1. Make a list of the most effective adjectives in the selection.
  2. Make a list of the words that do most to suggest the sea.
  3. Read aloud the most effective sentences.
  4. Point out examples of balanced construction.
  5. Show that the author has indicated the entire field of the subject.
  6. In what ways is the selection poetic?
  7. What famous books tell stories of sailing vessels?
  8. What books of the sea did Fenimore Cooper write?

SUBJECTS FOR WRITTEN IMITATION

1. Old Gardens11. My Grandmother
2. Farm Houses12. Old Letters
3. My Childhood Home13. A Happy Day
4. Mothers14. The Old Soldier
5. Flowers15. A Relic
6. Memories16. A Familiar Street
7. Old School-books17. Changes
8. Old Friends18. Souvenirs
9. Childhood Games19. Skating
10. Favorite Stories20. Summer Days

(page 287)

“Its humming shrouds were vibrant with the eternal call of the sea.”

DIRECTIONS FOR WRITING

The subject that you select must be one concerning which you know a great deal. It must be one that exists not only in your brain but also in your heart.

When you have selected your subject make a list of the points that appeal to you most, and that will represent every side of the subject.

When you write, let your emotion guide your pen. At the same time make every effort to select words that will be full of suggestive power. Write easily and rhythmically, and let your work end, as Mr. Paine's does, in an especially effective sentence.