Lesson Plans For Teachers

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LESSON 2	‘Sonnet 43’-Elizabeth Barrett-Browning Poem 4/14
Learning Objectives	Having explored the thematic content of the poem in the previous lesson, students will explore the effects of language used by the poet and attempt to develop their analysis skills when writing about a literary text.
Starter Activity	Read over all the poems studied so far. Sonnet 43 to be read by a volunteer-the first line could be echoed by the class.  10 minute discussion about the language effects in the poem, some of which will have been discussed in the previous lesson. Students should return to their desks and consider the statements below expanding upon them with their own words.	Resources Copy of the poem from previous session. Red-books Anthology Glue
Main Teaching And Learning Activities	Students will be primarily concerned with the effects of language as employed by the poet. The idea is to get them writing complex analytical sentences, which will help them to write an essay later on. 1) The speaker begins by posing a question that the entire sonnet will go on to answer: “How do I love thee?” Rather than using ‘why’ or perhaps even ‘when’, the ‘how’ is employed which achieves the effect of …………………  Since the poem provides an answer to the question, is not a rhetorical one and the reader feels………. 2) In lines three and four, the poet uses assonance, repeating long “e” vowel sounds in words like “reach,” “feeling,” “Being,” and “ideal.” This repeated long vowel sound adds …. 3) There’s also an internal rhyme between the word “feeling” in the middle of line three and the word “Being” in the middle of line four. This extra rhyme, along with the rhymes at the ends of the lines, creates the effect  of… 4) Lines 5-6 are some of the only lines in this poem that actually use concrete imagery – “sun and candle-light” . The poet uses different kinds of light to express her……. It is effective because….. 5) Lines 7-9 use anaphora, beginning with the same phrase, “I love thee,” as do lines two, five, and eleven. The effect of this parallel structure emphasizes that the poem is….. 6) One of the first things we notice about the sound of this poem is that it’s repetitive; instead of using synonyms for love. ‘Love’ is used nine times because…	Key Strategies (IGCSE)  AO2: Understand the meanings of literary texts and their contexts, and explore texts beyond surface meanings to show deeper awareness of ideas and attitudes; AO3: Recognise and appreciate ways in which writers use language, structure, and form to create and shape meanings and effects; AO4: Communicate a sensitive and informed personal response to literary texts.
Key Questions	What are the language devices employed by the poet and why are they effective?	Evaluation
Plenary	Some biographical details on Elizabeth Barrett-Browning. Stick the poem in the anthology. Close with the reading of the poem.
Homework	Find any two quotations on love and discuss why you find the words appealing.

LESSON	‘Sonnet 43’-Elizabeth Barrett-Browning Poem 4/14
Learning Objectives	To continue developing an appreciation for poetry and the views expressed by poets. To recognize that poems do raise universal questions which are worthwhile contemplating.
Starter Activity	1)    Read over ‘Time’, ‘The Flower-fed Buffaloes’ and ‘Report To Wordsworth’ as a class, reinforcing the importance of poetry as a spoken art-form and its close relationship to music (relevance-‘the sonnet’) 2) Remind students that the poems explored thus far deal with the themes of time and nature. Introduce the theme of love and relationships with ‘heart quotations’, each student reads one aloud, and a general conversation about what love is, and why they think people write and sing about it. (10 mins)	Resources ‘Songs of Ourselves’ Anthology Heart quotations Additional copies of the poem for annotation. ‘Guess How Much I Love You’-storybook. Highlighters/pencils
Main Teaching And Learning Activities	1) Introduce the sonnet-using a copy without the poet’s name on it for annotation. No need to state iambic pentameter, only that it has 14 lines, and is the most famous sonnet in the English language after Shakespeare’s ‘Shall I compare thee…’  2) Students read the poem to themselves silently, teacher reads the poem aloud, twice perhaps. 3) Ask pertinent general questions about the poem and purpose. 4) Line by line analysis for meaning-leave specific language questions for second lesson. 5) Read ‘Guess How Much I Love You’-make some comparisons.	Key Strategies (IGCSE)  AO2: Understand the meanings of literary texts and their contexts, and explore texts beyond surface meanings to show deeper awareness of ideas and attitudes; AO3: Recognise and appreciate ways in which writers use language, structure, and form to create and shape meanings and effects; AO4: Communicate a sensitive and informed personal response to literary texts.
Key Questions	What is ‘love’? Are there different kinds of love? Why do you think so many writers write about love? Sonnet 43 is one of the most famous poems in the English Language-why do you think this is so?	Evaluation
Plenary	Lesson ends with Guess How Much I Love You to bring the poem back to its meaning and purpose after analysing the poem line-by-line. The following lesson draws upon the language devices employed and students commenting upon their effect in sentences. Re-read the poem for closure.
Homework	Journal: Why do you think “How do I love thee?” is such a popular love poem? (120 words)

In-class Poetry Essay-Sonnet 43 (Feb 28-March 2)

The Task:

You will have three lessons to write your response to the following question:

Explore the ways in which the Elizabeth Barrett-Browning has used language and         other poetic devices to present her ideas about love in Sonnet 43.

To help you write your first literary essay on poetry, the following structure may be useful:

INTRODUCTION

(1 paragraph)

Use key words from the essay title in a brief description of what the poem is about. Comment briefly on the themes, issues, thoughts and feelings the poem explores.  Identify the narrator, the tone and viewpoint of the poem.

STRUCTURE

(1 or 2 paragraph)                                                                                                                              Divide the poem into sections and explain in more detail what the poem is about,               section by section.  Write about the development of ideas and themes from one section to another and one stanza to another. Consider the significance of shifts intone between sections.  Consider the shape of stanzas, line length, sentence length, enjambment and form.

DICTION (WORDS) (1 or 2 paragraphs)

Write about the significance and effect of the poem’s words and their connotations. Look at semantic fields, hyperbole, contrasts, allusions, level of formality etc. Include short quotations and analysis of the effects of language.

IMAGERY

(1 or 2 paragraphs)

Write about the significance and effect of the imagery used in the poem. Consider symbolism, metaphors, similes, personification, oxymoron etc.  Include short quotations and analysis of the effects of language.

GRAMMATICAL FEATURES (1 or 2 paragraphs)

Write about the functions of word classes. Consider nouns, pronouns, verbs,             adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, articles. Also                              consider syntax. Include short quotations and analysis of the effects of                              language. Only write about features which have significant effects.

SOUNDS

(1 or 2 paragraphs)

Write about the significance of rhyme, rhythm and meter. Consider the use of repetition .Consider alliteration, sibilance, assonance, short and long vowel sounds, harsh or soft consonant sounds and onomatopoeia.

CONCLUSION

(1 paragraph)                                                                                                                                Return to the key words of the question and give your final personal response to the poem as a whole. Do you think the poem is successful in conveying a message or portraying experiences, thoughts or feelings? What does the poem make you think or feel.

It is expected that you will come to class prepared with a copy of the poem,                           your book and any additional notes you decide to bring.

The session will begin on February 28^th and finish March 3^rd at the end of the period.

When you have finished typing/editing your work you will print one copy and send one copy to jmayer@bifskorea.org.

Grade Descriptors

Your assignment will be marked according to the following descriptors provided by CIE

Grade A

A Grade A candidate will have demonstrated the ability to:                                                sustain a perceptive and convincing response with well-chosen detail of narrative and situation;                                                                                                                                               demonstrate clear critical/analytical understanding of the author’s intentions and the text’s deeper implications and the attitudes it displays;                                                               make much well selected reference to the text;                                                                             respond sensitively and in detail to the way language works in the text;                             communicate a considered and reflective personal response to the text.

Grade C

A Grade C candidate will have demonstrated the ability to:                                                 make a reasonably sustained/extended response with detail of narrative and situation;                                                                                                                                                show understanding of the author’s intentions and some of the text’s deeper implications and the attitudes it displays;                                                                                                                                                         show some thoroughness in use of the text for support;                                                             make some response to the way language works in the text;                                          communicate an informed personal response to the text.

Grade E

A Grade E candidate will have demonstrated the ability to:                                                         make some relevant comments in terms of narrative and situation;                                                                                                                                              show some understanding of the author’s intentions and the surface meaning of the text;                                                                                                                                                     make a little reference to the text for support;                                                                              make a little reference to the language of the text;                                                               communicate a basic personal response to the text.

Grade F

A Grade F candidate will have demonstrated the ability to:                                                                                                                                                           make a few straightforward points in terms of narrative and situation;                                show a few signs of understanding of the author’s intentions and the surface                            meanings of the                                    text;                                                                                                                                                    make a little reference to the text;                                                                                                                                                        show evidence of a simple personal response.

Poetry: In-class guided essay (Feb28-March3)

Poetry Essay: In-class Guided Essay on Sonnet 43

The Task:You will have three lessons to write your response to   the following question: Explore the ways in which the Elizabeth Barrett-Browning has used language and other poetic devices to present her ideas about love in Sonnet 43.

To help you write your first literary essay on poetry, the following   structure may be useful: INTRODUCTION(1paragraph) Use key words from the essay title in a brief description of what the poem is about. Comment briefly on the themes, issues, thoughts and feelings the poem explores. Identify the narrator, the tone and viewpoint of the poem. STRUCTURE (1/2paragraph) Divide the poem into sections and explain in more detail what the poem is about, section by section.  Write about the development of ideas and themes from one section to another and one stanza to another. Consider the significance of shifts in tone between sections.  Consider the shape of stanzas, line length, sentence length, enjambment and form. DICTION (WORDS) (1 or 2 paragraphs) Write about the significance and effect of the poem’s words and their connotations. Look at semantic fields, hyperbole, contrasts, allusions, level of formality etc. Include short quotations and analysis of the effects of language. IMAGERY (1/2 paragraphs) Write about the significance and effect of the imagery used in the poem. Consider symbolism, metaphors, similes, personification, oxymoron etc. Include short quotations and analysis of the effects of language. GRAMMATICAL FEATURES (1 or 2 paragraphs) Write about the functions of word classes. Consider nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, articles. Also consider syntax. Include short quotations and analysis of the effects of language. Only write about features which have significant effects. SOUNDS (1 or 2 paragraphs) Write about the significance of rhyme, rhythm and meter. Consider the use of repetition .Consider alliteration, sibilance, assonance, short and long vowel sounds, harsh or soft consonant sounds and onomatopoeia. CONCLUSION (1 paragraph) Return to the key words of the question and give your final personal response to the poem as a whole. Do you think the poem is successful in conveying a message or portraying experiences, thoughts or feelings? What does the poem make you think or feel.

It is expected that you will come to class prepared with a copy of   the poem, your book and any additional notes you decide to bring. The session will begin on February 28th and finish March 3rd at the end of the period. When you have finished typing/editing your work you will print one copy and send one copy to jmayer@bifskorea.org.

Grade DescriptorsYour assignment will be marked according to the following descriptors provided by CIEGrade A  A Grade A candidate will have demonstrated the ability to: sustain a perceptive and convincing response with well-chosen detail of narrative and situation;                                                                                                                                                                demonstrate clear critical/analytical understanding of the author’s intentions and the text’s deeper implications and the attitudes it displays; make much well selected reference to the text; respond sensitively and in detail to the way language works in the text; communicate a considered and reflective personal response to the text. Grade C A Grade C candidate will have demonstrated the ability to: make a reasonably sustained/extended response with detail of narrative and situation; show understanding of the author’s intentions and some of the text’s deeper implications and the attitudes it                       displays;                                                                                                                                                                                 show some thoroughness in use of the text for support; make some response to the way language works in the text; communicate an informed personal response to the text. Grade E A Grade E candidate will have demonstrated the ability to:                                                                                                                                                                                                                   make some relevant comments in terms of narrative and situation; show some understanding of the author’s intentions and the surface meaning of the text; make a little reference to the text for support; make a little reference to the language of the text; communicate a basic personal response to the text. Grade F A Grade F candidate will have demonstrated the ability to: make a few straightforward points in terms of narrative and situation;                                                                                                                                                                             show a few signs of understanding of the author’s intentions and the surface meanings of the text;                                                                                                                                                                                              make a little reference to the text; show evidence of a simple personal response.

Additional Comments from Marker:

Grade Descriptors for Literature

Grade A

A Grade A candidate will have demonstrated the ability to:

sustain a perceptive and convincing response with well-chosen detail of narrative and situation;

demonstrate clear critical/analytical understanding of the author’s intentions and the text’s

deeper implications and the attitudes it displays;

make much well selected reference to the text;

respond sensitively and in detail to the way language works in the text;

communicate a considered and reflective personal response to the text.

Grade C

A Grade C candidate will have demonstrated the ability to:

make a reasonably sustained/extended response with detail of narrative and situation;

show understanding of the author’s intentions and some of the text’s deeper implications and the attitudes it displays;

show some thoroughness in use of the text for support;

make some response to the way language works in the text;

communicate an informed personal response to the text.

Grade E

A Grade E candidate will have demonstrated the ability to:

make some relevant comments in terms of narrative and situation;

show some understanding of the author’s intentions and the surface meaning of the text;

make a little reference to the text for support;

make a little reference to the language of the text;

communicate a basic personal response to the text.

Grade F

A Grade F candidate will have demonstrated the ability to:

make a few straightforward points in terms of narrative and situation;

show a few signs of understanding of the author’s intentions and the surface meanings of the text;

make a little reference to the text;

show evidence of a simple personal response.

Poetry Essay Structure-How To Write An Essay?

If you grew up in the 1980s chances are much of your education took place via osmosis. It just happened; a kind of confluence of activity. This isn’t to say my English Literature teachers didn’t rock, of course they did, which forms a large part of the reason as to why I ended up becoming a teacher. It’s just that I don”t ever recall being taught how to write an essay. We got a question and we simple did it, and if you did well your teacher would write ‘Ex’ for Excellent or ‘v.good’ -you guessed it, for very good. What you got for less less than ‘v.good’ I have no idea -I wasn’t that kind of student, but the point is, how to structure an essay and feedback when the essay was returned, was minimal.

And how things have changed! These days it’s expected you teach students how to write a literary essay, provide them with marking rubrics so that they know what they are being assessed on, and more often than not offer a post-submission interview with the teacher to nut out a five year plan on how to improve. ‘O for more simpler times’, I hear teachers cry. The fact is we can’t turn back, and even if we could, it wouldnt be fair to, you.

So I am going to give you an essay plan on how to structure a poetry essay. Please bare in mind that the structure below ís just one way of structuring an essay. It is helpful as it helps you consider the themes, use of language and literary devices employed by the poet, and therefore makes a good ‘general’ essay. The structure below, however, does not necessarily fit the question you may be set -in which case every topic sentence (the first sentence in each paragraph) should relate to the question at hand (we will cross that bridge when we get to it..)

For now, you may find the structure below, helpful.

INTRODUCTION (1 paragraph)

Use key words from the essay title in a brief description of what the poem is about. Comment briefly on the themes, issues, thoughts and feelings the poem explores.  Identify the narrator, the tone and viewpoint of the poem.

STRUCTURE (1 or 2 paragraph)

Divide the poem into sections and explain in more detail what the poem is about, section by section.  Write about the development of ideas and themes from one section to another and one stanza to another. Consider the significance of shifts in tone between sections.  Consider the shape of stanzas, line length, sentence length, enjambment and caesura.

DICTION (WORDS) (1 or 2 paragraphs)

Write about the significance and effect of the poem’s words and their connotations. Look at semantic fields, hyperbole, contrasts, allusions, level of formality etc. Include short quotations and analysis of the effects of language.

IMAGERY (1 or 2 paragraphs)

Write about the significance and effect of the imagery used in the poem. Consider symbolism, metaphors, similes, personification, oxymoron etc.  Include short quotations and analysis of the effects of language.

GRAMMATICAL FEATURES (1 or 2 paragraphs)

Write about the functions of word classes. Consider nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, articles. Also consider syntax. Include short quotations and analysis of the effects of language. Only write about features which have significant effects.

SOUNDS (1 or 2 paragraphs)

Write about the significance of rhyme, rhythm and meter. Consider the use of repetition .Consider alliteration, sibilance, assonance, short and long vowel sounds, harsh or soft consonant sounds and onomatopoeia.

CONCLUSION (1 paragraph)

Return to the key words of the question and give your final personal response to the poem as a whole. Do you think the poem is successful in conveying a message or portraying experiences, thoughts or feelings? What does the poem make you think or feel?

How To Annotate Poems-Example

How to Annotate a Poem

We annotate texts and poems in order to understand them.  An annotation requires many readings of the poem.  You must make time to seriously consider each word and its place within the poem as a whole.  What is the poet is saying through this particular speaker/persona?  What is the natural progression of the poem?  What is its purpose?  What is the tone and style of the poem? I will be looking for serious consideration of the following elements:

• Structure of the poem which explains its progression along with the major turning points
• Language that denotes regionality, education of speaker, rhetorical purpose, etc.  Is it conversational, colloquial or does the speaker fall back on formal language?
• Tone:  Is the poem celebratory, depressed, confused?  Does it shift or change?
• Speaker/Persona:  What does the poem reveal about the speaker?
• Imagery:  What images does the poem use to create meaning or set the mood?
• Symbolism:  What images become symbolic?
• Any other characteristics that are specific to your poem–Every poem is different.

As you research, you will discover that particular poets are known for certain techniques or styles.  If this poem follows that trend or veers from it is important to your understanding of the poem.

My example of an annotated poem:

Poetry Questions For Current Selection of Poems

What are the thematic links between ‘Report to Wordsworth’, ‘Flower-Fed Buffaloes’ and ‘Lament’? You need to answer with at least one paragraph and include one example of how this theme is explored in each poem (one quote per poem with an explanation)

Comment on how Hardy presents the experience of loss in ‘The Voice’.

Explore the way in which Hardy has used language and other poetic devices to present ideas in ‘The Voice’.

Structure plays a crucial role in poetry. What is the importance of structure to ‘The Voice’?

Comment on the use of imagery in ‘Full Moon and Little Frieda’.

How does Hughes present ideas of childhood in ‘Full Moon and Little Frieda’?

Comment on the use of imagery in ‘Lament’.

In what ways could ‘Lament’ be termed an anti-war poem?

How does Clarke use the medium of poetry to explore social concerns in ‘Lament’?

How does Keats present nature in ‘On the grasshopper and the cricket’?

Comment on the way character is presented in ‘First Love’.

Explore the way in which Clare has used language and other poetic devices to present the experience of falling in love in ‘First Love’?

How do any two poems in the anthology use poetry as a medium to share powerful personal experiences?

What use does Byron make of imagery in ‘So, we’ll go no more a-roving’?

How does Byron explore the theme of growing old in ‘So, we’ll go no more a-roving’?

Compare and contrast Sonnets 43 and 29.

In what ways has St Vincent Millay used language and other poetic devices to explore the theme of love in Sonnet 29?

What view of love is explore in Sonnet 29?

Sound-Bites: Thomas Hardy’s ‘The Voice’

A reading by Gary Watson

Sound-Bites: Barrett-Browning’s Sonnet 43 and the Sonnet Form

As we have discovered, ‘sonnet’ comes from the Italian word ‘sonnetto’ meaning ‘little song’ or ‘little lyric’ and contains 14 lines written in iambic pentameter (10 syllables for each line – 5 unstressed and 5 stressed). The iambic pentameter reflects the natural patterns of speech, and, the musicality of the sonnet is further reinforced by regular rhyme schemes. Sonnet 43 is a Petrarchan sonnet ( after an early Italian sonneteer, Petrarca) and was later adopted by the English-language poets Milton, Barrett-Browning, Wordsworth and Edna St Vincent Millay.

from sonnet.org

I. The Italian (or Petrarchan) Sonnet:

The basic meter of all sonnets in English is iambic pentameter although there have been a few tetrameter and even hexameter sonnets, as well.

The Italian sonnet is divided into two sections by two different groups of rhyming sounds. The first 8 lines is called the octave and rhymes:

a b b a a b b a

The remaining 6 lines is called the sestet and can have either two or three rhyming sounds, arranged in a variety of ways:

c d c d c d
c d d c d c
c d e c d e
c d e c e d
c d c e d c

The exact pattern of sestet rhymes (unlike the octave pattern) is flexible. In strict practice, the one thing that is to be avoided in the sestet is ending with a couplet (dd or ee), as this was never permitted in Italy, and Petrarch himself (supposedly) never used a couplet ending; in actual practice, sestets are sometimes ended with couplets (Sidney’s “Sonnet LXXI given below is an example of such a terminal couplet in an Italian sonnet).

The point here is that the poem is divided into two sections by the two differing rhyme groups. In accordance with the principle (which supposedly applies to all rhymed poetry but often doesn’t), a change from one rhyme group to another signifies a change in subject matter. This change occurs at the beginning of L9 in the Italian sonnet and is called the volta, or “turn”; the turn is an essential element of the sonnet form, perhaps the essential element. It is at the volta that the second idea is introduced, as in this sonnet by Wordsworth:

“London, 1802”

Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour:

England hath need of thee: she is a fen

Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen,

Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower,

Have forfeited their ancient English dower

Of inward happiness. We are selfish men;

Oh! raise us up, return to us again;

And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power.

Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart;

Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea:

Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,

So didst thou travel on life’s common way,

In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart

The lowliest duties on herself did lay.

Here, the octave develops the idea of the decline and corruption of the English race, while the sestet opposes to that loss the qualities Milton possessed which the race now desperately needs.

A very skillful poet can manipulate the placement of the volta for dramatic effect, although this is difficult to do well. An extreme example is this sonnet by Sir Philip Sidney, which delays the volta all the way to L 14:

“Sonnet LXXI”

Who will in fairest book of Nature know

How Virtue may best lodged in Beauty be,

Let him but learn of Love to read in thee,

Stella, those fair lines,which true goodness show.

There shall he find all vices’ overthrow,

Not by rude force, but sweetest sovereignty

Of reason, from whose light those night-birds fly;

That inward sun in thine eyes shineth so.

And not content to be Perfection’s heir

Thyself, dost strive all minds that way to move,

Who mark in thee what is in thee most fair.

So while thy beauty draws the heart to love,

As fast thy Virtue bends that love to good.

“But, ah,” Desire still cries, “give me some food.”

Here, in giving 13 lines to arguing why Reason makes clear to him that following Virtue is the course he should take, he seems to be heavily biassing the argument in Virtue’s favor. But the volta powerfully undercuts the arguments of Reason in favor of Virtue by revealing that Desire isn’t amenable to Reason.

There are a number of variations which evolved over time to make it easier to write Italian sonnets in English. Most common is a change in the octave rhyming pattern from a b b a a b b a to a b b a a c c a, eliminating the need for two groups of 4 rhymes, something not always easy to come up with in English which is a rhyme-poor language. Wordsworth uses that pattern in the following sonnet, along with a terminal couplet:

“Scorn Not the Sonnet”

Scorn not the Sonnet; Critic, you have frowned,

Mindless of its just honours; with this key

Shakespeare unlocked his heart; the melody

Of this small lute gave ease to Petrarch’s wound;

A thousand times this pipe did Tasso sound;

With it Camoens soothed an exile’s grief;

The Sonnet glittered a gay myrtle leaf

Amid the cypress wtih which Dante crowned

His visionary brow: a glow-worm lamp,

It cheered mild Spenser, called from Faery-land

To struggle through dark ways; and when a damp

Fell round the path of Milton, in his hand

The Thing became a trumpet; whence he blew

Soul-animating strains–alas, too few!

Another variation on the Italian form is this one, by Tennyson’s older brother Charles Tennyson-Turner, who wrote 342 sonnets, many in variant forms. Here, Turner uses an a b b a c d c d e f f e f e pattern, with the volta delayed until the middle of L9:

“Missing the Meteors”

A hint of rain–a touch of lazy doubt–

Sent me to bedward on that prime of nights,

When the air met and burst the aerolites,

Making the men stare and the children shout:

Why did no beam from all that rout and rush

Of darting meteors, pierce my drowsed head?

Strike on the portals of my sleep? and flush

My spirit through mine eyelids, in the stead

Of that poor vapid dream? My soul was pained,

My very soul, to have slept while others woke,

While little children their delight outspoke,

And in their eyes’ small chambers entertained

Far notions of the Kosmos! I mistook

The purpose of that night–it had not rained.

Listen to the recordings below of Sonnet 43. Some are readings, some are put to music and others are advertisements, all of which are testimony to the sonnet’s enduring quality. Poetry is nothing but as it is heard.

Charlie Brown

Reading by British actress, Helen Mirren

Words and text to Sonnet 43

Heinz Ketchup Advertisment

New York Bagels

June Bronhill 1977

‘The Flower-Fed Buffaloes’ by Vachel Lindsay

The flower-fed buffaloes of the spring

In the days of long ago,

Ranged where the locomotives sing

And the prairie flowers lie low: –

The tossing, blooming, perfumed grass

Is swept away by the wheat,

Wheels and wheels and wheels spin by

In the spring that still is sweet.

But the flower-fed buffaloes of the spring

Left us, long ago.

They gore no more, they bellow no more,

They trundle around the hills no more: –

With the Blackfeet, lying low,

With the Pawnees, lying low,

Lying low.

Blackfeet /Pawnees: Native American Tribes