold,
Why did you, God,
Make Goldenrod?
Ah! Ah! Ah! Chew! (sneeze!)

Dorothy Plowright

Class - The old rag man is coming to town! Grow louder

Group 1 - Horses' hoofs go clickety-clack, with approach.
Group 2 - Wagon wheels go rickety-rack.
c - The rag man's call goes up and down:
Solo - "Any rags today?" Voice goes up and
Gr. 1 - Clockety-clack, down.
Gr. 2 - Rickety-rack.
Solo - "Any old rags today?"
Gr. 1 - Clickety-clack,
Gr. 2 - Rickety-rack.
c - The old rag man is coming to town! Louder,
c - The children follow him down the street.
Gr. 1
Gr. 2
-- Horses' hoofs go clickety-clack,
Wagon wheels go rickety-rack,
c - And as he calls they all repeat:
c - "Any old rags today?" Up and down.
Gr. 1 - Clockety-clack,
Gr. 2 - Rickety-rack.
Solo - "Any old rags today?"
Gr. 1 - Clickety-clack,
Gr. 2 - Rickety-rack.
c - Clickety-clack, clickety, clickety-clack: Fade away.
c - Rickety, rickety, rickety-rack.

1
r-\~·========~======~H~a~mm~·~£E~·~c~i~t~··~P~·~l~OO~·~==================================~~========
 73
1
~ BEATITUDES

Matthew, v, 3-10

Group 1 - Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the

kingdom of heaven. Increase
Groups 1 + 2 - Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the in
land. volume.
Gr. 1, 2, 3 - Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be
comforted.
1,2,3,4- Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after
justice: for they shall have their fill.
(continue to Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain
add a group mercy.
per verse) Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall
see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be
called the children of God.
Class - Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice's
sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. With
joy.

Author Unknown

Group 1 - Come quick, Mary Anne! Variety of

From your kitchen come quickly! tempo and
A crash and a clatter, rhythm.
I heard something shatter--
The dishes don't matter!
Come quick, Mary Anne!

Groups 1 + 2 - Come quick, Mary Anne! Tempo increases

There's a mouse in the pantry, rapidly.
A rush and a scurry,
Don't worry, don't worry!
But hurry, please hurry--
Come quick, Mary Anne!
Groups 1, 2, 3 - Come quick, Mary Anne!
Do not tarry a second,
Bring something to catch it,
To kill it or snatch it!
A book or a hatchet--
Come quick, Mary Anne!

1 2
- Ibid,, p. 194. Ibid., p. 100.
~~
1.====9F==========================================~======
 74

~ QUICK, MARY ANNE (continued)

All groups - Come quick, Mary Anne! Excitedly.

It will go. It is going!
No use to pursue it! Tempo decreases.
You know you can't do it!
You've lost it! I knew it!
Too late, Mary Anne. Very slowly.

1
AN EASTER CAROL

Christina G. Rossetti

Group 1 - Spring bursts today, Joyously at

For Christ is risen and all the earth's the concept
at play. of the
thought.
Groups 1 + 2 - Flash forth, thou Sun,
The rain is over and gone, its work is done.
Winter is past, Call to Sun.
Gro. 1, 2, 3,- Sweet Spring is come at last, is come at last.
Bud, Fig and Vine,
Bud, Olive, fat with fruit and oil and wine. Clearly
Break forth this morn portray con-
In roses, thou but yesterday a Thorn. trast between
Uplift thy head, what is and
0 pure white Lily through the Winter dead. what is to
Beside your dams come.
Leap and rejoice, you merry-making Lambs.
All Herds and Flocks
All class - Rejoice, all Beasts of thickets and of rocks.
Sing, Creatures, sing, With great
Angels and Men and Birds and everything. rejoicing!
All notes of Doves
Fill all our world: this is the time of loves.

2
FOREST FIRE

Edna Davis Romig

Light voices - Whispers of little winds low in the leaves Begin ver
Rustle of warm wind through tall green trees, softly;
A full resinous fragrance, rich, warm, sweet, volume
A sharp acrid odor, a hint of heat. increases
as fire spreads.

1 2
sechrist, ££• cit., p. 77. Iverson, ££· £11., p. 283.

~~·==~F===================================~====
 75

FOREST FIRE (continued)

Snap, hiss, crackle, a faint blue smoke,

A whirl of black swept by a tawny flame --
Deep in the forest the wild wind broke;
Fast in the wild wake the fire-wind came.
Light + Med. - A soughing of branches swept sudden and strong
Like the rush and crash when the storm winds meet;
Crimson streams of fire flowed quickly along Crisply
The tall gray grasses and the spruce needles deep; as fir
Red tongues of fire licked the tall pine trees, spreads
Gray twigs fell as though shriveled by disease; over pi
Broad orange streamers floated everywhere trees.
And bulging puffs of copper smoke filled the
moulton air.
L, M, D - A pitiable squeaking came from little furry Pitifully
creatures,
Chipmunks and marmots as they scurried helter-skelter;
Mountain sheep and mountain goats leaping to some
shelter,
Warned by their instincts--grim, sure teachers--
And the suffocating stenches from the red, relentless
thing;
Like a plummet dropped a blue jay with a burning,
broken wing;
The eagles screamed in anger from the smoke-beclouded
skies;
A sudden rush of slender deer, dumb fright in liquid
eyes ..•.
Now burning brands seems missiles sent,
Projectiles hurled through" space,
Now and then a chuckle, like mirth malevolent,
A sweeping beauty sinister, a dread and treacherous
grace; Grimly;
And conflagration with the sound of thunder
Has pulled a thousand tall trees under.
Light voices - But men have come in purpose bent
To halt ~.he· fire's fierce race.
They fell great trees and dig deep lanes. Slower.
They smother out small flames;
With tools and chemicals and wit
At last they conquer it.
But the fire that rages for half a day Sadly.
Has burned a hundred years away.

0====~===================================96====
 76

Anonymous

Group 1 - In come de animals two by two:

Hippopotamus and a kangaroo:
All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again!

Groups 1 + 2 - In come de animals three by three:

Two big cats and a bumble bee:
All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again! Beat increase
in intensity
1, 2, 3 - In come de animals four by four: as
Two through de window and two through de door: more
All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again! and more
animals
1,2,3,4- In come de animals five by five: enter.
Almost dead and hardly alive:
All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again!

1,2,3,4,5- In come de animals six by six:

Three wid clubs and three wid sticks:
All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - In come de animals seven by seven:

Four from hell and de others from heaven:
All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again!

6 groups - In come de animals eight by eight:

Four on time and de others late:
All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again!

7 groups - In come de animals nine by nine:

Four in front and five behind:
All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again!

8 groups - In come de animals ten by ten:

Five big roosters and five big hens:
All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again!

All - Dem Bones Gona Rise Again.

Dem Bones Gona Rise Again, Spiritually.
I knows it, Oh! I knows it shuah!
Dem Bones Gona Rise Again!

1
Hilda Adams, ! Poetry Speaking Anthology (London: Methuen and Co.
Ltd., 1950), p. 171.

"'
-====~=====================================+=====
 77
l
VELVET SHOES

Elinor Wylie

Girls - Let us walk in the white snow

In a soundless space;
With footsteps quiet and slow,
At a tranquil pace,
Under veils of white lace.

Solo - I shall go shod in silk, Diminish

And you in wool,
White as a white cow 1 s milk, in
More beautiful
Than the breast of a gull. volume.

Girls - We shall walk through the still town

In a windless peace;
We shall step upon white down,
Upon silver fleece,
Upon softer than these.

Girls - We shall walk in velvet shoes,

Wherever we go
Silence falls like dews Very softly.
On white silence below.
We shall walk in the snow.

2
THE BELLS

Edgar Allan Poe

Light voices - Hear the sledges with the bells--

Silver bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
In the icy air of night! Light, clear
While the stars, that oversprinkle and gay.
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,

1Matilda Bailey and Ullin W. Leavell, Worlds 1£ Explore (Boston:

American Book Company, 1951), p. 345.
2Lieberman, 2£· £!!., p. 25.
ns.==~===================================+=====
 78

~ BELLS (continued)

To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells Faster

From the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells--
From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

Light + Medium - Hear the mellow wedding bells--

Golden bells! Happy.
What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!
Through the balmy air of night
How they ring out their delight! Gaily.
From the molten-golden notes,
And all in tune,
What a liquid ditty floats
To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats
On the moon! Soft
Oh, from out the sounding cells, and slow.
What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!
How it swells!
How it dwells! Joyfully.
On the Future! how it tells
Of the rapture that impels
To the swinging and the ringing
Of the bells, bells, bells,
Of the bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells--
To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!

Dark - Hear the loud alarum bells--

Brazen bells! Excitedly.
What a tale of terror now their turbulency tells!
In the startled ear of night
How they scream out their affright!
Too much horrified tospeak,
They can only shriek, shriek, Loud.
Out of tune,
In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire,
In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire,
Leaping higher, higher, higher,
With a desperate desire,
And a resolute endeavor
Now--now to sit or never,
By the side of the pale-faced moon.
Oh, the bells, bells, bells!
What a tale their terror tells Distress
Of Despair!
How they clang, and clash, and roar!
What a horror they outpour
On the bosom of the palpitating air!
~~·====+=======================================9======
 79

THE BELLS (continued)

Yet the ear it fully knows,

By the twanging,
And the clanging,
How the danger ebbs and flows;
Yet the ear distinctly tells,
In the jangling,
And the wrangling,
How the danger sinks and swells,
By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells -
Of the bells--
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells--
In the clamor and the clangor of the bells!

L + M+ D - Hear the tolling of the bells--

Iron bells! Solemnly.
What a world of solemn thought their monody compels!
In the silence of the night
How we shiver w!~h affright
At the melancholy menace of their tone!
For every sound that floats
From the rust within their throats
Is a groan.
And the people--ah, the people--
They that dwell up in the steeple,
All alone,
And who tolling, tolling, tolling,
In that muffled monotone,
Feel a glory in so rolling
On the human heart a stone--
They are neither man nor woman--
They are neither brute nor human--
They are Ghouls:
And their king it is who tolls;
And he rolls, rolls, rolls, Steady beat.
Rolls
A paean from the bells!
And his merry bosm swells
With the paean of the bells!
And he dances, and he yells;
Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the paean of the bells--
Of the bells:
Keeping time, time, time, Steady.
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the throbbing of the bells--
Of the bells, bells, bells--
~====~================~====================+=====
 80

~ BELLS (continued)

To the sobbing of the bells;

Keeping time, time, ti~, Faster
As he knells, knells, knells,
In a happy Runic rhyme
To the rolling of the bells--
Of the bells, bells, bells--
To the tolling of the bells,
Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells-- Slower.
To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

Sectional

Sectional speaking means the reciting of material

by several separate sections of the group.l

Sectional, or group reading, may involve many types of responses

within one selection. It should begin with relatively simple poems and

progress to more difficult material. This sectional work is not a

separate technique but a combination of any or all types of choral

reading for the most effective casting of a poem.

2
~ GOBLIN

Rose Fyleman

Class - A goblin lives in our house, in our house, Almost

in our house, singing.
A goblin lives in our house all the year round.
Group 1 - He bumps
And he jumps
And he thumps Choppy sounds.
And he stumps.
Group 2 - He knocks
And he rocks
And he rattles at the locks.

1 2
Boardman, £2· £!!., p. 341. Arbuthnot, £2· cit., p. 185.
('====~====================================9F=====
 81

1!!! GOBLIN (continued)

Group 3 A goblin lives in our house, in our house, Almost
in our house, singing
Class - A goblin lives in our house all the year round.

1
THE BALLAD OF THE OYSTERMAN

Oliver Wendell Holmes

All - It was a tall young oysterman lived by the riverside,

His shop was just upon the bank, his boat was on the tide;
The daughter of a fisherman, that was so straight Spirit
and slim, of light
Lived over on the other bank, right opposite to romance.
him.

Boys - It was the pensive oysterman that saw a lovely maid,

Upon a moonlight evening, a-sitting in the shade;
He saw her wave her handkerchief, as much as if to say,
Solo girl - "I'm wide awake, young oysterman, and all the folks away."

Girls - Then up arose the oysterman, and to himself said he,

Solo boy - "I guess I 1 11 leave the skiff at home, for fear that folks
should see;
I read it in the storybook, that, for to kiss his dear,
Leander swam the Hellespont--and I will swim this here."

B + G - And he has leaped into the waves, and crossed the shining
stream,
And he has clambered up the bank, all in the moonlight gleam
Oh, there were kisses, sweet as dew, and words as soft as
rain--
But they have heard her father's step, and in he leaps
again!

Solo boy - Out spoke the ancient fisherman: "Oh, what was that,
my daughter?"
Solo girl
Solo boy -
- "'Twas nothing but a pebble, sir, I threw into the water."
"And what is that, pray tell me, love, that paddles off
so fast?"
Solo girl - "It's nothing but a porpoise, sir, that's been a-swimming
past."

Solo boy - Out spoke the ancient fisherman: "Now bring me my harpoon!
I '11 get into my fishing boat, and fix the fellow soon."

~~======~~=======l~B~a~i~l~e~y~a~n~d~L~e~a~v~e~l~l~,~W~o~r~l~d~s~to;:E~x~p~lo~r~e~,~P~·~4~9~8~.~================~b:=========
- THE BALLAD .QK THE OYSTERMAN (continued)
82

Girls - Down fell that pretty innocent, as falls a snow-white lamb;

Her hair drooped round her pallid cheeks, like seaweed
on a clam.

All - Alas for those two loving ones! She waked not from her
swound,
And he was taken with the cramp, and in the waves was
drowned;
But Fate has metamorphosed them, in pity of their woe,
And now they keep an oyster shop for mermaids down below.

1
M KITCHEN ClDCK

John Vance Cheney

All - Knitting is the maid o' the kitchen, Milly,

Doing nothing sits the chore boy, Billy:
Group 1 - "Seconds reckoned,
Seconds reckoned;
Every minute,
Sixty in it. Rhythm of the
Milly, Billy,
Billy, Milly, clock-beat
Tick-tock, tock-tick,
Nick-knock, knock-nick, sets the pace
Knockety-nick, nickety-knock,"--
All - Goes the kitchen clock.

All - Closer to the fire is rosy Milly,

Every whit as close and cosy, Billy:
Group 2 - "Time's a- flying,
Worth your trying;
Pretty Milly--
Kiss her, Billy!
Milly, Billy,
Billy, Milly,
Tick-tock, tock-tick, Should be
Now--now, quick--quick!
Knockety-nick, nickety-knock, "-- lightly and
All - Goes the kitchen clock.
quickly spoken
All - Something's happened, very red is Milly,
Billy boy is looking very silly;
Group 1 - "Pretty misses,
Plenty kisses;
Make it twenty,

~~======~======"'~w;e;l~ls;·~£2~·=cs1~·t~·~·~P~·~z~z;o~·~==================================9F=========
 83
THE KITCHEN CLOCK (continued)

Take a plenty.
Billy, Milly,
Milly, Billy,
Right--left, left--right,
That's right, all right,
Knockety-nick, nickety-knock,"--
All - Goes the kitchen clock.

All - Weeks gone, still they're sitting, Milly, Billy;

O, the winter winds are wondrous chilly!
Group 2 - ''Winter weather,
Close together;
Wouldn't tarry,
Better marry.
Milly, Billy,
Billy, Milly,
Two--one, one--two,
Don't wait, 'twon't do,
Knockety-nick, nickety-knock,"--
All - Goes the kitchen clock.

All Winters two have gone, and where is Milly?

Spring has come again, and where is Billy?
Gr. 1 - 2 - "Give me credit,
For I did it;
Treat me kindly,
Mind you wind me.
Mister Billy,
Mistress Milly,
My--o, o--my,
By-by, by-by,
Nickety-knock, cradle rock,"--
All - Goes the kitchen clock.

1
ANGUS McGREGOR

Lew Sarett

Boys - Angus McGregor lies brittle as ice, Character study.

With snow tucked up to his jaws,
Somewhere tonight where the hemlocks moan Factually
And crack in the wind like straws. spoken.

1
Iverson, .2.1?.· cit., p. 153.

('=.====+=======================================~=====
 84

~ McGREGOR (continued)

Angus went cruising the woods last month,

With a blanket-roll on his back,
With never an ax, a dirk, a gun,
Or a compass in his pack.

Solo one - "The hills at thirty below have teeth;

McGregor," I said, "you're daft Indicate
To tackle the woods like a simple child." impatience
But he looked at me and laughed.

Solo two - "I've battled her weather, her winds, her brutes,
I've stood with them toe to toe;
I can beat them back with my naked fist Gruffly and
And answer them blow for blow. " Carelessly

Boys - Angus McGregor sleeps under the stars,

With an icicle gripped in his hand,
Somewhere tonight where the grim-lipped peaks Factuall •
Brook on a haggard land.

Oh, the face of the moon is dark tonight,

And dark the gaunt wind's sigh; Cold and
And the hollow laughter troubles me eerie.
In the wild wolves' cry.

l
COLUMBUS

Joaquin Miller

All - Behind him lay the gray Azores, Constrast i

Behind the Gates of Hercules; spirit of
Before him not the ghost of shores, men.
Before him only shoreless seas.
Solo boy l - The good mate said: "Now must we pray,
For lo! The very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak; what shall I say?"
Solo boy 2- ''Why,say: ·•·sail on! Sail on! And on!"'

S. b. l - ''My men grow mutinous day by day;

My men grow ghastly wan and weak."
All - The Stout mate thought of home; a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
S.b. l - ''What shall I say, brave Admiral, say, Doubt fully.
If we sight naught but seas at dawn?"

~~=======i=========B=a=i=le~y==a=n=d==L=e=a=v=e=l=l=,~2£~·~c~i~t=.='=P==·=3=3=0=.==========================9F=========
1
-
f',
COLUMBUS (continued)
85

S.b. 2 - '~hy, you shall say at break of day: Without hesi-

'Sail on! Sail on! Sail on! And on!"' tation.

All - They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,

Until at last the blanched mate said:
S.b. 1 - ·~y, now not even God would know
Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way,
For God from these dread seas is gone, Pleading.
Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say"--
S.b. 2 - He said: "Sail on! Sail on! And on!" Nobly.

All - They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:

S.b. 1 - "This mad sea shows his teeth tonight.
He curls his lip, he lies in wait,
With lifted teeth, as if to bite!
Brave Admiral, say but one good word:
What shall we do when hope is gone1" Desperately.
All - The words leapt like a leaping sword:
S.b. 2 - "Sail on! Sail on! Sail on! And on!~· Grandly.

All - Then, pale and worn, he paced his deck,

And peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck-•
A light! A light! At last a light! Joyfully.
It grew to be Time's Burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: "On! Sail on!" Slowly.

1
.!!!! LISTENERS
Walter de la Mare

Solo - "Is there anybody there?" said the Traveller, Silence

Class - Knocking on the moonlit door; becomes
And his horse in the silence champed the grasses oppressive
0 f the forest's ferny floor.
And a bird flew up out of the turret,
Above the Traveller's head:
And he smote upon the door again a second time;
Solo - "Is there anybody there?" he said.
Class - But no one descended to the Traveller;
No head from the leaf-fringed sill

1Leiberman, £e· ££!., p. 177.

"====~==================================+=====
 86
~ LISTENERS (continued)

Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes,

Where he stood perplexed and still.
But only a host of phantom listeners
That dwelt in the lone house then
Stood listening in the quiet of the moonlight
To that voice from the world of men:
Stood thronging the faint moonbeams on the dark stair,
That goes down to the empty hall,
Hearkening in an air stirred and shaken
By the lonely Traveller's call.
And he felt in his heart their strangeness,
Their stillness answering his cry
While his horse moved, cropping the dark turf,
'Neath the starred and leafy sky;
For he suddenly smote on the door, even
Louder, and lifted his head:--
Solo - "Tell them I came, and no one answered,
That I kept my word," he said.
Class - Never the least stir made the listeners,
Though every word he spake Slowly
Fell echoing through the shadowiness of the still house
From the one man left awake: fade
Ay, they heard his foot on the stirrup,
And the sound of iron on stone, away.
And how the silence surged softly backward,
When the plunging hoofs were gone.

1
~EMBARRASSING EPISODE OF LITTLE MISS MUFFET

Guy Wetmore Carryl

Class - Little Miss Muffet discovered a tuffet, Very 1 ight ly

(Which never occurred to the rest of us,) and
And, as 'twas a June day, and just about noonday, quickly.
She wanted to eat--like the best of us:
Her diet was whey, and I hasten to say
It is wholesome and people grow fat on it.
The spot being lonely, the lady not only
Discovered the tuffet, but sat on it.

A rivulet gabbled beside her and babbled,

As rivulets always are thought to do,
And dragon-flies sported around and cavorted,
As poets say dragon-flies ought to do;

1
-~========~=========H=amm==='=~~·==c=i=t=·=·=P==·=l=5=~=~=·======================================9F=========
 87

THE EMBARRASSING EPISODE OF LITTLE MISS MUFFET (continued)

When, glancing aside for a moment, she spied

A hideous spider was sitting beside her,
And most unavoidably near to her!

Albeit unsightly, this creature politely

Solo 1 - Said: "Madam, I earnestly vow to you, Very
I'm penitent that I did not bring my hat. I politely.
Should otherwise certainly bow to you."

Class - Though anxious to please, he was so ill at ease

That he lost all his sense of propriety,
And grew so inept that he clumsily stept
In her plate--which is barred in Society.

This curious error completed her terror;

She shuddered, and growing much paler, not
Only left tuffet, but dealt him a buffet
Which doubled him up in a sailor!i.knot.
It should be explained that at this he was pained: Still
Solo 1 - He cried: "I have vexed you, no doubt of it! polite
Your fist's like a truncheon." ''You're still in Angrily.
my 1 unc he on , "
Solo 2 - Was all that she answered. "Get out of it!"

Class - And The Moral is this: Be it madam or miss

To whom you have something to say,
You are only absurd when you get in the curd
But you're rude when you get in the whey!

1
SALUTE TO M FLAG

Author Unknown

Row 1 - I pledge allegiance to the fl~g-­

Class - More than a banner in the air,
A people's hope is lifted there, Crisply and
Assurance ever more our own proudly.
Of freedom where that flag is flown.
Row 2 - And to the Republic for which it stands--
Class - The thirteen stripes of red and white
Tell how one purpose should unite
Those first to come within our gates
Into a real United States.

1
~~======~=========H=amm===·~~~·~c~i~t~·=·~P=·==l8=3=.========================================~========
 88

SALUTE TO 1!!! FLAG (continued)

Row 3 - One nation indivisible--

Class - This field of stars white on blue
Count other states which joined those few
And merging miles and faith and skill
Made a strong nation stronger still.

Row 4 - With Liberty and justice for all--

Class - Now for a whole war shaken world
Our flag's bright promise is unfurled, Grandly
A pledge, a challenge that shall stand
Till justice dwells in every land.

1
1!!! OWL Mill THE PUSSY-CAT
Edward Lear

Class - The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea

In a beautiful pea-green boat:
They took some honey, and plenty of money Playful
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above, spirit
And sang to a small guitar,
Solo 1 - '~h, lovely Pussy, oh, Pussy, my love, throughout.
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!

Solo 2 - Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl,

How charmingly sweet you sing!
Oh, let us be married; too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?"
Class - They sailed away for a year and a day,
To the land where the bong-tree grows;
And there in the wood a Piggy-wig stood,
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

Solo 1 - "Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Solo 3 - Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
Class - So they took it away and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

1
- wells, .2.1?.· cit., p. 901.
~ ~====~============================================~=====
 89

--------
THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT (continued)

They dined on mince and slices of quince,

Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

1
~OWL CRITIC

James Thomas Fields

Solo 1; All - "Who stuffed that white owl?" No one spoke in Loudly.
the shop:
The barber was busy, and he couldn't stop;
The customers, waiting their turns, were all reading
The Daily, the Herald, the Post, little heeding
The young man who blurted out such a blunt question;
No one raised a head, or even made a suggestion;
And the barber kept on shaving.

Solo 1 - "Don't you see, Mister Brown," Excitedly.

All - Cried the youth, with a frown,
Solo 1 "How wrong the whole thing is,
How preposterous each wing is,
How flattened the head is, how jammed down the neck is--
In short, the whole owl, what an ignorant wreck 'tis!
I make no apology.
I've passed days and nights in a hundred collections,
And cannot be blinded to any deflections
Arising from unskillful fingers that fail
To stuff a bird right, from his beak to his tail.
Mister Brown! Mister Brown!
Do take that bird down,
Or you'll soon be the laughingstock all over town!"
All - And the barber kept on shaving.

Solo 1 - "I've studied owls Boastfully.

And other night fowls,
And I tell you·
What I know to be true:
An owl cannot roost
With his limbs so unloosed;
No owl in this world

~~=======9F=========B=a=i=l=e=y==a=n=d==L=e=av==e=l=l='=£2===·=c=1=.t==.,==p=.==3=5=4=.============================#==========
1
 90

:!]! OWL CRITIC (continued)

Ever had his claws curled,

Ever had his legs slanted,
Ever had his bill canted,
Ever had his neck screwed
Into that attitude.
He can't do it, because
'Tis against all bird laws.
Anatomy teaches,
Ornithology preaches
An owl has a toe
That can't turn out so!
I've made the white owl my study for years,
And to see such a job almost moves me to tears!
Mister Brown, I'm amazed
You should be so gone crazed
As to put up a bird
In that posture absurd!
To look at that owl really brings on a dizziness:
The man who stuffed him doesn't half know his business!"
All - And the barber kept on shaving.

Solo 1 - "Examine those eyes.

I'm filled with surprise
Taxidermists should pass
Off on you such poor glass;
So unnatural they seem
They'd make Audubon scream
And John Burroughs laugh
To encounter such chaff.
Do take that bird down;
Have him stuffed again, Brown!"
All - And the barber kept on shaving.

Solo 2 - '~ith some sawdust and bark

I could stuff in the dark Disgustedly.
An owl better than that.
I could make an old hat
Look more like an owl
Than that horrid fowl,
Stuck up there so stiff like a side of coarse leather.
In fact, about him there's not one natural feather."

All - Just then, with a wink and a sly normal lurch,

The owl, very gravely, got down from his perch, Surprise
Walked round, and regarded his fault-finding critic
(Who thought he was stuffed) with a glance analytic,
And then fairly hooted, as if he would say:
'~our learning's at fault this time, anyway;

~=·====~======================================~=====
- THE OWL CRITIC (continued)
91

Don't waste it again on a live bird, I pray,

I'm an owl; you're another. Sir Critic, good day!"
And the barber kept on shaving.

OLD SOUTHERN STREET CRIES!

Agnes Curren Hamm

All - Street cries, street cries, old Southern street cries--

Down the streets of New Orleans hear those old
Southern street cries.
All - First the blackberry woman with her fruit on her head
Gives a call loud enough to awaken the dead:
Girl Solo - "Fine blackberries, blackberries!
Fine blackberries, blackberries!
Fresh from de vine!"

All - A graceful figure as she walks down the street, Each

Block after block you can hear her repeat: cry
Girl Solo - "Fine blackberries, blackberries! should be
Fine blackberries, blackberries! different
Fresh from de vine!" with some
suggestion
All - A rickety wagon now clatters along, of Negro
And a young colored boy is shouting his song: dialect.
1st Boy Solo - "Ah got ya alligators, ripe red tomatoes,
And banana, lady, twenty-one fo' dime!"

All - He'll sell you his fruit if you come out and buy,
But if you don't he will keep up his cry:
1st Boy Solo - "Ah got ya alligators, ripe red tomatoes,
And banana, lady, twenty-one fo' dime!"

All - When Autumn comes and we all shiver so

We look out our windows for old Ramino.
2nd Boy Solo - "Ramino ! Ramino!
Ah know why yo' chimney won't draw.
Ramino ! Ramino !
All - He!s .thec,a:ld~claimney-sweep with his ropes and brushes,
Whose 'gombo' song issues forth in great gushes:
2nd Boy Solo - "Ramino! Ramino!
Ah know why yo' chimney won't draw.
Ramino ! Ramino ! 11

1
~========~========H=a=mm==·~££~·~c~i~t~·=·=P==·=2=0=5=.======================================~==========
 92

OLD SOUTHERN STREET CRIES (continued)

All - Before the parade on Mardi Gras day

Comes the peanut-boy with his roundelay:
3rd Boy Solo - "Peanuts! Two bags fo' five!
They brush your teeth, they eurl your hair,
They make you feel like a millionaire!
Peanuts! Two bags fo' five!"

All - Both sides of the street are covered with shells,

But the more he sees, the louder he yells:
3rd Boy Solo - "Peanuts! Two bags fo' five!
They brush your teeth, they curl your hair,
They make you feel like a millioniare!
Peanuts! Two bags fo' five!"

All - Street cries, street cries, old Southern street cries--

Down the streets of New Orleans go those old
Southern street cries.

1
THE COBBLER

Paul Edmonds

All - There's a cobbler at the corner of the street

In a shop so quaint and old; Rhythmic
He works all day study.
In the cobbler's way
Through the wet, and the dark, and the cold.

Dark voices - "Clop, clop, clop," goes the cobbler;

"Clop, clop, clop, clop, clop."

All - You can see quite plain Keep beat

Through the window-pane even and
Of the cobbler's quaint old shop. steady.

II

I wonder what he thinks about all day,

In his shop so quaint and old.
He thinks, maybe,
Of the wide, blue sea,
Or of sheep lying out on the wold.

1
- Ibid., p. 112.
r '~·==~====~~============================4=====
 93

THE COBBLER (continued)

Dark voices - "Clop, clop, clop," goes the cobbler;

All - Shees are heeled and soled,

While he wishes he could be
Where the winds blow free,
And the sheep lie out on the wold.

~
1
MUSICAL TRUST

Author Unknown

Light voices - Group 1:

There once was a man who could execute
Old Zip Coon on a yellow flute, Timing is
And several other tunes to boot, difficult.
But he couldn't make a penny with his
tootle-ti-toot.

One day he met a singular quaint old man

With a big tuba, who said, Tapping on
desk might
Middle voices - Group 2: help to
"I have travelled wide and far, keep
But I never made a penny with my oom-pah-pah." rhythm
regular.
Gr. 1 + 2 - Then they met two men who were travelling
With a big bass drum and a cymbal thing,

Dark voices - Group 3:

Who said, '~e've played since early Spring,
But we haven't made a penny with our
boom-zing-zing."

Gr. 1 - So the man with flute went Tootle-ti-toot,

Gr. 2 - And the other went oom-pah!

Gr. 3 - While the men with drum and the cymbal thing
Went Boom-boom-boom, zing-zing!

All - And they travelled wide and far

Together they made the welkin ring
With their

1
Ibid. , p . 117 .
"====9F====================================9F=====
 94

THE MUSICAL TRUST (continued)

Gr. 1 - Tootle-ootle,

Gr. 2 - Oom-pah!

Gr. 3 - Boom, zing, zing!

All - And oh, the pennies the people fling,

When they hear the

Gr. 1 - Tootle-ootle, ootle-ootle, ootle-ootle ootle-ootle, oo

Gr. 2 - Oom-pah, oom-pah, oom-pah, oom (start on second measure)

Gr. 3 - Boom, zing-zing, zing-zing (start on third measure).

1
PIRATE DON DURK OF OOWDEE

Mildred Plew Meigs

Boys - Ho, for the Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee! Help listeners
He was wicked as wicked could be, to "see"
Girls - But, oh, he was perfectly gorgeous to see; this
All The pirate Dan Durk of Dowdee. swaggering hero!

B - His conscience, of course, was as black as a bat,

G - But he had a floppety plume on his hat
And when he went walking it jiggled--like that!
B+ G - The plume of the Pirate Dowdee.
Don't let
G- His coat it was crimson and cut with a slash,
And often as ever he twirled his mustache
rhythm
run away
B - Deep down in the ocean the mermaids went splash, with the
B+ G - Because of Don Durk of Dowdee. sense.

B - Moreover, Dowdee had a purple tattoo,

And stuck in his belt where he buckled it through
Were a dagger, a dirk, and a squizzamaroo,
G - For fierce was the Pirate Dowdee.

B - So fearful he was he would shoot at a puff,

And always at sea when the weather grew rough
He drank from a bottle and wrote on his cuff,
B + G - Did Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee.

1
Ibid., p. 119.
r~===9F=====================================~=====
 95
PIRATE DON DURK OF OOWDEE (continued)

B - Oh he had a cutlass that swung at his thigh

And he had a parrot called Pepperkin Pye,
Help your
listeners
And a zigzaggy scar at the end of his eye "see" the
B+ G - Had Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee. details
of the
B - He kept in a cavern, this buccaneer bold,
A curious chest that was covered with mould,
pirate
vividly.
And all of his pockets were jingly with gold!
B+ G - Oh jing! went the gold of Dowdee,

B - His conscience, of course, it was crook'd like a squash,

But both of his boots made a slickery slosh,
And he went through the world with a wonderful swash,
B+ G - Did Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee.

G - It's true he was wicked as wicked could be,

His sins they outnumbered a hundred and three,
But oh, he was perfectly gorgeous to see,
B + G - The Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee,

Author Unknown

Boys - A little thin fellow had such a fat wife,

Girls - Fat wife, fat wife, God bless her! Distinctly.
Boys - She looked like a drum and he looked like a fife,
And it took all his money to dress her,
God bless her!
To dress her! Swing.
God bless her! (follow this
To dress her! pattern.)

B - To wrap up her body and warm up her toes,

G - Fat toes, fat toes, God keep her!
B - For bonnets and bows and silken clothes,
To eat her, and drink her, and sleep her,
All - God keep her!
To sleep her!
God keep her!
To sleep her!

1Ansorge, Enjoyment,~·£!!., p. 732.

0====9F==================================~=====
 96
~ WIFE (continued)

B - She grew like a target, he grew like a sword,

G - A sword, a sword, God spare her!
B - She took all the bed and she took all the board,
And it took a whole sofa to bear her,
All - God spare her!
To bear her!
God spare her!
To bear her!

B - She spread like a turtle, he shrank like a pike,

G - A pike, a pike, God save him!
B- And nobody ever beheld the like,
For they had to wear glasses to shave him,
All - God save him!
To shave him!
God save him!
To shave him!

B -q She fattened away till she burst one day,

G - Exploded, blew up, God take her!
B - And all the people that saw it say
She covered over an acre!
All - God take her!
An acre!
God take her!
An acre!

1
THE BALLAD OF DENNIS McGINTY

Dana Burnet

Solo girl - "I will marry none but a king," she said, Haughtily.
All - Wid a flash av her eye and a toss av her head;
(And she was but barely turned twinty).
And all av the lads who came ridin' down,
They smothered their sighs and wint back to town -
All excipt Dennis McGinty.

Solo g. - "I will have me a riyal prince to wed, Determinedly.

A prince on a milk-white steed," she said;
All - (And she was then two-and-twinty).
And all av her lovers, they looked at their nags
And fled with their hear-rts in their saddlebags,
All excipt Dennis McGinty.

r-\~======~=========B=a=i=l=e~y==an=d==L;e=a=v=e=l=l~·~£e~O~·=C~1~·t=·~·~P=·==3=5=1=.==================~====~~========
1
- THE BALLAD Q! DENNIS McGINTY (continued)
97

Solo g. - "I will marry a landed lord," she cried, Still

''Wid castles tall and acres wide"; determined.
All - (And she was then four-and-twinty).
But all av her gallants, they turned away,
For divil a bit av a castle had they,
All excipt Dennis McGinty.

Solo g. - "I will marry the bravest who comes," she sighed, Thought
"The man av most courage shall have me to bride"; fully.
All - (And she was then six-and-twinty).
And out came the weapons for miles around,
And all the lads fought till they fell to the ground -
All excipt Dennis McGinty.

Solo g. - "At least I will marry a man," she said, With

Wid a blush to her cheek and a hang to her head;
(And then she was eight-and-twinty). resignatio
But there wasn't the likes av a marryin' lad, bedad,
And-- she married Dennis McGinty.

1
~ LEGEND OF ~ FIRST CAM-U-EL

Arthur Guiterman

Boys + girls - Across the sands of Syria Be careful

Or, possibly, Algeria, not to let
Or some benighted neighborhood of barrenness and drouth,
There came the Prophet Sam-u-el rhythm
Upon the Only Cam-u-el-- drown ou
A bumpy, grumpy Quadruped of discontented mouth.
narrative
The atmosphere was glutinous;
The Cam-u-el was mutinous;
He dumped the pack from off his back; with horrid
grunts and squeals
He made the desert hideous;
With strategy perfidious
He tied his neck in curlicues, he kicked his paddy heels.

Then quoth the gentle Sam-u-el,

Solo 1 - '~ou rogue, I ought to lam you well!
Though zealously I've shielded you from every grief
and woe,

1
,..... Leiberman, 22· £!!., p. 306.
====~~==========================================4======
 98

~ LEGEND OF THE FIRST CAM-U-EL (continued)

It seems, to voice a platitude,

You haven't any gratitude.
I'd like to hear what cause you have for doing thus
and so!"

B+ G - To him replied the Cam-u-el,

Solo 2 - "I beg your pardon, Sam-u-el.
I know that I'm a Reprobate, I know that I'm a Freak;
But, oh! this utter loneliness!
My too-distinguished Onliness!
Were there but other Cam-u-els I wouldn't be Unique."

B + G - The Prophet beamed beguilingly.

Solo l - "Aha," he answered, smilingly,
"You feel the need of company? I clearly understand.
We'll speedily create for you
The corresponding mate for you--
Ho! presto, change-a, dinglebat!"--he waved a potent
hand,

B+ G- And, lo! from out Vacuity

A second Incongruity,
To wit, a Lady Cam-u-el was born through magic art.
Her structure anatomical,
Her form and face were comical;
She was, in short, a Cam-u-el, the other's counterpart.

As Spaniards gaze on Aragon,

Upon that Female Paragon
So gazed the Prophet's Cam-u-el, that primal Desert Ship.
A connoisseur meticulous,
He found her that ridiculous
He grinned from ear to auricle until he split his lip!

Because of his temerity

That Cam-u-el's posterity
Must wear divided upper lips through all their solemn
lives!
A prodigy astonishing
Reproachfully admonishing
Those wicked, heartless married men who ridicule their
wives.

('=====+======================================~====
 99

HOW CYRUS ~ THE ~l

John Godfrey Saxe

All - Come, listen all unto my song;

It is no silly fable;
'Tis all about the mighty cord
They call the Atlantic Cable.

Bold Cyrus Field, he said, said he,

Solo boy - "I have a pretty notion Inspired.
That I can run a telegraph
Across the Atlantic Ocean."

All - Then all the people laughed and said

They'd like to see him do it;
He might get half-seas over, but
He never could go through it.

But Cyrus was a valiant man,

A fellow of decision;
And heeded not their mocking words,
Their laughter and derision.

Twice did his bravest efforts fail,

And yet his mind was stable;
He wa'n't the man to break his heart
Because he broke his cable.

Solo boy - "Once more, my gallant boys!" he cried;

"Three 1.!!!!!!!. ~ -- you know the fable Enthused.
("I'll make it thirty," muttered he,
"But I will lay the cable!").

All - Once more they tried -- hurrah! hurrah!

What means this great commotion?
The Lord be praised! the cable's laid
Across the Atlantic Ocean!

Loud ring the bells -- for, flashing through

Six hundred leagues of water,
Old England's benison
Salutes her youngest daughter!

1
Iverson,~· cit., p. 368.

~~==~====================================9F=====
 100
.!!Q.!i ~ Mm ~ ~ (continued)

O'er all the land the tidings speed,

And soon, in every nation,
They'll hear about the cable with
Profoundest admiration!

Now, long live President and Queen;

And long live gallant Cyrus; Proud.
And may his courage, faith, and zeal
With emulation fire us;

And may we honor evermore

The manly, bold, and stable;
And tell our sons, to make them brave,
How Cyrus laid the cable!

1
THE FRIENDLY BEASTS

Author Unknown

Class - Jesus, our brother, strong and good, For the

Was humbly born in a stable rude, younger par
And the friendly beasts around him stood. of the group.

Class - And every beast, by some good spell,

In the stable dark was able to tell
Of the gift he gave to Immanuel.

Solo - "I am the donkey, shaggy and brown, Simply and

I carried His mother up hill and down, lovingly
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town." spoken.

Solo - "I am the cow all white and red,

I gave Him my manger for His bed,
I gave Him my hay to pillow His head."

Solo - "I am the sheep with curly horn,

I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm,
He wore my coat on Christmas morn."
Solo - "I am the dove, from the rafters high
I cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry.
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I."
Class - Thus every beast, by some good spell,
In the stable dark was able to tell
Of the gift he gave to Immanuel.

~~=======+========~Ha~mm~~·~22~·~c~i~t~·~·~P~·~l2~8~,~====================================~f=========
1
 101
1
~ MOCKINGBIRD

Maurice Lesemann

All - The mockingbird is the talkingest bird Delightful

That ever you'll meet in the month of May. if very
He teeters and totters high in the tree, quickly and
And he talks all night and he talks all day. clearly
He hardly ever has time to sing spoken.
Because of having so much to say.

Light voices - Sometimes he's fussy and full of worry.

(Oh much too busy to think of a song);
And then it's, "Hurry, now hurry, now hurry!
Ten-thirty, ten-thirty, ten-thirty, ten-thirty!"
Sometimes it 1 s ''Hurry, now hurry, now hurry,
Now hurry, now hurry," the whole day long!

Dark voices - Sometimes he shouts in rowdy tone:

"Hey, you, come here! Hey, you, come here!"
Sometimes he talks to himself alone:
"Chip-chip . • . chur-r, chur-r • • chip-chip
. . . chur-r, chur-r . . .
And ends with an odd little grating sound,
"Bz-z-z, bz-z-z," like an ax on a grinding stone.

Medium voices - And then he'Ll call, "Potato, potato!"

(Now what is that for a bird to sing?"

All - And then he'll mix them all together:

"Hey, you, come here! Now hurry, now hurry,
Chip-chip, ten-thirty, potato, potato • . . "
And he teeters his tail and he twitches his wing,
"Chip-chip . . • chur-r, chur-r . • . bz-z, bz-z • . • "
A mockingbird is the talkingest thing!

A singer, too, as beautiful

As ever you'll hear in the month of May,
Carolling loud from the top of a tree . .
But he talks all night and he talks all day.
He hardly ever has time to sing
Because of having so much to say!"

1
Ibid.' p. 129.
~~==9F==================================~=====
lr.:o'lltoh Univers'i ty ·~
~cl1o<'>l of Educatie« J
LibrarY. ~-~"'. ,..,
 102
1
FABLE

Stephen Crane

All - In heaven
Some little blades of grass
Stood before God.
Dark solo - ''What did you do?"
All - Then all save one of the little blades Quickly.
Began eagerly to relate
The merits of their lives.
This one stayed a small way behind, Slow down.
Ashamed.
Presently, God said,
Dark solo - "And what did you do?"
Light solo - The little blade answered, "O my Lord,
My memory is bitter to me, Timidly.
For if I did good deeds
I know not of them."
All - Then God, in all his splendor,
Arose from his throne. Generously
Dark solo - "O best little blade of grass!" he said. and
benevolent!

Sequential

Sequential speaking means speaking in turn. One person

or section says one word, phrase or line, and is followed
by another person or section with the next word, phrase or
line and so on.2

Various terms such as line-a-child or line-a-choir are used in

place of the word sequential. This is an especially popular type of

response with children because of its variety. Solo voices or groups

may speak individual lines and then blend together on the closing verses

to produce a union effect.

1Bailey and Leavell, Worlds to Explore, p. 377.

2Boardman, .QE. £.!!. , p. 342 .

~b··====~====================================~=====

I
 103
1
WHERE Is MARY?

Ivy 0. Eastwick

1st - Is Mary in the dairy? Simply.

Is Mary on the stair?
2nd - What? Mary's in the garden? With increas-
What is she doing there? ing surprise.
3rd - Has she made the butter yet?
Has she made the beds?
4th - Has she topped the gooseberries
And taken off their heads?
5th - Has she the potatoes peeled?
Has she done the grate?
6th - Are the new green peas all shelled?
It is getting late!
7th - What! She hasn't done a thing? Disgustedly.
Here's a nice to-do!
8th - Mary has a dozen jobs
And hasn't finished two.
9th - Well! here IS a nice to-do!
Well! upon my word! Excitedly.
Class - She's sitting on the garden bench Lightly.
Listening to a bird.

2
THE ANIMALS I PARADE

All - Boom ta boom, boom ta boom.

Hear the jungle drum.
Boom ta boom, boom ta boom,
Here the animals come. Steady, regula
1 - I'm Leo the Lion, strong and proud. rhythm.
2 - I'm Ella the Elephant, really a crowd.
3 - Molly Monkey is my name.
4 - Mine is Max, and I'm quite tame.
All - Boom ta boom, boom ta boom.
Hear the jungle drum.
Boom ta boom, boom ta boom,
Ta dum, dum, dum.

1
Arbuthnot, .21?.· £!.!:.., p. 187.
2 Hamm, 2£· £!.!:.., p. 105.

~~==9F==================================~=====
 104

Morris Abel Beer

All boys - ~ix poets gazed upon the moon,

And each one saw a different thing;
Boy 1 - pne saw a monarch's wrinkled face,
Boy 2 - And one a perfect silver ring.
Emphasize
Boy 3 - ~d one beheld a castled land, clearly differ-
Where everything was Arctic white, ~ in interpre
Boy 4 - ~d one a tattered beggar man, tations in order
Who wandered by a lantern's light, to grasp the
idea.
Boy 5 - ~nother limned a laughing girl,
Who danced on whirling clouds of snow;
Boy 6 - ~other traced a jeweled ship,
Drifting where tropic waters flow.

All boys - ~ix poets gazed upon the moon,

And each one saw a different thing;
~ix poets made six different songs,
And each one soared on magic wing.

All - ~ow what I want to know is this,

When six good poets disagree,
~ow can we common mortals tell
If things are what they seem to be?

pr is it best that each one sees

As poets, things are not the same,
For if the moon were just the moon,
Then life would be a songless flame!

Irene Rutherford MacLeod

Student 1 - I'n a lean dog, a keen dog, a wild dog, and lone; Allit-
2 - I 'n a rough dog, a tough dog, hunting on my own; eration
3 - I'n a bad dog, a mad dog, teasing silly sheep; Make d's
4 - I lpve to sit and bay the moon, to keep fat souls clear.
from sleep.

5- I'll never be a lap dog, licking dirty feet,

6 - A sleek dog, a meek dog, cringing for my meat,

~~·========~========~L~e~i~b~e~rma~~n~·=2E~oe;·~c§i~t~·~·=P~·=3~04~~·==========~R~o~s~s~,~2E~·~c~i~t~·~·~P~·~3~0~8~.==~==========
1 2
 105

LONE DOG (continued)

---- ---
7 - Not for me the fireside, the well-filled plate,
But shut door, and sharp stone, and cuff and kick and hate.

8 - Not for me the other dogs, running by my side,

9 - Some have run a short while, but none of them would bide.
All - Oh, mine is still the lone trail, the hard trail, the best,
Wide wind and wild stars, and hunger of the quest!

1
TWELVE ARTICLES
Dean Swift

Student 1 - Lest it may more quarrels breed,

I will never hear you read. Must move
quickly so
II thought will
not be lost.
2 - By disputing, I will never,
To convince you once endeavor.

III
3 - When a paradox you stick to,
I will never contradict you.

IV

4 - When I talk and you are heedless,

I will show no anger needless.

v
5 - When your speeches are absurd,
I will ne'er object a word.

VI

6 - When you furious argue wrong,

I will grieve and hold my tongue.

lwells, ££· £!!., p. 279.

('~==~==================================4=====
 106
TWELVE ARTICLES (continued)

VII

7 - Not a jest or humorous story

Will I ever tell before ye:
To be chidden for explaining,
When you quite mistake the meaning.

VIII

8 - Never more will I suppose,

You can taste my verse or prose.

IX

9 - You no more at me shall fret,

While I teach and you forget.

10 - You shall never hear me thunder,

When you blunder on, and blunder.

XI

11 - Show your poverty of spirit,

And in dress place all your merit;
Give yourself ten thousand airs:
That with me shall break no squares.

XII

12 - Never will I give advice,

Till you please to ask me thrice:
Which if you in scorn reject,
'Twill be just as I expect.

All - Thus we both shall have our ends

And continue special friends.

('~==~==================================~====
 107
1
COLORS

S. M. M.

Unison: Of all the colors God has made, Vivid imagery.

Tell me, what is your favorite shade? Emphasize your.

Group l - I love the blue of an evening sky

When soft fleecy clouds are sailing by. Enthusiasti
answers, yet
Group 2 - I love the red of a deep red rose; with a dreamy
Its beauty in loveliness ever grows. heartfelt
sincerity.
Group 3 - I love the gold of the setting sun;
In grandeur and radiance it can't be outdone.

Group 4 - I love the green of a meadow of grass;

Its brightness delights me whenever I pass.

Group 5 - I love the purple of a wee modest flower,

The violet, first to enhance springtime's bower.

Group 6 - I love the white of a lily fair,

Symbol of angelic loveliness rare.

Unison: If colors in nature are truly so grand, Grand

How lovely must God be--they come from His hand. conclu-
sion
2
THE KlNTHS

Sara Coleridge

Student l - January brings the snow, Imagery of

Makes our feet and fingers glow. great conse-
2 - February brings the rain, quence. Try to
Thaws the frozen lake again. ~picture
3 - March brings breezes loud and shrill, Harsh. you are
Stirs the dancing daffodil. Softer. portraying an
4 - April brings the primrose sweet, use suitable
Scatters daisies at our feet. tones.
5 - May brings blocks of pretty lambs Gay.
Skipping by their fleecy dams.
6 - June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children's hands with posies.
7 - Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers.

1 2
" £!!., p. 107.
HaDIIl, m!.· Ibid., p. 103.
'==9F==================================~=====
r==
 108

,Til! MO:NTHS (continued)

8 - August brings the sheaves of corn; Rich

Then a harvest home is borne. and
9 - Warm September brings the fruit; full.
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.
10 - Fresh October brings the pheasant;
Then to gather nuts is pleasant. Crisp.
ll - Dull November brings the blast; ':Windy"
Then the leaves are whirling fast.
All - Chill December brings the sleet, Cold.
Blazing fire and Christmas treat. Cozy.

1
SOLOKlN GRUNDY

All - Solomon Grundy

Student 1 - Born on Monday Should move
2 - Christened on Tuesday quickly and easily
3 - Married on Wednesday
4 - Ill on Thursday Speak "statistically "
5 - Worse on Friday
6 - Died on Saturday
7 - Buried on Sunday.
All - That was the end
Of Solomon Grundy.

2
! WAS ~ ARCHER

Student 1 - A was an Archer, who shot at a frog. Sound effects

2 - B was a Butcher, who had a great dog. of clipped
3 - C was a Captain, all covered with lace. lines should
4 D was a Dunce, wi.th a very sad face. produce a quic
5 - E was an Esquire~ with pride on his brow. crisp rhythm
6 - F was a Farmer, who followed the plough.
7 - G was a Gamester, who had but ill luck.
8 - H was a Hunter, who hunted a buck.
9 - I was an Innkeeper, who loved to carouse.
10 - J was a Joiner, who built up a house.
ll - K was a King, so mighty and Grand.
12 - L was a Lady, who had a white hand.
13 - M was a Miser, who hoarded his gold.
14 - N was a Nobleman, gallant and bold.
15 - 0 was an Oysterman, who went about town.
16 - P was a Parson, who wore a black gown.
17 - Q was a Quack, with a wonderful pill.

1 2
f"., Hannn, on . .£.!.._.,
"t p. 104 . Ib1"d.
=·==~~====~=~~=========================9F=====
 109

! WAS !!!: ARCHER (continued)

18 - R was a Robber, who wanted to kill.
19 - S was a Sailor, who spent all he got.
20 - T was a Tinker, who mended a pot.
21 - U was a Usurer, a miserable elf.
22 - V was a Vintner, who drank by himself,
23 - W was a Watchman, who guarded the door,
24 - X was Expensive, and so became poor.
25 - Y was a Youth, that did not love school.
26- Z was a Zany, a poor-harmless fool.

1
WRITTEN ,!!! MARCH

William Wordsworth

Row 1 - The
cock is crowing, Panorama of March
Row 2 - stream is flowing,
The stretches before
Row
Row
3
4 -
- small birds twitter,
The
lake doth glitter,
The
students.

Row 5 - green fields sleep in the sun;

The Begin
All rows -oldest and youngest are at work with
The
the strongest;
slowly, each
section adding
The cattle are grazing, their heads never to the
raising; lovely climax
They are forty feeding like one! of
Like an army defeated the snow has retreated, approachin
And now doth fare ill on the top of the bare spring
hill;
Row 1 - The ploughboy is whooping--anon, anon;
1 + 2 - There's joy in the mountains;
1, 2, 3 - There's life in the fountains!
1,2,3,4- Small clouds are sailing,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5- Blue sky prevailing;
The rain is over and gone.

1
Hamm, .QE. .£.!!. , p . 142 •

~~··====~========================================*======
.,. ,
CHAPTER IV

SUMMARY

The reading and comprehending of poetry are difficult. The

appeal of poetry is to the emotions. Whether or not students in our

classes grow up liking poetry depends largely upon the teacher, how well

he has chosen the poems, how well he has read the poetry aloud, and how

happy an experience his students have had hearing or saying poetry.

Since children must hear and say poetry before they have really

had the thrill of enjoying and appreciating its richness, choral reading,

which can provide both these experiences, deserves a prominent position

in our program for teaching literature.

The personal, social, and democratic values of this method of

teaching, cited by others experienced in its use, bear witness to the

fact that choral reading may and can enrich immeasureably the student's

appreciation and enjoyment of poetry.

Not all of our students have an opportunity to sing in a choir or

play in an orchestra. The great satisfaction that comes from being part

of the whole may be realized by these individuals when they participate

in choral reading. The limitations of choral reading appear to be in-

visible, for groups of all ages and abilities may happily participate

in this activity.

This workbook is merely an experimental collection of poetry

which is intended to furnish the teacher with a core for building a

~~===~======================================~====
 111

choral reading poetry collection. Its material and suggested methods

are untried in the actual classroom. Therefore its value is as yet

theoretical.

In a demonstration lecture Mr. Philip Symonds, an enthusiastic

and competent artist in the teaching of chorally spoken poetry, stated

that choral speaking is one of the highroads to the appreciation of

poetry. To teachers of English seeking this goal, choral reading of

poetry may be the key to success.

Suggestions for Further Study

1. To construct a choral reading workbook for high school

students.

2. To evaluate the material and methods suggested in this work-

book.

3. To plan and to try choral reading programs for audience

situations.

4. To develop class interest in writing and arranging poetry

suitable for choral reading.

5, To collect and arrange and adapt dramatic sketches for choral

presentation by junior or senior high school students.

~~==~======================================~====
T 1

BIBLIOGRAPHY

""""====~================================~=====
 113

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A. BOOKS

Abney, Louise, Choral Speaking Arrangements iQE ~ Junior High.

Boston: Expression Company, 1939.

Adams, Hilda, ~Poetry Speaking Anthology. London: Methuen and Company,

Ltd., 1950.

Ansorge, Elizabeth Frances, editor, Prose and Poetry for Appreciation.

Syracuse: The L. W. Singer Company, 1942.

--------'~and Poetry for EnJoyment. Syracuse: The L. W. Singer

Company, 1942 •

Arbuthnot, May Hill, Children and Books. New York: Scott, Foresman and
Company, 1947.

Bailey, Matilda, and Ullin W. Leavell, The World of Endless Horizons.

Boston: American Book Company, 1952.

--------' Worlds to Explore. Boston: American Book Company, 1951.

Boardman, Gail, Q!!l Communications of Literature. New York: Prentice-

Hall, Inc., 1952.

Broening, Angela, chairman, Conducting Experiences in English. A Report

of a Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English,
Based on Contributions of 274 Cooperating Teachers of English.
New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1939.

De Banke, Cecile, The!!! of Choral Speaking. Boston: Baker's Plays,

1937.

----~~· Choral Speaking in the English Course. Boston: Baker's Plays,

1942.

De Witt, Marguerite, and others, Practical Methods ~ Choral Speaking.

Boston: Expression Company, 1936.

Friederich, Willard J., and Ruth A. Wilcox, Teaching Speech in High

Schools. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1953.

Good, Carter v., editor, Dictionary of Education. First edition, pre-

pared under the auspices of Phi Delta Kappa; New York: McGraw-Hill
Book Company, Inc., 1945.
~~==~F=========================================9F======
 114

Gullan, Marjorie, Choral Speaking. Boston: Expression Company, 1936.

Hamm, Agnes Curren, Choral Speaking Technique. Milwaukee: The Tower

Press, 1946,

Harb~ace Teacher's Notebook, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company,

1956,

Hemphill, Irene, editor, Choral Speaking ~Speech Improvement,

Darien, Connecticut: Educational Publishing Company, 1945.

Iverson, William J., editor, I!2!! ~Poetry Adventures. Fifth edition

Syracuse: The L. W. Singer Company, 1957.

Keefe, Mildred Jones, editor, Choric Interludes, Poetry Arranged for

Times and Seasons. Boston: Expression Company, 1942.

Keppie, Elizabeth Evangeline, Choral Verse Speaking. An Avenue to

Speech Improvement and Appreciation of Poetry, for Use in Senior
High Schools and Colleges. Boston; Expression Company, 1939.

La Brant, Lou, We Teach English. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company,
1951.

Leiberman, Elias, editor, Poems for EnJoyment. New York: Harper and
Brothers, Publishers,~.---

Mirrielees, Lucia B., Teaching Composition and Literature in Junior and

Senior High School. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1950.

Newton, Muriel B., The J!!!!! Plan for Choral Reading. Boston:
Expression Company, 1938.

Parker, Roscoe, !h! Principles and Practice of Teaching English.

New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1937.

Poems Teachers Ask For, Book One. Selected by Readers of "Normal

Instructor:p;:i~y Plans," Dansville, New York: F. A. Owen
Publishing Company, no date.

Ritter, E. L., and L.A. Shepherd, Methods of Teaching in~ and

~ Schools. New York: Dryden Press, 1950.

Robinson, Marion Parsons, and Rozetta Lura Thurston, Poetry Arranged

for the Speaking Choir. Boston: Expression Company, 1936.

Ross, Jacob, editor, Adventures in Reading. New York: Harcourt, Brace

and Company, 1952.

~~==~======================================~====
 115

Sechrist, Elizabeth Hough, compiler, Poems for Red Letter ~·

Philadelphia: Macrae Smith Company, 1951.

Smith, Dora v., director, The English Language Arts. Prepared by the
Commission on the English Curriculum of the National Council of
Teachers of English, Volume I. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts,
Inc., 1952.

--------• The English Language Arts~ the Secondary School. Prepared

by the Commission on the English Curriculum of the National
Council of Teachers of English, Volume III. New York: Appleton-
Century-Crofts, Inc., 1956.

Smith, Marguerite, Wings 12 Fly. Boston: Expression Company, 1938.

Swann, Mona, An Approach 12 Choral Speech. Boston: Baker's Plays, 1937.
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Fifth edition; Springfield,
Massachusetts: G. and C. Merriam Company, Publishers, 1946.

Webster's ~Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusetts:

G. and C. Merriam Company, Publishers, 1951.

Wells, Carolyn, compiler, The Book of Humorous Verse. Garden City,

New York: Halcyon House, 1920.

B. PERIODICALS

Friedman, Irving, "Speaking of Choral Reading," English Journal, XXXVI

(February, 1947), 95.

Nafe, Janet, "Choral Reading," The Grade Teacher, LXXI (March, 1954),
29.

Seely, Howard, "The Meaning of Appreciation," English Journal, XIX

(November, 1930), 736-41.

~~==~======================================+=====
-
T•

APPENDIX A

INDEX OF AUTHORS

(\=·====~====================================~====
 ll7
..., '
INDEX OF AUTHORS

Aristophenes Lanier, Sidney

Lear, Edward
Ledoux, Louis V.
Bayley, T. H. Leseman, Maurice
Beer, Morris Abel Lindsay, Vachel
Burgess, Gelett Lippman, Arthur L.
Burnet, Dana Longfellow, Henry W.

Calverly, Charles Stuart MacLeod, Irene Rutherford

Carroll, Lewis McGinley, Phyllis
Carryl, Guy. Wetmore Meigs, Mildred Plew
Cheney, John Vance Miller, Joaquin
Coffin, Robert P. Tristram M., S.M.
Coleridge, Sara
Crane, Stephen
Nash, Ogden

De la Mare, Walter
Plowright, Dorothy
Poe, Edgar Allan
Eastwick, Ivy 0.
Edmonds, Paul
Estelle, Sister M. Riley, James Whitcomb
Robinson, Edward Arlington
Romig, Edna Davis
Farjeon, Eleanor Rosetti, Christina G.
Fields, James Thomas
Frost, Frances
Fyleman, Rose Sarett, Lew
Saxe, John Godfrey
Shakespeare, William
Guitermsn, Arthur Stevenson, Robert Louis
Swift, Dean

Hamm, Agnes Curren

Herbert, George Tennyson, Alfred, Lord
Holmes, Dr. John F. Thackeray, William Makepea e
Holmes, Oliver Wendell Turner, Nancy Byrd
Hood, Thomas
Hopf, Rosemarie
Upham, Elizabeth

Kingsley, Charles
Whittier, John Greenleaf
Wordsworth, William
Wylie, Elinor
~~==~======================================+=====
T '

APPENDIX B

INDEX OF TITLES

~====~F=========================================~=======
 119
T ,
INDEX OF TITLES

Page

Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight.............................. 42

Angus McGregor. . . • . . . . • . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . • . . . 83
Animals 1 Parade, The. . . . • . . . . • • . . . . . . • . • . . • . . • • . . . . . . • . • • • . . . . . 103
A Was an Archer. . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . • . • . . • . • • . . . . . • . . • • . • . . • . . • . • • . 108

Ballad......................................................... 54
Ballad of Dennis McGinty, The.................................. 96
Ballad of the Oysterman, The................................... 81
Beatitudes, The..... . . . • . . • . . . . • . • . . • . • • • . . . • . . • . . . . • . . • . • . . . . . 73
Bells, The. • . • . . . . . . . • . . . • • . . • • • . • . • . • • . • . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • 77
Boy 1 s Mother, A. . . . . . • . . • . • . . . • • . • . • . . • . • • • • • . • . . • . • • • • • • . . . • • • 42
Bugle Song, The .•.......•..•..•..•..•••••.........•..•. ; . . • . . . . 66
Bumpety Bus ...•....•.•.• ~ .•.•..•.•..•...•••.•.. ·. . . . • . . • . . . • • . . . 55

Cherub, The. • . • . • • • • . • . • . . • . . . . • . . . . • • . • . . . . . . . . . • . • . • . . . . . . . • . 49
Christmas Pudding, The......................................... 56
Cobbler, The... • • . • . • • . • . . . • . • • . • . • . . . . • . . • • . • . . • . • . • • . . • . • • . . . 92
Colors .•••..••....•.••....•.....•.••.••.••.••.•.... :. . . • . . . • . • . 107
Co 1umbus . . . . . . • . . . • . . • . . • . • • . • . . . . • . • • . • . . • . • . . • . . • • • . • • . • • . . • • 84
Come Quick, Msry Anne.. . • . . • . . . • . . . . • • . • . • . . . • • • • • • . • . • . . • . . • . • 73

Dem Bones Gona Rise Again...................................... 76

Easter Carol, An............................................... 74

Embarrassing Episode of Little Miss Muffet, The................ 86

Fable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Father •................ ~ ....................................... 37
Fs,ther William ••.•.......••.•...••••..•.... ,................... 60
Fat ~ife......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Forest Fire. . . • • • • • • • • . • . . • . • • • . • • • . . • • • • • . • . . . . ... • . • . . . . . . • . . . 74
Friday Street •.•••...••.•.••.••••.•. , • . • . . . . • . . • . . • . . . . • • . . . . . . 68
Friendly Beasts, The........................................... 100
From Macbeth................................................... 44

Goblin, The..................................................... 80
Goldenrod ....................................... :.............. 71
Green Umbrella, The ••.••••.••••.••••••.......•..••....••.••• ;.. 51

Happy Time, A ••.. ; ••.••••.•.....•....•.•••..•.•..•. .'..... . . • . • . 38

Heaven......................................................... 70
House on the Hill, The· ••••••.••.....••.•.•....••••.... ·. . • • . . . • . . 48
How Cyrus Laid the Cable................. • • • . • • • . . • . • . • • . • . . • . . 99

~~======~F==I=t==W=a=s==a==L=o=v=e=r==a=n=d==H=i=s==L=a=s=s=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=···=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·~·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·====44====~===========
 120
Page

John Cook 1 s Little Gray Mare .............. 0 ••••• 0 0 •••• 0 0 •• : 0 0. 53

Kitchen Clock, The •.• 0 ••••• o ••• 0 ••••••• 0 •••• 0. 0 • 0. 0 •• 0 •••••• 0. 82

Legend of the First Cam-u-el, The 0 •••• 0 •• 0 •• 0 ••••• 0 ••••••••••• 97

Listeners, The ............................................... . 85
Lone Dog, ..................•...........•...................... 104
Long , Long Ago ....•....................................•.....• 70

Mockingbird, The ••.••• , ••••.••..• 0. 0 0 •• 0 ••• 0 ••• 0 ••••••• 0. 0 •• 0. 101

Months, The ..................•....•..•..............•.....•... 107
Mother . .....•.........................•....•.•...........•.... 38
Musical Trust, The . .. : . ...................................... . 93
My Pretty Ma.id ....... ....•............•.•...................•. 68

No ~ ........................................................... . 45
No, Sir ! ..................................................... . 69
Not Just for the Ride 0 •••••••••• 0 •••• 0 •••••••••• 0 • 0 ••••••••••• 39

Old Clock on the Stairs, The •• o• ••••••••••• : ••••• •• , ••••••••• 0 62

Old New Hampshire ••••••••.• 0 •••••••••••••••••• 0 •••••••••••••• 0 36
Old Rag Man, The ••• o •••• o ••••••••• o ••••• 0 •••• • ••• 0 •• 0. 0. 0 •••••• 72
Old Southern Street Cries •.••.•••.••.•.•• 0 •• 0.: ... ;: ....... 0 •• 91
Old Woman. o • • • • o • • • ~ o • • • • • • • • • • • o • • • • • o . o • • • • • o . o . o o. o. 0 •• 0 ••• 68
Organ Recital . ••.. o • • o o o • • • • o • • • • • o • • • o o • • • • • • • • o o • • • • • . • • • o : o • 61•
Owl and the Pussy Cat, The 0 ••••• 0. o •••••••••••• 0 ••••• •••••••••• 88
Owl Critic, The •..... ~ .... o • • • • • • • o • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • o • • • • • 89

Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee ... o o • • • • • • • • • o • • • ; • • • • • · . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Psalm24 ...............•.......•.• oo•·•••••o••••····o.:.: ••.• o. 64
Psalm 67 .•...•... o • • • • • • • • • • o • • o • • • • • • • o . o o •••••••••••• 0 ••••• 0 65
Pu:mpkin, The • •............•.. o • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ; • • ~ • o • • • • • o • • • • 46
Purple Cow, The •..... o • • • : • • • o. o . o • • • • • • • • • • o • • • • • • o • • • • • • • • • • 49

Reflections Dental. o.: ............ o •••• o ••••• o ••• o o •••••• o o. o o 47

Relativity ..•.•. o • • • • • • • • • • • • o • ••••••••• o o ••••••• o o ••••••••••• 38
Riddling Knight, The ••••••••..• 0 ••••• , ••• 0 ••••••• ; ••••••••• 0 •• 66
Rob in- a -Thrush o • • o • • • • o • o • • • • • o • o ••••••• o ••• 0 • o o.o • • • • • • o • • • • • • 55

Salute to the Flag .......... o • • • o o o • • • • • • • • • • • • • o ~ o . o • • • • • • • • • 87

Silver .............•. ~ •....•..................• : .. : ........... . 47
Six Poets Gazed ·upOn the Moon .•...... o • • • • • • • • o: ........ o • • • • • • 104
Slumber Song o • • • ; • • • • • o • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • o • • • • • o • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 40
Solomon Grundy . .. o • • • • • • • • • • o • o • • • • • • o • • • • o • • • • • • • • o • • • • o • • • o • 108
Song at Dusk . ......•....... o o • • o o • • • • • • • • o • • o • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • 39
Song of the Chattahoochee o • • • o • • • • • o • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • o . 56
Strictly Germ-Proof ......••. o • • • • • • • • • • o • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • o • • • 45

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There Was a Frog • ...•..•.••.•.•..•.•....••.....•....•..•..•••.. 52

Three Young Rats ...... ........................................ . 37
Throst·le, The ................................................. . 63
To Be or Not to Be ............................................ . 41
Tragic Story, A ....................... ~ ....................... . 43
Twelve Articles •..••.. •• 0 •••••••••• 0 ••••••• 0 • 0 0 • 105

Uphill ........................................................ . 59

Vel vet Shoes . ................................................. . 77

Where' s Mary . ...•...•..... ·....•.•••••....•.•••.•..•....•..•.•.. 103

Whistle, Whistle .............................................. . 59
Wind, The . ..... ., ............•.................................. 50
Winter Morning . ....•............•.......•....•...............•. 48
Women 's Choius , The . ........................................... . 41
Written in Ma.rch .............. ; ....•..•.. .....................• 109

Young and Old •.•..••.•.•. , ••••.•••.•••••. 39

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 APPENDIX C

INDEX OF FIRST LINES

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 -
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123

INDEX OF FIRST LINES

Page

Across the sands of Syria...................................... 97

A goblin lives in our house...................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Ah! on Thanksgiving Day, when from East and from West.......... 46
A little thin fellow had such a fat wife....................... 95
Angus McGregor lies brittle as ice .......... ·..... .. • .. .. .. .. • .. 83
A was an Archer, who shot at a frog............................ 108

Behind him lay the gray Azores •.••• , ..•.•.......•.•....... , . • . . 84

Blessed are the poor in spirit .•. , •.•.... , .••...•.......•. , .. ; . 73
Boom ta boom, boom ta boom. . . . . . . • . • . . • . . • . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 103

Come listen all unto my song................................... 99

Come quick, Ma.ry Anne..... . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Does the road go uphill all the way............................ 59

Drowsily come the sheep........................................ 40

God be merciful unto us, and bless us ••..•..•.•.... ;........... 65

Good evening, pretty maiden, with your eyes of heaven's blue... 69

Hear the sledges with the bells.......... . • . . . . . • • . . . . . • • . . . • . . 77

Ho, for the Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee.......................... 94
How pure, how beautiful, how fine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

I like to watch the clouds roll by............................. 49

I love the green ............................. ~ ...... ~.......... 71
I love to ride in the bumpety bus... . • . . • . . . . . . . . • . . • . . • . . • . . • . 55
I'm a lean dog, a keen dog, a wild dog, and lone............... 104
In come de animals, two by tWG. • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • . . • . • • • • • 76
I never saw a purple cow. . . . . . . • . . • . . . • . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . 49
In Heaven .............. o o o . 0. o . o . o o . o o • • • o o o o . o o o o; o • • o . o • • • • o. 102
Into the basin put the plums................................... 56
I pledge allegiance to the flag •.•.••..•.• , . • . • . . . . . • . . . • . • . . . . 87
I saw you toss the kites on high •..•.••...••. , •.....•..•... ,... 50
Is John Smith within ..... o • • o • • o • • • • • • o • • • • • o • • • o. o • • • • • • o . . . . . 58
Is Mary in the dairy. , .•..•....•.•.....•.••...•.•....•..... , . • • 103
I sometimes think I'd rather crow.............................. 41
Is there anybody there? said the Traveller..................... 85
It is portentous, and a thing of state •..•..• ,................. 42
It was a lover and his lass .......... o • • • • • • . • o • • • • • o • • • • • o . . . . . 44
It was a tall oysterman lived by the riverside................. 81
I will marry none but a king, she said ....•. ,.................. 96

January brings the snow ..... • .... o • • • • • • • • • • • • o • • • • • • • • o . . . . . . . 107

Jesus, our brother, strong and good............................ 100
~~=======i~J~o~hn~~C~o~ok~o~n~c~e~h~a~d~a~l~it~t~l~e~g~r=a~y==ma=r=e~··~·~·~·~·~·=·~·~·~·~·~·~·~··~··~·~·~·~·~·~·=·~·~·==~5=3===9F=========
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Knitting is the maid o' the kitchen, Milly •.•.....•......•.•..• 82

Lest it may 1110re quarrels breed ••••.••.••.•.•.••••.•••.••••••.• 105

Let us walk in the white snow ..•.••••.••••.• "' ••••.•...••••.••• 77
Little Miss Muffet discovere~ a tuffet •••••••.••.•.•.•••••••••• 86

My father's face is brown with sun • ••••••••.••.•..•.••.•••••.•. 37

My 1110ther 1 s face is clear as the sun . ....•..................... 38
My mother, she's so good to me ..•..•.••..•.•....•..........•••. 42

No sun--no lll()on ..•....•....•........•.•.•................•..... 45

Of all the colors God has made . ..........•..................... 107

Oh! yes, Mrs. Proctor, for 1110nths I've been ailing ............. . 61
Old woman, old woman, will you go a-shearing •.••.••.•••••••.••• 68
0, Rabin-a-thrush he married a wife ...... ..................... . 55
Out of the hills of Habersham ••••••••.•••..•.•••.•..•••.•.•••.. 56
0 who will show me those delights on high •••.•• ~··············· 70

Six poets gazed upon the moon ................................. . 104

Slippety, Slop ................................................ . 51
Slowly, silently, now the moon ................................ . 47
Solomon Grundy .....•. ......•..•................................ 108
Somewhat back from the village street •••.••••.••••.•••.•.•••.•• 62
Spring bursts today ...................... ....•................. 74
Street cries, street cries, old Southern street cries ••.•••••.• 91
SUIIIDler is coming, sulliiD.er is coming . ..•.••.........•.....•...... 63

Tell me the tales that to me were so dear ..................... . 70

The Antiseptic Baby and the Prophylactic Pup .•••••••••.••.••••• 45
The auld wife sat at her ivied door •.••.•••••.•••••••••••••.••• 54
The cock is crowing ...................... ........ ; , ........... . 109
The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof .••.••••••••••• 64
The flowers nod, the shadows creep •.•••••.••••••..•••.••.••.••. 39
The mockingbird is the talkingest bird •.••••••••••.••••••••••.• 101
The old rag man is coming to town •.•••••••••.•••••.•••••••••••• 72
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea, •••••.•••••..••• , •••••••• 88
There lived a sage in the days of yore ••.•.••.•••.•••.•.•••••.. 43
There once was a man who could execute •••••••.•••.••••••••.•••• 93
There's a cobbler at the corner of the street ...••••••.••.••••• 92
The splendor falls on castle walls .......... ·.................. . 66
There was a frog lived in a well. ................... , .......... . 52
There was a young fellow named Hall •••••.•.•.•••••.••.•••..•••• 38
There was a young lady named Bright ............ ; .............. . 38
There was a young lady of Niger ........•. ...................... 39
There were three sisters fair and bright .•••.••.• ." ••.••••.••.•• 66
They are all gone away . ........................................ . 48
- They're always abusing the women .............................. . 41
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125

Three young rats with black felt hats, .•••.••••••••.••.••.••••. 37

Tomorrow and totDOrrow and tomorrow . .•....•....•................ 44

Up, in the coldness of a kitchen where •..••.•..•...•..••..•.... 48

When all the world is young, lad ..........................•.... 39

Where are you going, my pretty maid •.•.•.•.....•..........•..•. 68
Where shall we meet, 0 where shall we meet,, ••••••••••••.•••••• 68
Whispers of little winds low in the leaves .••••••.•.••••••••••• 74
Whistle, whistle, old wife, and you'll get a hen •.••••••••••.•• 59
Who stuffed that white owl? No one.spoke in the shop .•.•••••.• 89
With a skill that knows no measure ...••.•.......•.......•..•.•. 36

''You are old, Father William," the young man said •.• , .•.••.•••• 60

~=·===9F===================================~====
-

APPENDIX D

INDEX OF HUH)ROUS POEMS

""=====+=========+============================+=====
.I
 127

INDEX OF IIUH)ROUS POEMS

Page

Arlim.als 1 Parade, The..................... . • . . • . . . . . . • . . . . • . . . • . . 103

A Was an Archer. . • • • • • • • . . • • • • . • • . • • • • • • . . . • • • • • . . • . • • . • • . • • . • • • 108

Ballad...................... . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Ballad of Dennis McGinty, The., .•••• , ............... ,........... 96
Ballad of the Oysterman, The .............. ,..................... 81
Bumpety Bus •••••••. ·• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • 55

Christmas Pudding, The.......................................... 56

Come Quick, Mary Anne. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 73

Dem Bones Gona Rise Again...................... . . • . • . . . . . . • • . . . . 76

Embarrassing Episode of Little Miss Muffet, The................. 86

Father William ••••••••••••.••••..••••••••.•..•• :.·................ 60

Fat Wife........................................................ 95
Friday Street................................................... 68

'Goldenrod....................................................... 71
Green Umbrella, The............................................. 51

Happy Time, A..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

It Was a Lover and His Lass.............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

John Cook's Little Grey Mare.................................... 53

Legend of the First Cam-u-el, The............................... 97

Lone Dog ••.•• ; •.•••••••..••••.•••••••••.•••.••.•••••••..•••••••• 104

Musical Trust, The.............................................. 93

My Pretty Ma.id •.•••• ~.................... • • • • • • • • • . • . • • • • • • . • • • • 68

No, Sir!........................................................ 69
Not Just for the Ride ........•........•......•............ :...... 39

Old Woman........................................................ 68
Organ Recital ••••.•••••..•..• , • • • . • • • • . • • • • . • • . . • . • • . • • . • . . • • • • . 61
OwlCritic,The ••••.•.• : •...•.•...•••••.••.••........•.••.•••••• 89

Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee....................................... 94

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Reflections Dental .................................. .......... . 47

Relativity ..............................•...................... 38
Ridd1 ing Knight, The •••••••.••.•.••••••••.•.••..•••.••..•.••••• 66
Rob in -a-Thrush • ................... • .....•...................... 55

SoloiDOn GrUildy .. • ·•....•..•..........•....•..•......•..••....... 108

Strictly Germ-Proof ........................................... . 45

There Was a Frog . .......•......•.............................•. 52

Three Young Rats ............•...........•...................... 37
To Be or Not to Be . ........................................... . 41
Tragic Story, A•.......... ...............................•..... 43

Where' s Ma.ry . •.•.•••..•.••....•.•.•...•....•.......•••.•...•..• 103

Whistle, Whistle .................... e . . . . . . . . . . . . : •••••••••••••• 59
Women 1 s Chorus, The • ..........•.......•..........•.••.......... 41

~~==~======================================~====
-

APPENDIX E

INDEX OF SERIOUS POEMS

~~==9F==================================~=====
.,.. . 130

INDEX OF SERIOUS POEMS

Page

Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight .•••••.•••••• •••••• 0 42

Angus McGregor • ..•.•..•.•••..•..•.•.•..••.••.• 83

Beatitudes, The •••• 0 • • • • •••••• 0 73

Bells, The ......... . • 0 ••••• 0 • 0 77
Boy's Mother, A ..•........•...•.. • ! • 0 42
Bugle Song, The .•... : ...•.. , .•.•........ •••••••••••• 0 ••• 66

Cobbler, The •.•••••• • 0 ••••• 0 •••••••••••• 0 •• 0 •••••••• 0 •• 92

Columbus ••.•••.••.•• 84

Easter Carol, An .••••••..•.•..•.•....•••• 0 ••••••••••••••••• 0 •• 74

Fable ••. , 102

Father ... .. . ....... . 37
Forest Fire. 0 •••••• 0 ••••• 74
Friendly Beasts, The •••••• • 0 ••••••• 0 ••• 100
From Macbeth •..•••.••..•• 44

Heaven • •••.••••••..••• 70
How Cyrus Laid the Cable •• • ••••• 0 • 99

Listeners, The.
Long, Long Ago.
...... •

•
••••••

• • • • •
0 • • •

•
•••••••••

•••• 0 ••• 0
0

••••
•••••••

0 • 0 •
85
70

Mother ... 0 ••••• 0 • • •••••• 0 ••••••• 0 i • 0 •• 0 •• 0 •••• 0 • 38

No! •• .......... 0 •• 0 0 •••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 ••••• 0 •• f • 0 45

Old New Hampshire ..••••••. 36

.....
• • • • 0 •• 0 •• 0 • 0 •

Old Rag Man, The .• ...•.. ·..••.• 72

Old Southern Street Cries. .. .... .... 91

Pumpkin, The ..•..•.. ... . . . ....... .. ...... ... ... .... . .. . . ... .. ... 46

Salute to the Flag.,' 87

Silver ............. . .. ....... ...... ...... 47
Six Poets Gazed upon the Moon ••••••••.• 104
Slumber Song . .......•.......... 40
Song at Dusk . ................. .
Song of the Chattahoochee •....••.
.................. 39
56

Throstle, The ••• .... ,. . . . ...... 63

Twelve Articles. 105

~=====*==========================~~==========~======
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Uphill. .•••••. •• 0 •••••••••••••• 0 • 0 0 ••• 0 •••• 0 •••••• 0 ••••• 0 • 0 0 0 ••• 59

Vel vet Shoes •.• •••••••••••••• 0 •••••••••••• 0 •••• 0 •••••••••• 0 •••• 77

Young and Old.................................................. 39

~====~==========================================~=====
-

APPENDIX F.

INDEX BY SUBJECTS

~~===4======================================~F=====
 134

Page

Holidays

Christmas Pudding, The •• ................ 56

Col\JIIJ:bus •••••••••••••••• ............ . 84
Easter Carol, An .•••.•.•.. . ..... . ... . .....
.. .......... .... .............. .
74
Pum.pkin, The . •.•.......... 46

Humor

A Was an Archer •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 ....... 108

54
Ballad ........_................ . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . .... .
Come Quick, Mary Anne ........ ....••...•....•..•..•.•... 73
Dem Bones Gona Rise Again. . . . . . . • • • . • • . • . . . . • . . . . . . . . • . 0 •••• 76
Embarrassing Episode of Little Miss Muffet, The •••••• 86
Goblin, The .............. . • • • 0 ••••••••••••• ... ........... . 80
71
Goldenrod . ...................................•.
Green Umbrella, The ••••••• 51
No, Sir! ..................... .
Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee •••••
...... 69
94
Reflections Dental ................. . 47
Strictly Germ-Proof ••• ............... . .. .... ...... 45
Tragic Story, An •••• . ............ .......... . 43
Whistle, Wpistle ••• .. .. ... ...... . ........ ·........ . 59

Colors. ..... ......... ...... . .... ......

Fable .......... .
107
102
Twelve Articles. ... . ...... ... 105
Uphill ••.••••••• ... 59

It was a Lover and His Lass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Bells, The ........................................ . 77

Bugle Song, The .................................... . 66
Musical Trust, The . ........................ . ............ 93
 135

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Parents

Boy's MOther, A .•.•••• • 0 0 • 0 •••••••••••••• 0 ••••••••••••••• 0 •••••• 42

Father . .............. . 37
... ....
•••••••••• 0 •••••••••

Father William •••••. ••• 0 •••• • • • • • • • 0 60

Mother . •.•.••....•............•••.. 38

Patriotism

Salute to the Flag.............................................. 87

'
People

An.gus McGregor • ••.•••...•••.•••••.••••••• 83

.......... .
• 0 0 •••••••••••••••

Ballad of Dennis McGinty, The •.••••••••• 96

Ballad of the Oysterman, The .•••••••••••.•••••• 81
Cobbler, The •••. ........ . 92
..
• • • • • • • • • ·• • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 ••••••••

Fat Wife •.....•..•• ••.• 0 • 0 •••••••••••••••• • •••• 0 95

My Pretty Maid ••••• • •••••• 0 ••••••• 0 •••••••••• 0 • • 0 ••••• 68
0 ld Rag Ma.n, The .......•....•.•••.•..•.•••.....•. 72
Old Woman . ••...•..••••.•.••.•.. .... . ...... . ...... 68
Organ Recital .................................. . 61
Owl Critic, The .......... .
Riddling Knight, The ••.••
.................
.................
.
89
66
Robin-a-Thrush ••••••••••• 55
Solomon Grundy . •••.••••.••••••••••••••••••.••••••• 108
Where's Ma.ry • •••• • ••••.• • • • • •• • •• • • • • • • • . • • •••• • . • . • • • •••• • •• 103

Seasons

Forest Fire ........ . ... .. .. ........... 74

Months, The . .......... . ....... ... 107
.......... ...... . 77
Written in March •. . .. ..... .................. .. ... .. . ... .. .. .
No! •.•.•••••.•...•
109

Silence

House on the Hill, The ••

Listeners, The ••••••••.••.
.................... .
.. ....... . .........
......... . 48
85

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 133

INDEX BY SUBJECTS

Page

Animals and Birds

Animals' Parade, The............................................ 103

Friendly Beasts, The ..••...• :. . • • . • • • . • . • . . • • . . . • . . . . • . . . • • . . . . . 100
John Cook's Little Grey Mare .•..•.••.•..•...•..•...•.• :......... 53
Legend of the First Cam-u-el, The............................... 97
Lone Dog. • • • . . • • . . . • . . . • • . • . • . • . • . . • . . • . • . . • . . . . . . . . • . • . . • • . • • • • 104
Mockingbird, The................................................ 101
Owl and the Pussy-cat, The...... . • • • • . • • . • . • . . . . • • . • . • • . • . . • . • . . 88
There Was a Frog. • . • • . . . • • • . . . . • • • . • . • . • . . . . • . . . • . . • . • . . • . • . . . • . 52
Three Young Rats................................................ 37
Throstle, The.................................................... 63
To Be or Not to Be ••.•••.•. ,.................................... 41

Bible

Beatitudes, The •••••• :.......................................... 73

Psalm 24........................................................ 64
Psalm67 .......•..•...............••............................ 65

Clocks and Time

Friday Street .......................................... ·......... 68

Kitchen Clock ..................................·................. 82
Long, Long .Ago. . • . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • • . . . . 70
Old Clock on the Stairs, The.................................... 62

Evening

Silver.......................................................... 47
Six Poets Gazed upon the Moon. . • • • • • • • • • . . • • • . • • . • • . • . • • • • . • • • • • 104
Slwnber Song ...........•...................... ·.................. 40
Song at Dusk........... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Famous People

Abraham Lincoln Walks a.t Midnight .•.••••••••••••• , . , •••. , • • • • • • . 42

How Cyrus Laid the Cable........................................ 99
 136

Page
States and Places

Heaven ....••.••...•. ................... . 70

Old New Hampshire ••• .............. 36
Old Southern Street Cries. 0 •••••••••••• 0 ••••• 91
Song of the Chattahoochee •....•..•.•.•... 0 .......... 0 56

Transportation

Bumpety Bus. . • • . • . • . . . • • . • . • . . • . . • . • • . . . . . . • • . . . . . . • . • . • . . . . . . . • 55

Weather

Wind, The....................................................... 50

Youth

Young and Old................................................... 39

~b·-·===9~===================================9P=====
-

APPENDIX G

INDEX FOR SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF POETRY

~'~==9F==================================~=====
 138

INDEX FOR SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF POETRY

Page

Ballad •••••• ..................... ......... . 54

From Macbeth .•••.••••••.•. ..... ..... 44
Listeners, The . ................... . .... 85
No ! .... ! ••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••••• 0 •• 45
Organ Recital . .................. . 61
Owl and the Pussy-Cat, The ••••••••••• 88
......
0 0 ••••••••• 0 ••••••••••

Reflections Dental •• 47
....... .
••• 0 ••

Song at Dusk .••••••• 39

. ........... .
••••••••••• 0 ••

Strictly Germ-Proof. •••••••••••••• 0 •••••• 45

Tragic Story, A•.•••••• .... 0 ••••••••••••••• 0 ••••••• 43
Whistle, Whistle ................................. . 59
Wo~n s Chorus, The . ............... .
1
41
Young and Old •.•..•..... ..•...••...••....•.•..... ....... 0 •• 39

Imagiilation

Bells, The •..•••..••..••..•..••.....•.••....•. .........

........
77
66
Bugle,Sdng, The •..••..•..• •••••••••••••• ..•....
Easter Carol, The •• ......................... 74
Goldenrod .•..••.•.. ........................ 71
Heaven • •.••..•.••.• ......... . .... 70
Listeners, The ••••• 85
Old Southern Street Cries •••• ............. .... ...... 91
Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee •••••••• .... ... . 94
........ .... 47
S ll.lDlber Song • ......•...••.•..• .. .. .... . ............ . ......
Silver .•..•.•.•....••.....
40
Tragic Story, A .....•......... ................... . 43

..........
Velvet Shoes. 77
Wind, The ....•.. .... . ........ . ........ . 50

Comparisons

Father William •••• 60

Fat Wife ..•.. ~. ................
......
95
46
Pumpkin, The •••
Uphill ••••••••• .. ....... ..... ..................... . 59
Young and Old •• ........ . . . .... ..... . . . ... ........... 39

Thoughts and Opinions

Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight............... •• . •••• 42

Beatitudes, The....................... ..... ... ...... 73

~========~==E=a=s=t=e=r==C=a=r=o=l=,==An==·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·=·f======·=·=··=·=·=·=·=========7=4==~~=========
 139

Thoughts and Opinions (continued) Page

Fable . ..............•...... . ., . , 102

..... ..
•• 0 ••••••••••••

Father .... , ................. . • 0 • • •••••• 37

Forest Fire. , ............... . 0 ••••••••• 74
Friendly BeaSts, The ..•••.••.••• 100
From Macbeth .................................... . 44
!fc»ther •.•.•••.••.••••...•.....•.••..••.•..•.•..•.••. 87
Six Poets Gazed upon the Moon ••••••••••• 104
Twelve Articles .............................. . 105

Character Studies

Abraham Lincoln Walks at Mid~ight •••••••••••••••••••••• 42

Angus McGregor • ••••• , •••.••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 83
Ballad of Dennis McGinty .....................................•.. 96
Boy's Mother, A. • • • • • ••••• 42
Col\llllbus ••...•....•..•.•..•••..•. ,. 84
Father William .................. . 60
How Cyrus Laid the Cable ••••••••• 0 •••••••••••••••• 99
Old Rag Man, The . •...........•........... ·........ . 72

Rhythm

Animals 1 Parade, The •............•.............................. 103

Bells, The ....•...... ....................................
Cobbler, The........... • ••••••
77
92
Come Quick, Mary Anne •.......•. ...•.••.• ..... 73
56
Christmas Pudding, The ....................... .
Dem Bones Gona Rise Again ......••...•....••.•. .............. . 76
Kitchen Clock, The ..•.•..•..•..•...• •••••••••• 82
Legend of the First Cam-u-el, The ••••••• 97
Mockingbird, The •••••.• ................ ...... 101
Musical Trust, The ••••• ........ . 93
69
No, Sir! .............. .
Old Clock on the Stairs, The • •.•......•. 62
Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee •••••••• ............. . 94
Psalm 24 . .•••••••• ................... ......... . 64
Psalm 67 ..••....•............ ... 65
Song of the Chattahoochee .••• ........ . ..... ..... 56
Strictly Germ-Proof •.....••.•...•.•••.... ... .... 45

Sounds

A Was an Archer • ................•.......•...•.•..........•.•.... 108

Bells, Th_e .. , ... ......... ..... ................ .... 77
Bugle Song, The • .. ... . ... ... .. ..... ........... 66

"====~====================================9F=====
 140

Sounds (continued) Page

Bumpety Bus ••••••••

Forest Fire ••••
... ..................... .
............ .
55
74
Friday Street •.••.•••• ............ 68
Green Umbrella, The ••• ........... . 51
Heaven • ••.•.••.•....••.• 70
House on the Hill, The •••••• ...... 48
It Was a Lover and His Lass. .... 44
Mockingbird, The ••.•••••••• ,,,, ••••• 101
No, Sir! ............. . ............. 69
Old Rag Man, The •••••• ..................... 72
Robin-a-Thrush ••••.•. 55
Strictly Germ-Proof. 45
Throstle, The •••.••. ...... . .... .. ... . ...... . ..... 63