McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson LIII · Part 6: Lessons XLIX-LX: Sieges, patriots and pilgrims
59. Lochiel's Warning (Thomas Campbell)
Goal: Your student reads a dramatic dialogue poem and explains the conflict between the seer and the chief.
You'll need
- The book, or the scan beside this guide
- A notebook and pen
- A dictionary
What's in the book
A poem in which a Highland seer warns the chief Lochiel not to fight at Culloden, and Lochiel proudly refuses to listen. An author note comes first.
The lesson, step by step
Words and meanings
Before reading, find these words in the selection and look up any your student does not know: seer, array, clans, Culloden, mystical.
About the author
The book says Thomas Campbell (1777-1844) was born in Glasgow, entered the university there at thirteen and graduated with distinction in Greek. His Pleasures of Hope (1799) brought him fame; he later wrote "Lochiel's Warning," "Hohenlinden" and Gertrude of Wyoming. He helped found the University of London, and his poems are noted for smoothness and music.
Read it aloud
The seer speaks first:
Lochiel! Lochiel! beware of the day
When the Lowlands shall meet thee in battle array!
For a field of the dead rushes red on my sight,
And the clans of Culloden are scattered in fight.
Your student reads the poem as a dialogue, with a different voice for the Seer and for Lochiel.
Talk about it
SayWhat does the seer see coming?
SayHow does Lochiel answer him? Is he brave, or foolish, or both?
SayThe rhythm of the poem gallops. Why does that suit the subject?
SayLook up the battle of Culloden (1746). Did the seer's warning come true?
Tell it back
Your student tells the exchange between the seer and Lochiel in prose.
Copywork and memory
Copy and learn the first four lines.
Write (optional)
Write a short dialogue in which one person warns another, who will not listen.