Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. [1915]

92

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

These are some of the means by which Holmes has "dressed up" his
lesson so that you enjoy reading it. Does it not help in your appreciation of it to understand, not only the meaning, but also its
beauty? Will you not be glad to remember the same things in connection with your next poem, and like it all the better for your knowledge
of them?
PART FOUR
Practice reading the poem aloud until you are able to convey its exact
meaning. Learn the entire poem. The-last stanza is said by some critics
to be the best known stanza in American literature.
(Suggestion to the Teacher-Look. up the various members of the
blarding house and become acquainted with the landlady, her children,
the young man whom they call John, the gentleman opposite, etc.
Assign a character to the various pupils and let them sit about a table.
Then as a recognition of good work let the best reader impersonate the
Autocrat and give The Chambered Nautilus. It will make an interesting
class exercise for the lesson concluding this classic.)
PART FIVE
Have you now enough interest in the poem to want to know more of
the man who wrote it? You will be glad to find out that there is a particular reason why we Americans should be proud of him. If you would
like to know more about him look up his life.
A sketch of the life of Oliver Wendell Holmes will be found in the
following books:
Introduction to American Literature, Brander, Matthews, American
Book Co.
American Literature, Wi. J. Long, Ginn & Co.
American Literature, Julian W. Abernathy, Chas. E. Merrill Co.
American Literature for Secondary Schools, Wm. B. Cairns, The Macmillan Company.
A History of American Literature, Fred L. Pattee, Silver, Burdett
& Co.
Introduction to American Literature, F. V. N. Painter, Sibley & Co.
An Introduction to American Literature, Henry S. Pancoast, Henry
Holt & Co.
American Literature, Wm. C. Lawton, World Book Co.
Studies in American Literature, Chas. Noble, The Macmillan Co.
Holmes's The Chambered Nautilus, and Lincoln's Gettysburg Speech,
Lucy A. Sloan, Sloan Publishing Co.
The Chambered Nautilus and Gettysburg Speech, Educational Publishing Co.