There is a land of every land the pride,
Beloved of Heaven o'er all the world beside,
There brighter suns dispense serener light
And milder moons imparadise the night.
O land of beauty, virtue, valor, truth, 5
Time-tutored age, and love-exalted youth!
There is a spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest,
Where man, creation's tyrant, casts aside
His sword and scepter, pageantry and pride, 10
While in his softened looks benignly blend
The sire, the son, the husband, brother, friend.
Where shall that land, that spot of earth, be found?
Art thou a man, a patriot? Look around!
O thou shalt find, howe'er thy footsteps roam, 15
That land thy country and that spot thy home.
1. Make a list of songs whose theme is love of
country. Name the national hymns of the chief
countries of the world. What songs have love of
home as their theme?
2. Write the meaning of the above poem in a few
short sentences.
3. Select five unusual words from the poem, give a
brief definition of each, and use each in a
sentence.
4. Find out the following facts about the life of
Montgomery: dates of birth and death; nationality;
business or profession; chief writings.