A POEM ABOUT TREES

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Dictation

Read carefully the paragraph given below. Observe the capitals, periods, question mark, and apostrophe. Write the paragraph when it is dictated.

Do you see the smoke and the flames coming from the hill? It must be a forest fire. Very likely it was caused by some camper's carelessness. We should always be sure to put out our camp fires.

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

JOYCE KILMER 1

1

This poem was written by a young American who lost his life in the World War. He was a fine man and a brave soldier and he loved nature. He asks you to think of a tree as a person, as a beautiful woman who lifts her arms in prayer to God.

What is meant by the tree's "hungry mouth "? What feeds the tree? What are the tree's "leafy arms"? Look at a beautiful oak or elm, and think of it as looking at God as it points to the open sky. How may a tree "wear a nest of robins in her hair "? Intimately means in a very friendly way. Do you see how a tree lives intimately with rain?

Then memorize it.

Why is a tree greater than a poem? Read the poem to yourself. Capitalize the word God. You will notice that the word God is used twice in this poem. Whenever you use the word God or any other name referring to God, you must begin it with a capital letter.

Reading the Poem

Each pupil may read the stanza of Trees that he likes best. One or two pupils may read the whole poem aloud to the class.

1 From Joyce Kilmer: Poems, Essays, and Letters, Copyright 1918, George H. Doran Company, Publishers.

ORIGINAL PARAGRAPH

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Copying

Copy neatly the first three stanzas of the poem Trees. Begin each line with a capital letter. Leave a space after each stanza. Capitalize the word God. Notice the apostrophe in earth's.

Select the tree that you like best (oak, pine, maple, elm, beech, poplar, sycamore, willow, apple, peach, or any other tree) and tell the class how it looks, where it grows, what kind of leaves it has, and why you like it. Dictation

Trees are one of God's best gifts to us. They give us shade in summer. The earth would not be beautiful without trees. Should we not do all that we can to

protect them?

Original Paragraph

Think what you would do if you were an oak tree or some other kind of tree. Write a paragraph of four or five sentences in which you tell what you would do if you were some kind of tree. You may begin your paragraph, "If I were tree, I should The following paragraph may give you some suggestions:

If I were an apple tree, I should bear large red apples. In the summer boys would climb up my branches. Little girls would make playhouses in my shade. The robins would build nests in the forks of my limbs. When autumn came, the farmer would gather my fruit and leave me lonely in the orchard.

VII. GOOD CITIZENS

Serving Our Country

Read the following paragraph thoughtfully:

Every one who lives in America can serve his country. He can keep its laws, and he can help pay its expenses. Most people over twenty-one can vote, or help elect the officers. In time of war men can fight for their country, and women can nurse the sick and help in other ways. We call this a government of the people because everybody helps.

What does "a government of the people" mean? In what way does every American have a part in governing our country? Tell what you think a good American is. Tell how you think he should act in time Tell how you think he should act in time of

of war. peace.

A Story about the Flag

Read the following story to find out what the flag stands for. When you have read the story look at the frontispiece, where you can see the flag on the hillside.

THE FLAG ON THE HILLSIDE

Four fairies once lived on the side of a hill. From their home they could look down into a valley where

A STORY ABOUT THE FLAG

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many children played. Although these children were bright, well dressed, and beautiful, they distressed the fairies very much, because they quarreled and fought as they played.

"Let's go through the world and look for something that will keep these children from quarreling," said the oldest fairy.

All agreed, and they set out, each in a different direction.

I

The first fairy came to a great city. She followed the crowd till she found herself in the heart of the business section. There every one was excited because a disastrous fire was sweeping a whole block of buildings. The firemen worked hard to subdue the flames, but their efforts were in vain. They succeeded in rescuing the occupants of the burning buildings, however, and they thought that every one was saved. But they were mistaken. At a window in the fourth story stood a woman holding a baby in her arms and looking desperately at the street below. The flames spurted from every window below her, and death seemed certain to any one who attempted to scale those burning walls. It seemed impossible to save her.

Then the crowd stood back amazed as a young fireman steadied a ladder and began rapidly to ascend to the window where the mother stood. He reached her. He drew her out of the flames and steadied her feet on the ladder. He held the baby in his own arms and told her to follow him to the street below.