Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1850. His family included engineers, scientists, a professor of philosophy, and a religious minister. He loved writing stories and poems when he was a child and went on to become an author. His most famous children’s book is Treasure Island, which tells of the adventures of a boy called Jim Hawkins who finds a treasure map, and a pirate called Long John Silver. His most famous book of poems is A Child’s Garden of Verses, which he wrote when he was ill in bed. Stevenson was often ill as a child as he had serious lung problems. He read a great deal about travel and adventure. A combination of his love of adventure and his ill health led him to spend many years as a writer travelling the world in search of a climate that was healthier than Britain's. In 1890, he went to live in the remote Samoan Islands in the South Pacific. He died there in 1894 at the age of 44.

MONDAY SUM1WK1

The Land of Counterpane

When I was sick and lay a-bed I had two pillows at my head And all my toys beside me lay To keep me happy all the day And sometimes for an hour or so I watch my leaden soldiers go, With different uniforms and drills, Among the bed-clothes, through the hills. And sometimes sent my ships in fleets All up and down among the sheets Or brought my trees and houses out And planted cities all about I was the giant great and still That sits upon the pillow hill And sees before him, dale and plain, The pleasant land of counterpane. Robert Louis Stevenson TUESDAY SUM1WK1

Illustrated versions of The Land of Counterpane

TUESDAY SUM1WK1

Bed in Summer

In winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle-light. In summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day. I have to go to bed and see The birds still hopping in the tree. Or hear the grown-up people’s feet Still going past me in the street. And does it not seem hard to you When all the sky is clear and blue, And I should like so much to play, To have to go to bed by day? Robert Louis Stevenson

MONDAY SUM1WK1

A Good Play

We built a ship upon the stairs All made of the back-bedroom chairs And filled it full of sofa pillows To go a sailing on the billows* We took a saw and several nails And water in the nursery pails And Tom said, “Let us also take An apple and a slice of cake, Which was enough for Tom and me To go a sailing on till tea. We sailed along for days and days And had the very best of plays But Tom fell out and hurt his knee So there was no-one left but me. Robert Louis Stevenson

MONDAY SUM1WK1

My Shadow

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed. The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow – Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow. For he sometimes shoots up tall, like an india-rubber ball, And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all. He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play, And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward you can see; I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me! One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

Robert Louis Stevenson

MONDAY SUM1WK1

My Bed is a Boat

My bed is like a little boat; Nurse helps me when I embark; She girds* me in my sailor’s coat And starts me in the dark. At night, I go on board and say Good-night to all my friends on shore; I shut my eyes and sail away And see and hear no more. And sometimes things to bed I take, As prudent** sailors have to do; Perhaps a slice of wedding-cake, Perhaps a toy or two. All night across the dark we steer; But when the day returns at last, Safe in my room, beside the pier I find my vessel fast.

Robert Louis Stevenson

*girds – dresses **prudent – sensible, careful

MONDAY SUM1WK1

Marching Song

Bring the comb and play upon it! Marching here we come! Willie cocks his highland bonnet*, Johnnie beats the drum.

Mary Jane commands the party, Peter leads the rear; Feet in time, alert and hearty, Each a Grenadier**!

All in the most martial manner*** Marching double-quick; While the napkin like a banner Waves upon the stick!

Here’s enough of fame and pillage, Great commander Jane! Now that we've been round the village, Let’s go home again. Robert Louis Stevenson

* highland bonnet – a sort of Scottish hat

** Grenadier – a type of soldier *** martial manner – in the way an army would march

MONDAY SUM1WK1

Young Night Thought

All night long and every night,

When my mama puts out the light

I see the people marching by,

As plain as day, before my eye.

Armies and emperors and kings,

All carrying different kinds of things,

And marching in so grand a way,

You never saw the like by day.

So fine a show was never seen

At the great circus on the green;

For every kind of beast and man

Is marching in that caravan.

At first they move a little slow,

But still the faster on they go,

And still beside them close I keep

Until we reach the Town of Sleep.

Robert Louis Stevenson

WEDNESDAY SUM1WK1

The Land of Nod

From breakfast on through all the day

At home among my friends I stay,

But every night I go abroad

Afar into the Land of Nod.

All by myself I have to go,

With none to tell me what to do –

All alone beside the streams

And up the mountain-side of dreams.

The strangest things are there for me,

Both things to eat and things to see,

And many frightening sights abroad

Till morning in the Land of Nod.

Try as I like to find the way

I never can get back by day,

Nor can remember plain and clear

The curious music that I hear.

Robert Louis Stevenson

THURSDAY SUM1WK1

What Are Rhyming Couplets?

A rhyming couplet is two lines from a poem that are of the same length, that rhyme, and that often complete one

thought.

Although rhyming words are words which sound the same when spoken, they don't necessarily have to be spelt in

the same way.

Here is an extract from Roald Dahl’s funny poem Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, which is written in rhyming

couplets:

As soon as Wolf began to feel

That he would like a decent meal,

He went and knocked on Grandma's door.

When Grandma opened it, she saw

The sharp white teeth, the horrid grin,

And Wolfie said, "May I come in?"

http://allpoetry.com/poem/8503195-Little_Red_Riding_Hood_and_the_Wolf-by-Roald_Dahl

TUESDAY SUM1WK1

Spelling the /eI/ sound

ei ey ai a ay vein obey drain crazy away

veil grey main navy sway

rein prey pain baby play

beige they rail ache day

feign hey nail April may

reign convey snail paper spray

survey tail lazy clay

whey again waste tray

rain brake hay

waist

eigh ea

weight great

eight break

weigh steak

neighbour

sleigh

TUESDAY SUM1WK1

Counterpane or quilt designs

TUESDAY SUM1WK1

TUESDAY SUM1WK1

Writing Rhyming Couplets on the Theme of Being Ill in Bed

1. Brainstorm all the good words or phrases you can think of to do with being stuck in bed when you are ill. Record these on a

big bit of paper – bed, sick, TV, toys, ache, water-bottle, pillow, Mum, etc.

2. Put a ring around 3, 5 or 7 of your very favourite words – your teacher will tell you how many you should start with.

3. Record the first of your chosen words in the top right hand box of the first pair of ‘couplet lines’ – bed. Do the same with

your other favourite words, again using the top right-hand boxes of each set of ‘couplet lines’.

4. Find a really good rhyme for each of your chosen words. Use a rhyming dictionary and remember to check the spelling! For

bed, you could try try head, said, Ted, etc.

5. Have fun drafting the two lines that finish with your rhyming words: Here I am, stuck in bed/ With a runny nose and a painful head. OR, Mum has told me, ‘Stay in bed!’/ At least I’ll get to be with Ted.

6. Keep saying your lines out loud so that you can hear what they sound like. Remember, the lines need to be roughly the

same length and if possible should both be about the same thing, situation or thought.

7. Keep re-reading your lines and making any changes you need to so that they have the right rhyme and rhythm.

8. Write your poem out in best, being sure to use your clearest joined-up handwriting and taking care to spell all your words

correctly.

9. Practise reading your poem aloud. Try out different ways of reading the lines, changing your voice to match the mood of

the poem and thinking about which words you should emphasise as you speak.

10. Give your poem a good title!

Adapted from an idea by Holly McNish.

WED&THURS SUM1WK1

How to use the Rhyming Couplets Planner

Stage 1. Fill in a word in the top, right-hand box

bed

Stage 2. Create a rhyme

bed

head

Stage 3. Draft lines to end with your two rhyming words

Here I am, stuck in bed

A runny nose and a painful head.

WEDNESDAY SUM1WK1

Rhyming Couplet Plan

WED&THURS SUM1WK1