Henry Wordsworth Longfellow

Just 'fore words formed inside my head 
as my mother put me to bed
her sweet voice would rhyme to lull me
tales of children wild and misled.

Who ran and played and sang and danced
deep in teepees as in a trance.
Or climbing atop the walls of castles
dueled with broom stick used as lance.

The children’s hour was our time
to kiss and snuggle laugh and sigh.
And she taught me of Paul Revere
of his rushed ride with red coats nigh.

So many Longfellow tales told
of bold, real or imagined feats
that never did I want her voice 
to stop or pause or to repeat.

Tennyson could tell a tale of
charging brigands in full retreat.
But, none could met the glory of
Longfellow’s stories so replete! 


*Longfellow wrote Hiawatha, The Chidren's Hour, and Paul Revere's Ride
among dozens of other poem stories. In the 1920's children were taught
history through the use of poetry.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2010



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Date: 4/20/2010 9:13:00 PM
Deb, is that the meter that goes like every three beats. It sounds so familiar to me. If I were not so busy in my life, I would try to figure out how your meter was here, but it was a fine poem. I think I did a tetrameter sometimes. If I can remember to look mine up, I'll show you sometime. LUv, andrea
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Date: 4/20/2010 7:37:00 PM
U are kidding me about your lost entry for Amy's contest yes? she gave my entry an HM and it never showed up on my member contest entry page or on the winners list... this is awful for lack of a better word which is ineligible on this site... got me?.... patience is NOT one of my virtues and by the time this is all over I won't have any virtues left for sure...haha..luv..
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Date: 4/20/2010 4:20:00 PM
No, i did not receive this.
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Date: 4/20/2010 12:45:00 PM
Great presentation of your chosen poet, Deb! thanks for your welcome comments yesterday. I could not get to them until today and it's still very difficult. I just gotta get home!!! LUv, andrea
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Date: 4/20/2010 12:41:00 PM
Deb. can u please check to see if your contest submissions are intact as all of mine have disappeared ... please let me know..thankxxx..luv..
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Date: 4/20/2010 10:21:00 AM
Thank you for the lesson today Deb. A fun lesson also I must say. Love, Carol
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Date: 4/20/2010 7:12:00 AM
A fine scholarly write. I enjoyed it.
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Date: 4/20/2010 4:10:00 AM
you are showing your talent here!! Very grand!!
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Date: 4/20/2010 1:55:00 AM
This was a great way of teaching I'm sure, plenty of us here on the soup ! Great poem ! james
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Date: 4/19/2010 3:11:00 PM
D.G. hello a little sweet one, nice the person you are in the teaching,,,,p.d.
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Date: 4/19/2010 3:09:00 PM
Awesome, Deborah! Thanks for sharing this wonderful Quatrain! And thank you for leaving comments for me...Peace, Audrey
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Date: 4/19/2010 3:09:00 PM
And yes....I do remember all the wonderful lines...."listen My children and you shall hear"....it is amazing how we learned history, and didn't even know it! Great poem, Debbie..... (as you know...I am still learning!! :) never to late to learn!!)
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