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

Lesson 49: The Arrow and the Song

by Henry W. Longfellow

Performer: Librivox - Kara Shallenberg

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

What do an arrow and a song have in common? In, The Arrow and the Song, this clever poem compares firing an arrow and a song, their flight, and their ultimate effects and eventual locations.

Vocabulary

Shot: The firing of a gun, cannon, or arrow.
Arrow: A shaft sharpened at the front and with feathers or vanes at the back, shot from a bow as a weapon or for sport.
Bow: A weapon for shooting arrows, typically made of a curved piece of wood whose ends are joined by a taut string.
Swift: Moving or capable of moving at high speed.
Keen: Sharp or penetrating, in particular.

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:

• Arrows
• Bows
• Sashes
• Boots
• Deer
• Fowl
• Trees
• Stream
• Mountains

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 52 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 'The Arrow and the Song.'

1 / 3

Question 2

What happens in the poem?

2 / 3

Answer 2

The poem compares sending an arrow and a song out into the world.

2 / 3

Question 3

Who are the characters in the poem?

3 / 3

Answer 3

The narrator who fired the arrow and breathed the song.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'The Arrow and the Song.'
2. What happens in the poem? The poem compares sending an arrow and a song out into the world.
3. Who are the characters in the poem? The narrator who fired the arrow and breathed the song.