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

Lesson 16: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

by Eugene Field

Performer: Librivox - Ian King

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

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod ride in a wooden shoe to fish in a beautiful sea. In the final stanza, the poem reveals Wynken and Blynken are the eyes of a sleeping child, Nod is the child's head, and the wooden shoe is the child's trundle-bed.

Vocabulary

Crystal: A highly transparent glass.
Dew: Tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces at night.
Herring: A silvery food fish.
Ruffled: Disturb the smoothness or tranquility of.
Foam: A mass of small bubbles.
Trundle-bed: A low bed on wheels that can be stored under a larger bed.

Concepts

1. Eugene Field was born in 1850 in Saint Louis, Illinois. See his picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Field's birth state of Illinois (IL) on the map of the continental United States.

3. Field was afraid of the dark as a boy and hated studying. His mother died when he was six, and his father sent him to live on his cousin's farm.
4. Field wrote his first poem on the farm about his cousin's dog, Fido.
5. Field married young and had eight children, five of which survived beyond childhood.
6. Field published poems beginning in 1879, when he was 29. One of his most famous poems is, 'Wynken, Blynken, and Nod'.
7. Field died of a heart attack at the age of 45 in Chicago, Illinois.

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 18 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 6

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.'

1 / 6

Question 2

What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Wynken, Blynken, and Nod?'

2 / 6

Answer 2

The name of the poet is Eugene Field.

2 / 6

Question 3

What happens in the poem?

3 / 6

Answer 3

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod ride in a wooden shoe to fish silver in a beautiful sea. At the end, the poem reveals Wynken and Blynken are the eyes of a sleeping child, Nod is the child's head, and the wooden shoe is the child's trundle-bed.

3 / 6

Question 4

Where does the poem take place?

4 / 6

Answer 4

The poem takes place in a little boy's bedroom.

4 / 6

Question 5

Who are the characters in the poem?

5 / 6

Answer 5

The character is a little boy (and his Wynken, Blynken, and Nod).

5 / 6

Question 6

Does the poem teach us anything?

6 / 6

Answer 6

The poem suggests that we can have magical, wondrous dreams as we sleep.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.'
2. What is the name of the poet who wrote 'Wynken, Blynken, and Nod?' The name of the poet is Eugene Field.
3. What happens in the poem? Wynken, Blynken, and Nod ride in a wooden shoe to fish silver in a beautiful sea. At the end, the poem reveals Wynken and Blynken are the eyes of a sleeping child, Nod is the child's head, and the wooden shoe is the child's trundle-bed.
4. Where does the poem take place? The poem takes place in a little boy's bedroom.
5. Who are the characters in the poem? The character is a little boy (and his Wynken, Blynken, and Nod).
6. Does the poem teach us anything? The poem suggests that we can have magical, wondrous dreams as we sleep.

References

'Eugene Field.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.