Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

James Whitcomb Riley
..William Vaughn Moody
Henry Van Dyke
.Laurence Binyon
John Masefield

Frederick George Scott
Scollard

"On an American Soldier Fallen in France"....Clinton

[blocks in formation]

"Uriel" (In memory of William Vaughn Moody). Percy MacKaye

[blocks in formation]

CHAPTER IV

THE SONG: SACRED AND SECULAR

The song is a short lyric poem which differs from the other forms in that it is intended, primarily, to be sung. It has that particular melodious quality required by the singing voice. Songs are either sacred or secular. The sacred songs include hymns, anthems, and oratorios. The secular songs may have any theme or emotion. Burns is called the greatest song-writer of the world because of the number, variety, and quality of his songs. Some of the finest songs that we have are strewn through Shakespeare's plays. Thomas Moore, Tennyson, Longfellow, and Eugene Field are also noted song-writers. Although our song-writers are not, as a general thing, poets, yet many of our poets have written songs.1 The best songs were composed to music instead of adapted to it.

SOME SONGS FROM SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS
From A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Puck's Song)
Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moonës sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see:
Those be rubies, fairy favours,

In those freckles live their savours.

I must go seek some dewdrop here,

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

10

1 Since there are few school buildings now that do not include at least one phonograph in their equipment, it is suggested that a musical program be given in place of the regular English lesson. Songs should be felt, not

studied.

[blocks in formation]

And birds sit brooding in the snow,

And Marian's nose looks red and raw,
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,

Tu-whit! tu-who! a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

From As YOU LIKE IT

Blow, blow, thou winter wind!

Thou art not so unkind

As man's ingratitude;

Thy tooth is not so keen,

Because thou art not seen,

Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh ho! sing, heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:

Then, heigh ho, the holly!

This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky!

That dost not bite so nigh

As benefits forgot;

Though thou the waters warp,

Thy sting is not so sharp

As friend remembered not.

Heigh ho! sing, heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:

[blocks in formation]

15

5

10

15

4

20

5

[blocks in formation]
« ZurückWeiter »