The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 36–39 · Part 1: Part First
14. Capitals in poetry, and capital I
Goal: Your child knows that every line of poetry begins with a capital and that the word I is always a capital.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and pencil (a notebook kept just for this book works well)
What's in the book
Section 36 is Thomas Carlyle's poem "To-day", shown in handwriting, to learn by heart. Section 37 gives the rule for capitals in poetry. Section 38 lists all the rules so far. Section 39 uses the rhyme "Star light, star bright" to teach capital I.
The lesson, step by step
Read "To-day"
Read the handwritten poem on page 49 aloud with your child (help with the handwriting). It begins:
So here hath been dawning
Another blue day:
Ask: What is the poet asking us not to do with the new day?
The new rule (Section 37)
Look at the poem: every line starts with a capital, even when the sentence goes on.
Every line of poetry should begin with a Capital Letter.
Star light, star bright (Section 39)
Read the rhyme together.
Star light, star bright,
First star I see to-night,
Find every "I". The book says I stands for the person speaking and is always a capital.
Write from memory
Your child learns "Star light, star bright" (it's quick) and writes it from memory, with a capital at the start of each line and a capital I.
Review the rules (Section 38)
Read the eight rules in Section 38 aloud together. For each, your child points to an example in something they wrote this month.
Check it gently
Compare the written rhyme with the book. Your child checks capitals at the start of lines and every I. Fix just those.
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
Star light, star bright, ... written from memory with a capital at the start of every line and a capital I each time.
A sentence of your child's own, using the rule:
On Sunday I saw the first star before supper.
Afterwards
Learn "To-day" by heart over the week, then write it from memory (Section 37 asks for this).
Tip
Children often put a small i in quick writing. A gentle "Is that I standing tall?" is enough.
Answers to the book's problems
Section 39: "I" appears three times in the rhyme ("I see", "I wish I may", "I wish I might") and in "I wish to-night"; each is a capital.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.