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Longfellow was a noble boy. He always wanted to do right. He could not bear to see one person do any wrong to another.

He was very tenderhearted. One day he took a gun and went shooting. He killed a robin. Then he felt sorry for the robin He came home with tears in his eyes. He was so grieved, that he never went shooting again.

He liked to read Irving's "Sketch Book." Its strange stories about Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle pleased his fancy.

When he was thirteen he wrote a poem. It was about Lovewell's fight with the Indians. He sent his verses to a newspaper. He wondered if the editor would print them. He could not think of anything else. He walked up and down in front of the printing office. He thought that his poem might be in the printer's hands.

When the paper came out, there was his poem. It was signed "Henry." Longfellow read it. He thought it a good poem.

But a judge who did not know whose poem it was talked about it that evening. He said to young Longfellow, "Did you see that poem in the paper? It was stiff. And all taken from other poets, too."

This made Henry Longfellow feel bad. But he kept on trying. After many years, he became a famous poet.

For more than fifty years, young people have liked to read his poem called "A Psalm of Life." Here are three stanzas of it:



"Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time,



"Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o'er life's solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, may take heart again.



"Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait."

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the story multiple times.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Longfellow was a noble boy who wanted to do right. He was also a tender-hearted boy. After he shot a robin, he cried and never hunted again. Longfellow enjoyed reading Irving's stories of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. When he was thirteen, Longfellow wrote a poem about Lovewell's fight with the Indians. Longfellow submitted his poem to a newspaper, and the paper published the poem. When a judge called the poem 'stiff' and said it was taken from other poets, Longfellow felt bad, but he did not give up. He kept trying. Eventually, Longfellow became a famous poet.

Vocabulary

Noble: A good and honorable person or act.
Tenderhearted: Having a kind and gentle nature.
Publish: To prepare and produce a book, newspaper, magazine, etc. for sale.
Stiff: Not relaxed or friendly; constrained.
Famous: Known about by many people.

Concepts

A passion is a strong feeling of excitement for something or about doing something. Longfellow's passion was poetry.

  1. In the story, despite the judge not liking Longfellow's first published poem, Longwell kept trying.
  2. Longfellow continued to follow his passion throughout his life, trying hard and working until he became a successful poet.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Story

  • After reading or listening to the story, narrate the story events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Color the Story   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 49 of 'History Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Activity 3: Recite the Story

Recite aloud the below lines from Longfellow's poem, 'A Psalm of Life.'

  • 'Lives of great men all remind us
  • We can make our lives sublime,
  • And, departing, leave behind us
  • Footprints on the sands of time,
  • 'Footprints, that perhaps another,
  • Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
  • A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
  • Seeing, may take heart again.
  • 'Let us, then, be up and doing,
  • With a heart for any fate;
  • Still achieving, still pursuing,
  • Learn to labor and to wait.'

'A Psalm of Life' is about working hard and making an impact.

The poem also says your efforts may inspire those that follow you to achieve even greater things.

Review

Question 1

Why did Longfellow never hunt again after he was a boy?
1 / 5

Answer 1

Because he was tenderhearted and felt sad after shooting a robin.
1 / 5

Question 2

What did the paper do with Longfellow's poem?
2 / 5

Answer 2

The paper published the poem, or printed it in the newspaper.
2 / 5

Question 3

What did the judge say about Longfellow's poem?
3 / 5

Answer 3

That it was stiff and was taken from other poets.
3 / 5

Question 4

How did Longfellow do about the judge not liking his poem?
4 / 5

Answer 4

He felt bad, but kept writing poetry.
4 / 5

Question 5

What eventually happened after Longfellow kept trying hard and writing his poetry?
5 / 5

Answer 5

He became a famous poet.
5 / 5

  1. Why did Longfellow never hunt again after he was a boy? Because he was tenderhearted and felt sad after shooting a robin.
  2. What did the paper do with Longfellow's poem? The paper published the poem, or printed it in the newspaper.
  3. What did the judge say about Longfellow's poem? That it was stiff and was taken from other poets.
  4. How did Longfellow do about the judge not liking his poem? He felt bad, but kept writing poetry.
  5. What eventually happened after Longfellow kept trying hard and writing his poetry? He became a famous poet.

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