THE LEAP OF ROUSHAN BEG HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW Mounted on Kyrat strong and fleet, Up the mountain pathway flew. Such was the Kyrat's wondrous speed, Reach the dust-cloud in his course. *By permission of Houghton, Mifflin and Co., authorized publishers of Longfellow's works. Biography. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), one of the greatest of American poets, was born in Portland, Maine. He was graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825. Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of his classmates. While in college Longfellow developed a strong love for foreign languages and also showed marked ability in verse making. He spent three years in Europe and upon his return became professor of modern languages at Bowdoin. Outre-Mer, his first book, is in prose, and gives an account of his life in Europe From Bowdoin, Longfellow went to Harvard to teach, but in 1854 he gave up his college work and devoted himself to the writing of poetry. By his many translations from foreign tongues Longfellow has greatly enriched our literature; but in his own poems he remained thoroughly and genuinely American. The titles, "poet of culture," "poet of peace, of the home, and history," and "the children's poet," which have been bestowed upon him show the nature of his work and the esteem in which he is held. Longfellow has received great attention and praise from the lovers of poetry in England as well as in America, and after his death his bust was placed in the "Poet's Corner" in Westminster Abbey, where stand memorials to Shakespeare and others who have won imperishable fame. Discussion. 1. Describe in your own words Roushan Beg's perilous position before the leap. 2. What do you think had brought him to this peril? 3. Read lines that tell how he gained his wealth. 4. Read lines that show his love for his horse. 5. What shows Kyrat's intelligence? 6. To what does the poet compare the leap of the horse? 7. To what does he compare the movement of the horse over the abyss? 8. Does the credit for this leap belong to the horse or to the rider? Why? 9. To whom did the watching Arab give the credit? 10. How would the bearing of Roushan Beg after the leap influence the Arab? 11. Describe the appearance of Kyrat. 12. Compare Coaly-Bay with Kyrat; what likenesses do you find? Would you call this poem a ballad? Why? 13. What other ballad written by Longfellow have you read? What other story of a famous ride, written by Longfellow, do you find in this book? 14. Class reading: "Muléykeh," Browning. 15. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: fourscore; livery; housings; verge. Pronounce: Roushan; khan; chasm; forehead. son of the road, 161, 4 reach the dust-cloud, 161, 9 Phrases into the air's embrace, 162, 29 vision of life and death, 163, 20 How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix 165 "HOW THEY BROUGHT THE GOOD NEWS FROM GHENT TO AIX" ROBERT BROWNING I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he; I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three; Not a word to each other; we kept the great pace 'Twas moonset at starting; but while we drew near Lokeren, the cocks crew, and twilight dawned clear; 15 At Boom, a great yellow star came out to see; At Düffeld, 'twas morning as plain as could be; At Aershot, up leaped of a sudden the sun, 20 And against him the cattle stood black every one, And I saw my stout galloper Roland at last, The haze, as some bluff river headland its spray: 25 And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back |