McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson LXXXI · Part 8: Dickens, Irving and poems of the heart
87. Sowing and Reaping (Adelaide Anne Procter)
Goal: Your child explains the poem's idea that faithful work brings a harvest, and learns the first stanza by heart.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- A notebook or lined paper and a pencil
What's in the book
A short poem by Adelaide Anne Procter in four stanzas urging us to sow with a generous hand through heat and rain, without asking who will reap, and to wait for the harvest.
The lesson, step by step
About the author
The book says Adelaide Anne Procter (b. 1825, d. 1864) was the daughter of the English poet known as "Barry Cornwall," lived in London, and published "Legends and Lyrics" in 1858. A later edition had an introduction by Charles Dickens.
Read aloud
Read the poem aloud twice. It begins:
Sow with a generous hand;
Pause not for toil and pain;
Weary not through the heat of summer,
Weary not through the cold spring rain;
But wait till the autumn comes
For the sheaves of golden grain.
Talk about it
SayIs this poem only about farming? What else might "sowing" mean in a person's life?
SayThe poem says to sow even if we don't know who will reap. Why would anyone work for a harvest they might not gather?
SayHow many times does the poet start a line with a command, like "Sow" or "Weary not"? Why might she do that?
Tell it back
Close the book.
SayTell me what the poet is asking us to do, stanza by stanza.
Older children can write their narration in a short paragraph instead. Don't correct while they talk; just listen.
Memorize
Learn the first stanza (above) by heart this week. Say it slowly, with a steady, hopeful voice.
Optional writing
Your child lists three kinds of "seed" they could sow this week (a kind word, practice, help at home) and what "harvest" each might bring.