McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XX · Part 3: Lessons XIII-XXIV: Dickens, Gray and Patrick Henry

26. The American Flag (Joseph Rodman Drake)

Goal: Your student reads a patriotic poem with spirit and explains its central picture of the flag.

⏱ About 30 minutes · 7 steps

Open it at the Internet Archive ↗

You'll need

  • The book, or the scan beside this guide
  • A notebook and pen
  • A dictionary

What's in the book

Drake's poem telling how Freedom made the flag from the night sky and the stars and gave it to the eagle to guard. An author note comes first.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Words and meanings

    Before reading, find these words in the selection and look up any your student does not know: standard, azure, baldric, dyes.

  2. About the author

    The book says Joseph Rodman Drake (1795-1820) was born in New York City, grew up poor after his father died, and took a degree in medicine at about twenty. Most of his poems were written in less than two years. He is best known for "The Culprit Fay" and "The American Flag." His friend Fitz-Greene Halleck remembered him as gentle and kind.

  3. Read it aloud

    Read the opening together:

    When Freedom, from her mountain-height,

    Unfurled her standard to the air,

    She tore the azure robe of night,

    And set the stars of glory there;

    Your student reads the whole poem, firm and bright.

  4. Talk about it

    SayWhere did Freedom get the colors and stars of the flag?

    SayWhat job does she give the eagle?

    SayFreedom is personified, made a person. Why is that a strong choice for this poem?

    SayHow do the last lines answer the question "Where breathes the foe but falls before us"?

  5. Tell it back

    Your student tells the story the poem tells about the making of the flag.

  6. Copywork and memory

    Copy and learn the first four lines.

  7. Write (optional)

    Write a paragraph on what a flag stands for, and why people care about it so much.

@teddyrookbook GitHub