It grew,(28) a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time’s burst of dawn.(29)
He gained a world,(30) he gave that world
Its grandest less’n: “On! Sail on!”
A Suggestive Outline for the Study of a Selection
I. Mastery of Main Theme
The first step in the study of any selection is to gain an idea of it as a whole. This can best be done by reading the selection in its entirety. If there should be strange words, let them pass for the time being. Thus we grasp the predominant mood and significant setting or situation.
II. Progressive Analysis
Read the selection, silently, a second time. The aim now is to make a mental note of the several parts which make up the whole. This demands close concentration, in order that we may unify matters and prevent abrupt transitions. We are to break up the whole into parts, and each part represents a thought group.
1. Punctuation makes the meaning clear, and the clear meaning determines the various groups. Example: “It came, rushing in torrents like an avalanche of rock.” We do not pause after “came,” although it is so punctuated. Question: Do you find like instances in the selection under consideration? Where?