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

Lesson 29: A March Snow

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Performer: Librivox - SK

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 narrator asks that the dirty March snow be covered in a white sheet of new snow. The narrator asks that their own mistakes be similarly covered in a white sheet of repentance.

Vocabulary

Trampled: Stomped on and crushed.
Soiled: Made dirty.
Untrodden: Not been walked on.
Mantle: A loose sleeveless cloak or shawl, worn especially by women.
Repentance: Sincere regret or remorse.
Drapery: Cloth coverings hanging in loose folds.

Concepts

1. Ella Wheeler Wilcox was born in 1850 in Johnstown, Wisconsin. See her picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Wilcox's birth state of Wisconsin (WI) on the map of the continental United States.

3. Wilcox infused her poems with passion, optimism, and joy. One of her most famous poems, 'Solitude', contains the line, 'Laugh, and the world laughs with you, Weep and you weep alone'.
4. After her marriage in 1884, Wilcox became very interested in the paranormal. She and her husband promised that whomever passed on first would communicate with the other from the spirit world. When her husband died after thirty years of marriage, she was distraught when no message from beyond came from her husband.
5. Wilcox died of cancer in 1918 at the age of 68 in Short Beach, Connecticut.

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 31 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Activity 5: Discuss the Poem

The poem compares a white sheet of new snow to a white sheet of repentance covering our past mistakes.

Think about a mistake you once made.

Everyone makes mistakes, but how you react to your mistakes can define you as a person.

What can we do when we make mistakes?

• We can express sincere regret and apologize when we've inconvenienced or hurt someone.
• We can take action to right the mistake we made.
• We can avoid repeating the mistake again.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 5

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'A March Snow.'

1 / 5

Question 2

What is the name of the poet who wrote 'A March Snow?'

2 / 5

Answer 2

The name of the poet is Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

2 / 5

Question 3

What happens in the poem?

3 / 5

Answer 3

The narrator compares a white sheet of new snow covering dirty snow to a white sheet of repentance covering our past mistakes.

3 / 5

Question 4

Who are the characters in the poem?

4 / 5

Answer 4

The poem character is the narrator.

4 / 5

Question 5

Does the poem teach us anything?

5 / 5

Answer 5

The poem reminds us that we can renew ourselves, even in the face of past mistakes.

5 / 5

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'A March Snow.'
2. What is the name of the poet who wrote 'A March Snow?' The name of the poet is Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
3. What happens in the poem? The narrator compares a white sheet of new snow covering dirty snow to a white sheet of repentance covering our past mistakes.
4. Who are the characters in the poem? The poem character is the narrator.
5. Does the poem teach us anything? The poem reminds us that we can renew ourselves, even in the face of past mistakes.

References

'Ella Wheeler Wilcox.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.