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

Lesson 23: Windy Nights

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Performer: Librivox - Arctura


Whenever the moon and stars are set,

Whenever the wind is high,

All night long in the dark and wet,

A man goes riding by.

Late in the night when the fires are out,

Why does he gallop and gallop about?



Whenever the trees are crying aloud,

And ships are tossed at sea,

By, on the highway, low and loud,

By at the gallop goes he.

By at the gallop he goes, and then

By he comes back at the gallop again.

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

Lesson 23: Windy Nights

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Performer: Librivox - Arctura

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 describes a man galloping back and forth during the night.

Vocabulary

Gallop: The fastest pace of a horse or other quadruped, with all the feet off the ground together in each stride.
Tossed: Move or cause to move from side to side or back and forth.

Concepts

  1. Robert Louis Stevenson was born in 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland. See his picture below.
  2. Zoom in and find Stevenson's birth country (UK) on the map of Europe below.
  3. Although his family was in the business of engineering lighthouses, Stevenson wanted to write from an early age.
  4. Stevenson spent much of his life traveling around the world.
  5. In addition to poetry, Stevenson wrote famous books such as 'Treasure Island', 'Kidnapped', and 'Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'.
  6. Stevenson died in 1894 at the age of 44 in the Samoan Islands.
  7. Zoom in and find the Samoan Islands (Samoa) on the map of Oceania in the South Pacific below.

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: Study the Poem Picture

  • Study the poem picture, and describe how it relates to the poem.

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 25 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?
1 / 5

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'Windy Nights.'
1 / 5

Question 2

What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Windy Nights?'
2 / 5

Answer 2

The name of the poet is Robert Louis Stevenson.
2 / 5

Question 3

What happens in the poem?
3 / 5

Answer 3

The poem describes a man galloping back and forth during the night.
3 / 5

Question 4

Who are the characters in the poem?
4 / 5

Answer 4

The characters are the narrator and the man riding the horse at night.
4 / 5

Question 5

Does the poem teach us anything?
5 / 5

Answer 5

The poem reminds us that there are intriguing mysteries all around us.
5 / 5

  1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'Windy Nights.'
  2. What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Windy Nights?' The name of the poet is Robert Louis Stevenson.
  3. What happens in the poem? The poem describes a man galloping back and forth during the night.
  4. Who are the characters in the poem? The characters are the narrator and the man riding the horse at night.
  5. Does the poem teach us anything? The poem reminds us that there are intriguing mysteries all around us.

References

  1. 'Robert Louis Stevenson.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.