Nature+Activity


 * Published Poem: **

"The Rainy Day" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; The vine still clings to the moldering wall,  But at every gust the dead leaves fall, And the day is dark and dreary.

 My life is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind is never weary; My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past, But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast And the days are dark and dreary.

 Be still, sad heart! and cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sun still shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.

I will introduce students to Longfellow's poem and facilitate a discussion of comparison to the first and second stanza of the poem, specifically looking at the connection between nature and the author's life as well as the cohesive structure. I will have a hat filled with cards with things found in the natural world written on each card, which would include topics like the seasons (summer, fall, winter, spring), natural disasters (hurricane, blizzard, tornadoes), and other natural phenomena (stars, comets, forests, etc.). I will have each student take a card and freewrite about the topic written on their cards for 5 minutes. Once students have their finished freewrites, I'll have them take those and compare what they've written to something they have experienced themselves or someone they know has experienced, using the same structure as their first freewrite. They will get another 5 minutes to freewrite with this prompt and then students could share what they've written and tell us how they showed a connection between the two topics in their writing.
 * Activity:**

**My Example Poem: **

A Season of Strength

The leaves come down Leaving the trees' branches empty. A mountain of orange and red, Autumn's price to pay. The coming of winter, like a bear. The wind sings like a bird through the trees. Delicate leaves and sturdy trees, once a team, But now the leaves, Left to fall alone, Carry the burden of our weight. As spring arrives, New leaves sprout to greet the dawn.

My husband's weary lids come down Leaving my hearts' hopes empty. A mountain of bills and sympathies, People's respects to pay. The coming of death, like a bear. The silence sings like wind through the room. My delicate hands, his sturdy heart, once a team, But now my memories Left to stand alone, Carry the weight of his legacy. As our son arrives, New strength sprouts to greet the dawn.