Friday, April 17, 2009

Poetry 17: Tennyson

Continuing the theme of poems my children have memorized, today I give you "The Eagle." A few years ago I had this great idea to get my kids to memorize more poetry. The strategy was that I would announce to them that I wanted to memorize a poem, and ask for their help. Then I would constantly repeat it--in the car, over dinner, etc. Hopefully, the result would be that they'd pick it up themselves.

And it worked! They all learned it. Of course, they forgot it soon after (although one of them re-learned it once when I bribed him to recite it for an Enrichment I was speaking at--$5). And then I failed to follow up with another poem. Ah, well. Still, they have this one buried somewhere inside, and once in a while I'll recite it again for them, and I think they get a warm feeling of familiarity when they hear it.

The Eagle
By Alfred, Lord Tennyson

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ringed with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbold he falls.

.

3 comments:

Ang said...

You're such a good mom. Even with the bribery.

When Ethan was 2 1/2 we got a book from the library that was an illustrated version of William Blake's "Tyger, Tyger" ( . . . "burning bright / in the forest of the night / what immortal hand or eye / dare frame thy fearful symmetry.") He was OBSESSED with that book. Memorized it. It was so hilarious to have a 2 1/2 year old going around saying "dare frame thy fearful symmetry." And he still remembers it!

FIEF said...

I don't know you but I LOVE your blog's title! ("Steve and I are going to put you in a home." "459 Darillo Street." "Secret government underwear. Underwear??") Ha! Funny movie!
I just happened onto your blog through another blog. Guess you're an unknown kindred spirit!7

Darlene said...

Hey, FIEF, welcome. It's always nice to find another "Bannister-as-in-sliding-down-the" lover.