PRESENTATION
Read the poem describing these. What is the main theme of the lesson? The poet tells us how much we have missed if we have not "seen an apple orchard in the spring".
What is his theme in the first three stanzas? The beauty of an apple orchard.
What, in the last stanza? His memory of it.
In what order does he describe the blossoms? In the first stanza, the buds are turning white; in the second, they are unfolding; and in the third, the petals are dropping.
Where does the author suppose the reader to be standing, in the first stanza? Outside the orchard, where it is possible to see "the spreading trees" and all the orchard at once.
Where, in the next two stanzas, is he supposed to be? He is plucking the blossoms and walking under the trees.
What senses are appealed to in the first stanza? Sight—"seen an apple orchard". Hearing—"mavis sings its story".
What senses are appealed to in the second stanza? Touch—"plucked the apple blossoms", "touch them a delight". Smell—"caught their subtle odours". Sight—"Pink buds pouting at the light", "Crumpled petals baby white".
What senses are appealed to in the third? Sight—"pink cascades". Hearing—"silver brooklets brawling", "cuckoo bird soft calling".
Show the appropriateness of "hoary", "wealth of promised glory", "pouting", "pink cascades", "silver brooklets brawling", "wonder of the spring", "precious", "tender".
What Canadian birds could be substituted for the mavis and the cuckoo? The robins, warblers, and goldfinches.
Lead the pupils to examine the arrangement of the rhythm and the refrain, so that they will appreciate the music of the verse. Let each pupil show his appreciation by reading the stanza he likes best.
LITTLE DAFFYDOWNDILLY
(Third Reader, page 223)
The teacher should require the pupils to read the lesson through and then to reproduce its main incidents without any regard to their allegorical significance. Such headings as the following might be suggested by the pupils, and these would serve to guide in this reproduction:
1. Daffydowndilly's dislike of the schoolmaster
2. His decision to run away from school
3. His meeting with the stranger who accompanies him on his journey
4. The haymakers
5. The carpenters
6. The soldiers
7. The merry-makers
8. His discovery of his companion's identity
9. The lesson that he learned.
Having thus obtained the literal meaning of the story—a matter of little difficulty—it remains to get its deeper significance. It is hardly probable that many pupils will be disposed to regard the story as literally true, yet few will be likely, upon a first reading, to see the principle that underlies it. In order to arrive at this, the teacher may proceed as follows:
Are there any parts of the story that strike you as improbable? (1) The reference to Mr. Toil's long residence upon the earth. (2) The frequent meetings with Mr. Toil's brothers. (3) Daffydowndilly's slowness in discovering another brother in the person of his companion. (4) Their travelling all day in a circle.
If the story is literally untrue or improbable, what object might Hawthorne have had in view in writing it? Perhaps he wished to teach some lesson; perhaps there is a meaning hidden beneath the story.
Let us discover what that hidden meaning is? What does the name "Toil" suggest to you? Work.
What, then, may Mr. Toil represent? Work.
And what may his brothers represent? Different kinds of work.
With this idea in mind, we shall now try to understand what each adventure really means. How are we prepared for Daffydowndilly's troubles with the schoolmaster and for his later unpleasant experience? The author tells us that he "took no delight in labour of any kind".
What flower did he resemble? The daffodil. The boy's name is another form of the name of the flower.
In what respect is he said to resemble a flower? He "loved to do only what was beautiful and agreeable, and took no delight in labour of any kind".
Why is Mr. Toil first represented as a schoolmaster? Because it is at school that a boy is first introduced to real work. (This might be given a still more extended meaning. The school represents the preparation for our future vocation, whether it be in the school-room, or in an apprenticeship, or elsewhere. This involves hard work, and hence is, to some extent, at least, unpleasant.)
What is meant by saying that Mr. Toil "had done more good ... than anybody else in the world"? Work does everybody good: (1) It keeps us out of mischief. Criminals often become so because of the lack of profitable employment. (2) It improves character. The people of the best and strongest character are those who have had to work hard. (3) It makes the world happier. The most miserable people are those who have nothing to do.
"A very worthy character." Is "character" used in its usual sense here? It usually means what a person really is.
(Distinguish "character" and "reputation".)
Explain what is meant by saying that "he had dwelt upon earth ever since Adam was driven from the garden of Eden". Ever since that time man has had to work. God said to Adam (Genesis iii, 19), "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread".
Why is Mr. Toil represented as being such a disagreeable person? Because, to some people, work has many unpleasant features.
Any activity that has no compulsory elements in it is no longer work, but play. What is the real meaning of the paragraph describing the schoolmaster's method of discipline? The work of the school-room, being compulsory, and therefore disagreeable to idle boys, becomes exceedingly painful when long continued.
Contrast Daffydowndilly's previous life with his experience at school. Brought up under the indulgence of his mother, his life had been very pleasant. Now, introduced to real work, he finds life very unpleasant.
What gives us a suggestion as to the identity of the stranger whom Daffydowndilly met on the road? We are told that he was "trudging" "along the road", and that his voice "seemed hard and severe".
Why is "trudging" a better word than "walking"? It suggests effort, and hence work.
How does the form of the question, "Whence do you come so early, and whither are you going?" harmonize with the description of the stranger?
We are told that he had a "grave and sedate appearance", and the somewhat stilted form of the question is quite in harmony with this description.
Why had his voice "a sort of kindness in it"? Because moderate work, such as this walking early in the day, is not altogether unpleasant.
Explain "ingenuous disposition". How does Daffydowndilly show this?
What made his discovery of Mr. Toil among the labourers in the hayfield so unexpected? The circumstances and surroundings—"the sunshine", "the blue sky", the singing birds, the fragrant hay—were so pleasant that it was hard to see how anything so unpleasant as work could intrude there.
Why is Mr. Toil recognized in the owner of the field rather than among the labourers? In directing the activities of the men, as well as working himself, he is performing the most arduous labour of all.
Why does the stranger say the farmer is a "more disagreeable man" than his brother, the schoolmaster? Because the activities of farm life are more laborious than those of the school-room.
What expression that takes the form of a proverb is used in describing this incident? "To make hay while the sun shone."
Distinguish its meaning, as the author uses it, from its meaning as a proverb. The author uses it in its literal meaning. The farmer must make the most of fine weather and sunshine in curing ("making") his hay, for, if rain comes after it is cut, it will be more or less injured. Used as a proverb, the expression means that one should seize the opportunities presented and make the most of them.
What does Hawthorne mean by placing a Mr. Toil at the head of the company of soldiers? Military movements, though very attractive to the eye, really involve work. Soldiers find their activities very toilsome, especially after the novelty has worn off.
Why is Mr. Toil placed even among the dancers? The pursuit of pleasure soon becomes wearisome, and hence toilsome.
Why is the fiddler represented as a Frenchman? France, as a whole, is reputed to be the gayest and sprightliest of nations.
What is meant by saying that "those who have known him best think him still more disagreeable than his brothers"? Those who devote themselves entirely to the pursuit of pleasure find it more toilsome and disagreeable than ordinary work. People frequently say, after a day given up to pleasure, that they are more tired than if they had worked hard all day.
In which of the incidents of the story does it seem least likely that Mr. Toil would be met with? In the incident of the merry-makers.
In which, most likely? The incident of the haymakers.
How has Hawthorne apparently arranged Daffydowndilly's experiences? He has so arranged them that in each successive incident we are more surprised at meeting with Mr. Toil. Each one seems to promise less probability of his presence than the preceding.
Why had Daffydowndilly not recognized his companion before? His voice had been kind and his manner agreeable in the early stages of the journey.
Interpret this as has been done in the case of the other incidents. The early part of Daffydowndilly's journey had been pleasant, owing to the freedom from school and the interesting experiences by the way. But, as the day drew on, he gradually grew tired, and then it was that he recognized that walking is work.
What lesson did he learn? That he could not get away from work. It is to be found everywhere, in the most unexpected places, and one cannot escape from it by changing his occupation.
What is meant by Daffydowndilly's finding Mr. Toil's ways more agreeable upon better acquaintance? When he grew accustomed to his work, he found that it was not so very unpleasant after all; "that diligence is not a whit more toilsome than sport or idleness".
What is Mr. Toil's "smile of approbation"? The consciousness of work well done.
Tell the pupils that this story is an Allegory. They have probably read other stories of a similar nature, and may be asked to frame a simple definition. An Allegory is a story, not literally true, containing incidents that have a deeper meaning than is apparent on the surface. Its purpose is to teach some moral truth or universal principle. It differs from the Parable in being longer and more complex.
When the pupils reproduce the story, it will be well to adhere to the allegorical form, and not attempt to give its significance.
MOONLIGHT SONATA
(Third Reader, page 285)