1. Reading Lesson

Lochinvar

Oh ! young Lochinvar is come out of the west, Through all the wide border his steed was the best And save his good broadsword, he weapons had none; He rode all unarmed, and he rode all alone. So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, There never was knight like the young Lochinvar.

He stayed not for brake and he stopped not for stone,

He swam the Eske River where ford there was none;

But ere he alighted at Netherby gate,

The bride had consented, the gallant came late:

For a laggard in love and a dastard in war

Was to wed the fair Ellen of brave Lochinvar.

So boldly he entered the Netherby Hall,

Among bridesmen, and kinsmen, and brothers, and all'

Then spoke the bride's father, his hand on his sword, -

For the poor craven bridesgrooin said never a word, -

"Oh ! come ye in peace here, or come ye in war,

Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar?" -

"I long woo'd your daughter, my suit you denied; Love swells like the Solway, but ebbs like its tide - And now am I come, with this lost love of mine, To lead but one measure, drink one cup of wine. There are maidens in Scotland more lovely by far, That would gladly be bride to the young Lochinvar.,,

The bride kissed the goblet; the knight took it up, He quaffed off the wine, and he threw down the cup. She looked down to blush, and she looked up to sigh, With a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye. He took her soft hand, ere her mother could bar, - "Now tread we a measure!" said young Lochinvar.

So stately his form, and so lovely her face,

That never a hall such a galliard did grace;

While her mother did fret and her father did fume,

And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume;

And the bride-maidens whispered, "It were better by far

To have matched our fair cousin with young Lochinvar."

One touch to her hand, and one word in her ear,

When they reached the hall door, and the charger stood near;

So light to the croupe the fair lady he swung !

So light to the saddle before her he sprung !

"She is won ! we are gone, over bank, bush, and scaur;

They'll have fleet steeds that follow," quoth young Loch-invar.

There was mounting 'mong Graemes of the Netherby clan;

Forsters, Fenwicks, and Musgraves, they rode and they ran:

There was racing and chasing on Cannobie Lee,

But the lost bride of Netherby ne'er did they see.

So daring in love, and so dauntless in war,

Have ye e'er heard of gallant like young Lochinvar?

- Sir Walter Scott.

2. Study

border, that part of Scotland bordering on England; laggard, one who loiters; brake, bushes; dastard, coward; kinsmen, relatives; craven, cowardly; measure, a dance; galliard, a gay and lively man; clan, a group of families related to each other.

Read the story through. In what country is the scene laid? Who is the hero of the story? Why has he come to the wedding?

What sort of man is the bridegroom? Why is the fair Ellen to many such a person?

How do you think the people at the wedding felt when Lochinvar came? Did he mean that his love had ebbed like the tide? What reason did he give for coming? Explain the last two lines of the fourth stanza.

Explain the feelings of the different persons mentioned in the sixth stanza.

Read the last two stanzas. What kind of movement do they make you think of? Where else in the poem do you find the same movement?

What other poems do you know that describe rides? Which do you like best?

3. Word Studies

1. Give words of your own that mean nearly the same as these. If you study them in the poem, you will probably not need the dictionary.

ford unarmed.

tread alighted.

fret fume.

2. Find words in the poem that mean nearly the same as these: horse coward girls fearless.

swift said drank wedding.

Which words sound better in the poem?

What are words called that have about the same meaning?

3. Copy the words in the poem that contain an apostrophe. Tell why it is there. Write the words as they would be if the apostrophe were not used.

4. Composition

Make an outline of this story of Lochinvar. Write or tell the part of it that your teacher suggests. Try to use many of the words of the poem.

5. Memory Work

You will enjoy learning all of this poem so you can recite it.

Write a stanza from memory. Then look at the book to see if your work is correct.