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8/8/2019 Columbus Poem
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1. Before you read the poem aloud
Sometimes it is helpful to set the stage for a poem, especially if it is written about a
context that children do not have experience with. You may want to share the following
information with them.
This poem is written about a time before airplanes, cell phones, and GPS systems. Therewere no cars, trucks, or highways. You could not hop on a plane and be around the world
in a matter of hours like you can now. In fact, at the time that this poem takes place,
people did not know the geography of the world. They did not know how much ocean or
land lay between Europe and Asia.
The men in this poem are sailing in a 15th
century ship. They are out on a discovery
mission sailing their ship through unknown waters and exploring the world.
Imagine how scary it would be to set sail without knowing where you were going- or
what was even out there! Many people during this time believe that there were monstersin the ocean or other strange creatures waiting to attack them.
They did not know how long it would be until they reached land. They had no accurate
world map to look at because no one knew what the world looked like yet!
Setting sail as a discoverer must have taken a lot of courage and determination as you
sailed through storms and fog not really knowing what you would find.
(P.S. The admiral in the poem is Columbus.)
2. Read the poem aloud to your students.
You may want them to follow along with a copy while you read, or you may want them
to only focus on only your reading. You may choose.
3. Identify and define words that students do not know.
At this point, hand out the poems and the charts to students.
I have included a chart with definitions of some troublesome words. I would encourageyou to have students copy the definitions on their poem sheets.
4. Read the poem aloud again now that the students are familiar with the
vocabulary.
You can ask them to focus on the difference between the admiral and the mate and crew.
What do the mate and crew want? Why? What does the admiral tell them?
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5. Have students tell you in their own words what each stanza means.
You may have to help translate this poem for your students. I have included a chartwith a section titled, In Other Words. Feel free to use this as your guide. Again, I
would recommend that students write this information in their charts.
6. Discuss the poem.
Key Questions:
1. Why are the mate and crew scared?
They fear that the ship is lost and headed into unknown waters.2. What do the mate and crew want?
They want to sail back home! They know what the seas are like on theway home. Since they know the geography of the coastlines of Europe,
they would not be scared of the unknown.
3. What does the admiral tell them?
He does not show any emotion, and simply tells the crew to continuesailing through the unknown waters.
4. Choose one word to describe the admiral.
I would accept words like brave, courageous, persistent, and determined.5. Why did you choose that word? (Use quotes from the poem.)
6. Choose one word to describe the mate and crew.
I would accept words likescared, timid, and nervous.7. Why did you choose that word? (Use quotes from the poem.)
7. Ask students for personal experiences and make connections to other areas of
curriculum.
Does the admiral remind you of any characters from books or movies? Why? Does the mate and crew remind you of any characters from books or movies?
Why?
Other Connections
Science - This poem would connect well to a lesson about stars, the ocean, orcompasses.
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History Learning about a time in history so different from our own can befascinating. This poem would connect well to history lessons focusing on
Columbus (of course!) and the Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of
Exploration (15th
century - 17th
century).
Geography The poem references the Azores and the Gates of Hercules. It wouldbe fun for students to find these places on a map.
Political Map of the World, 2009. (The World Factbook)
8. Assign the poem for students to memorize.
Break the poem into manageable chunks for your students - maybe they have three days
to memorize each of the stanzas- you can decide!
It is really helpful for the students to recite it as a class a few times throughout the day.
9. Students recite the poem.
You could have them recite each section as it is due and also have them recite the whole
poem at the end. (I would recommend this.)
You could have the students recite the poem for their families (call Grandma andGrandpa over!), you could videotape them reciting it (kids love watching themselves in
videos), or you could simply have them recite it for you. There are many possibilities!
Have fun!
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Columbus
BEHIND him lay the gray Azores,
Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores,
Before him only shoreless seas.The good mate said: "Now we must pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say?"
"Why, say, 'Sail on! sail on! and on!' "
"My men grow mutinous day by day;
My men grow ghastly wan and weak."
The stout mate thought of home; a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
"What shall I say, brave Admiral, say,
If we sight naught but seas at dawn?""Why, you shall say at break of day,
'Sail on! sail on! and on!' "
They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate said:
"Why, now not even God would know
Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way,
For God from these dead seas is gone.
Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say" --
He said, "Sail on! sail on! and on!"
They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:
"This mad sea shows his teeth tonight.
He curls his lip, he lies in wait,
With lifted teeth, as if to bite!
Brave Admiral, say but one good word:
What shall we do when hope is gone?"
The words leapt like a leaping sword:
"Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!"
Then pale and worn, he kept his deck,And peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck --
A light! a light! at last a light!
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time's burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: "On! sail on!"
-Joaquin Miller (1841-1913)
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Poem Vocabulary InOtherWords
BEHIND him lay the gray
Azores,
Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of
shores,
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: "Now we
must pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak, what shall
I say?"
"Why, say, 'Sail on! sail on! and
on!' "
Azoresagroupofislands
GatesofHerculesan
ancientnameforthehigh
pointsoflandatthe
entranceofthe
MediterraneanSea
mateanofficeronaship
lolook
Admiralthecommander
ofaship
Adiscoveryshipissailing
outintothemiddleofthe
ocean.
Thecrewandthemateon
theshipcannotseeanyland
orstars,andthismakes
themnervous.
Theyfearthattheymaybe
lostorsailingintosome
greatunknowndanger.The
admiralontheshipisnot
nervousandtellsthemto
continuesailing.
"My men grow mutinous day by
day;
My men grow ghastly wan and
weak."
The stout mate thought of home;
a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy
cheek.
"What shall I say, brave
Admiral, say,
If we sight naught but seas at
dawn?""Why, you shall say at break of
day,
'Sail on! sail on! and on!' "
mutinousdisobedient
ghastlyunpleasantly
wanpale
stoutstrongandbrave
swarthydarkskinned
naughtnothing
dawnmorninglight
Thecrewisbecomingso
fearfuloftheunknownthat
theyareconsideringgoing
againsttheadmiralsorders
inordertosailbackhome.
Theadmiraltellsthemto
continuesailingevenif,by
dawn,theycanstillonlysee
nothingbuttheseas.
They sailed and sailed, as winds
might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate
said:
"Why, now not even God would
know
Should I and all my men falldead.
These very winds forget their
way,
For God from these dead seas is
gone.
Now speak, brave Admiral,
speak and say" --
He said, "Sail on! sail on! and
on!"
blanchedgrowingpale
fromfear
Themateandcrewcontinue
togrowfearful.
Theysaythattheyaresolost
thatevenGodhasleftthem.
Theadmiraltellsthemto
continuesailing.
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They sailed. They sailed. Then
spake the mate:
"This mad sea shows his teeth
tonight.
He curls his lip, he lies in wait,
With lifted teeth, as if to bite!Brave Admiral, say but one good
word:
What shall we do when hope is
gone?"
The words leapt like a leaping
sword:
"Sail on! sail on! sail on! and
on!"
spakeanoldformofthe
wordspoke
Nowtheseaisstormy,and
thecrewandmatehavelost
allhope.Theybelievethat
theywilldie.
Theadmiraltellsthemtocontinuesailing.
Then pale and worn, he kept his
deck,And peered through darkness.
Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a
speck --
A light! a light! at last a light!
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time's burst of
dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that
world
Its grandest lesson: "On! sail
on!"
palelightincolor
wornverytired
deckthetoplevelofa
ship
peeredlooked
speckatinyspot
unfurledspreadout
Theadmiralstayedawake
intothenightlookingoutforanythingthathecouldsee.
Finally,thecloudslifted,and
theycouldseethestarsand
eventually,eventhesun!
Theshipanditscrewwould
beokaynow.
Theadmiraltaughtthe
lessonofpersistence.
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Name____________________________________ Date________________________
ColumbusPoetryChart
Poem Vocabulary InOtherWords
BEHIND him lay the gray
Azores,
Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of
shores,
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: "Now we
must pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak, what shall
I say?"
"Why, say, 'Sail on! sail on! and
on!' "
"My men grow mutinous day by
day;
My men grow ghastly wan and
weak."
The stout mate thought of home;
a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy
cheek.
"What shall I say, brave
Admiral, say,
If we sight naught but seas at
dawn?"
"Why, you shall say at break of
day,
'Sail on! sail on! and on!' "
They sailed and sailed, as winds
might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate
said:
"Why, now not even God would
know
Should I and all my men fall
dead.
These very winds forget their
way,
For God from these dead seas is
gone.
Now speak, brave Admiral,
8/8/2019 Columbus Poem
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speak and say" --
He said, "Sail on! sail on! and
on!"
They sailed. They sailed. Then
spake the mate:
"This mad sea shows his teethtonight.
He curls his lip, he lies in wait,
With lifted teeth, as if to bite!
Brave Admiral, say but one good
word:
What shall we do when hope is
gone?"
The words leapt like a leaping
sword:
"Sail on! sail on! sail on! and
on!"
Then pale and worn, he kept his
deck,
And peered through darkness.
Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a
speck --
A light! a light! at last a light!
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time's burst of
dawn.
He gained a world; he gave thatworld
Its grandest lesson: "On! sail
on!"
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Columbus Lesson Plan
Poem by Joaquin Miller
Lesson Plan by Elizabeth OBrien
2009 Elizabeth OBrien & English-Grammar-Revolution. All Rights Reserved.www.english-grammar-revolution.com