Poets of Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme    

Lesson 10: When the Frost is on the Punkin

by James Whitcomb Riley

Performer: Librivox - Alex Vause

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Read about the poet.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

The poem praises the sights, sounds, sensations, and foods of farm life during the autumn season.

Vocabulary

Punkin: Pumpkin.
Fodder: Animal feed such as corn or other grain.
Shock: Grain such as corn or wheat stacked in upright piles for drying.
Atmusfere: Atmosphere.
Airly: Early.
Tossels (Corn Tassels): A tuft of loosely hanging threads.
Medder: Meadow.
Reaper: A tool or machine that harvests a crop.
Wimmern: Women.
Mince (Mincemeat): A mixture of currants, raisins, sugar, apples, candied citrus peel, spices, and suet, typically baked in a pie.
'commodate: Accommodate.

Concepts

1. James Whitcomb Riley was born in 1849 in Greenfield, Indiana. See his picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Riley's birth state of Indiana (IN - The Hoosier State) on the map of the continental United States.

3. Riley had five siblings. His mother taught him to read at home before sending him to school. He frequently got into trouble at school and did not like his teachers, which he later wrote about in his poems.
4. Riley wrote approximately 1000 poems during his lifetime and became famous by going on poetry tours across America.
5. Riley was known as the 'Hoosier poet.' A 'Hoosier' is a native or inhabitant of Indiana. Some of Riley's poems were written in a Hoosier dialect, including 'The Raggedy Man', 'Little Orphant Annie', and 'When the Frost is on the Punkin.'
6. Riley suffered from alcoholism and never married or had children. Riley died in 1916 at the age of 66 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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.

Activity 2: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the poem picture below:

• Narrator
• Pumpkins
• Corn Husks
• Corn Shocks
• Field

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

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

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 12 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Activity 5: Take a Morning Walk and Write a Poem

• One morning this week, read the poem for inspiration and then take a walk.
• Take note of the sights and sounds of nature during your stroll.
• Write a poem based on anything beautiful or inspiring about nature that you saw during your morning walk.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 6

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'When the Frost is on the Punkin.'

1 / 6

Question 2

What is the name of the poet who wrote 'When the Frost is on the Punkin?'

2 / 6

Answer 2

The name of the poet is James Whitcomb Riley.

2 / 6

Question 3

What happens in the poem?

3 / 6

Answer 3

The poem celebrates the sights, sounds, sensations, and foods of farm life during fall.

3 / 6

Question 4

Where does the poem take place?

4 / 6

Answer 4

The poem takes place outside on a farm that grows pumpkins and corn and raises animals.

4 / 6

Question 5

Who are the characters in the poem?

5 / 6

Answer 5

The characters are the narrator and the angelic women who bake delicious dishes out of harvest foods.

5 / 6

Question 6

Does the poem teach us anything?

6 / 6

Answer 6

The poem reminds us to appreciate and celebrate the beauty of the fall season.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'When the Frost is on the Punkin.'
2. What is the name of the poet who wrote 'When the Frost is on the Punkin?' The name of the poet is James Whitcomb Riley.
3. What happens in the poem? The poem celebrates the sights, sounds, sensations, and foods of farm life during fall.
4. Where does the poem take place? The poem takes place outside on a farm that grows pumpkins and corn and raises animals.
5. Who are the characters in the poem? The characters are the narrator and the angelic women who bake delicious dishes out of harvest foods.
6. Does the poem teach us anything? The poem reminds us to appreciate and celebrate the beauty of the fall season.

References

'James Whitcomb Riley.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.