Poetry of Fables, Fairies, and Fauna Fables, Fairies, and Fauna    

Lesson 40: Down on the Shore

by William Allingham

Performer: Librivox - Rosslyn Carlyle


Down on the shore, on the sunny shore!

Where the salt smell cheers the land;

Where the tide moves bright under boundless light,

And the surge on the glittering strand;

Where the children wade in the shallow pools,

Or run from the froth in play;

While the swift little boats with milk-white wings

Are crossing the sapphire bay,

And the ship in full sail, with a fortunate gale

Holds proudly on her way;

Where the nets are spread on the grass to dry,

And asleep, hard by, the fishermen lie,

Under the tent of the warm blue sky,

With the hushing wave on its golden floor

To sing their lullaby.



Down on the shore, on the stormy shore!

Beset by a growling sea,

Whose mad waves leap on the rocky steep

Like wolves up a traveller's tree:

Where the foam flies wide, and an angry blast

Blows the curlew off, with a screech;

Where the brown sea-wrack, torn up by the roots,

Is flung out of fishes' reach;

And the tall ship rolls on the hidden shoals,

And scatters her planks on the beach;

Where slate and straw through the village spin,

And a cottage fronts the fiercest din

With a sailor's wife sitting sad within,

Hearkening the wind and the water's roar,

Till at last her tears begin.

    Poetry of Fables, Fairies, and Fauna Fables, Fairies, and Fauna    

Lesson 40: Down on the Shore

by William Allingham

Performer: Librivox - Rosslyn Carlyle

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read or listen to the poem.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

The poem contrasts a sunny day and a stormy day at the shore.

Vocabulary

Tide: The alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun.
Surge: A sudden powerful forward or upward movement, especially by a crowd or by a natural force such as the waves or tide.
Froth/Foam: A mass of small bubbles in liquid.
Sapphire: A deep blue color, like that of the precious stone.
Curlew: A large wading bird.
Sea-wrack: Seaweed.
Shoals: An area of shallow water, especially as a navigational hazard.
Planks: A long, thin, flat piece of timber, used especially in building and flooring.
Slate: A fine-grained gray, green, or bluish metamorphic rock.
Din: A loud, unpleasant, and prolonged noise.
Hearken: Listen.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Title, the Poet's Name, and the Poem

  • Each day this week, recite aloud the title of the poem, the name of the poet, and the poem. Instructors may need to prompt children line-by-line.

Activity 2: Study the Poem's Companion Painting

  • Study the painting below, and describe it in your own words.

Find the following in the companion painting:

  • 2 Buckets
  • Shovel
  • Sand
  • Shore
  • Sailboat
  • Red Bow
  • Rocks

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

  • After reading or listening to each verse of the poem, narrate the verse events aloud using your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 43 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?
1 / 3

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'Down on the Shore.'
1 / 3

Question 2

What happens in the poem?
2 / 3

Answer 2

The poem contrasts a sunny day and a stormy day at the shore.
2 / 3

Question 3

Who are the characters in the poem?
3 / 3

Answer 3

The narrator, playing children, fishermen, and a sailor's wife.
3 / 3

  1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'Down on the Shore.'
  2. What happens in the poem? The poem contrasts a sunny day and a stormy day at the shore.
  3. Who are the characters in the poem? The narrator, playing children, fishermen, and a sailor's wife.